Bastille Day

I think the French have gotten a bad rap through history. Labeled "cheese eating surrender monkeys" by The Simpsons and the punchline in a hundred bad jokes about war, we forget that the French have shown great feats of bravery and resilience. The actions of the anti-fascist maquis in World War 2, the immortal stand of the common foot soldier at Verdun and most of all the storming of the Bastille come to mind. In this day of multiplying "czars" being promoted in the United States government, it is nice to hum a few lines of the Marseillaise and sing along with the chorus of a national anthem all about spilling the blood of despotic monarchs-

Aux armes, citoyens,
To arms, citizens
Formez vos bataillons,
Form your battalions,
Marchons, marchons !
Let's march, let's march!
Qu'un sang impur
May a tainted blood
Abreuve nos sillons !
Drench our furrows!

Hell yeah.