[Glaslyn] Society friends and colleagues, please read.

[Jann Mays]

Greetings unto my friends and colleagues in the Society from Gabrielle
Honorée de Saint Pierre.

This is an excerpt from the editorial that appeared in the National French
newspaper, Le Monde, two days after the WTC tragedy in New York.  I have
taken the liberty to translate the editor’s opening paragraph of his
September 13th editorial in order to share the thoughts and the sympathies
that the French feel for America in light of this tragedy.   My hope is to
break down misplaced hatreds and prejudices, aimed at the French, which I
have noticed among some of my friends and colleagues in the Society.

“In this moment of tragedy when words cannot truly express the shock that we
feel, the first thought that came to mind is this one: we are all Americans
and we are all New Yorkers, just as surely as John F. Kennedy declared
himself a Berliner in 1963!  Therefore, how can we not feel the profound
bond with these people and with this country, the United States, to whom we
are so closely allied and to whom we owe our liberty, and, thus, our
solidarity?”

Jean-Marie Colombani
Editor in chief of Le Monde
Editorial, 9/13/01

(Translation by Jann Mays, 10/10/01)
Excerpt taken from the “Alliance Française de Dallas” October, 2001,
newsletter.

Thank you for taking the time to read this in order to further this great
desire of mine to better the world through cultural understanding.

Sincerely,
Gabrielle
(mka Jann Mays)


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