I am writing to you at the conclusion of my school week here in France. And what a wild and dramatic one it has been! I first want to address what many of you may have seen in the news back home. I won't spend too much time recapping the events (which can be found on any major news outlet) because I want to instead talk about the response from France and my observations.
On the Wednesday of the initial shooting at the Charlie Hebdo news magazine office, my class was walking around the city to study examples medieval architecture. Before we knew of the event, most of us noticed a high number police cars and ambulances driving by but we hadn't been living in the city long enough to conclude what is normal and what isn't. President Hollande immediately labeled the event as a terrorist attack (the first in France in recent memory) and arrived at the site where 12 people were killed. This was a surprising move to me as I thought that in the event of a terrorist attack, a nation's leader would be kept away in a secure location. I think this was, however, a smart leadership move as it showed strength and bravery as well provides a leadership presence to those on the scene with the reassurance that all of France expresses its solidarity and support.
Over the next few days of the manhunt for the shooters, Paris was on its highest security alert. We saw uniformed guards with guns at metro stations, museums, outside schools, and around major monuments. Restaurants and other businesses had signs in their windows saying "Je Suis Charlie." Illuminated across the top of l'Arc de Triomphe was "Paris est Charlie" and at night when la Tour Eiffel normally sparkles with lights on the hour, it went completely dark in a moment of silence.
The response of the people was overwhelming solidarity as vigils and protests were held in the city.
News of the event is still pouring in and I should note the the study abroad company I'm with has been keeping us somewhat informed and updated. So these are just my initial observations from the city, and I'll be able to take a better look at this "crucible moment" for Paris as I learn more. In my next post, I'll talk more about my trip and what I've been up to, but I want to add in some pictures now to break up all the reading and give you a little preview of my adventures.
This is the famous bookstore that's full of the classics (in English), including all the novel you were assigned to read in high school.
Thank you for giving us your leadership insights about recent events in Paris.
ReplyDeleteHi Kara,
ReplyDeleteI hope you are having a wonderful time in France! All the pictures you've been posting look amazing. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the display of leadership made by President Hollande at the protest you witnessed. In LEAD 203, we've been studying different leadership styles based on the Lewis Model and Dr. McManus and Dr. Perruci's new book. France is a multi-active culture, as is most of Latin America. In McManus and Perruci's chapter on Latin American leadership, they say that in that worldview a leader is responsible for providing order, boldness, and progress. Do you think that the French people (also being multi-active) believe this, too?
- Lucy Welles
Hey! Sorry for the delay in my response, I had a little trouble with my computer but I've had it all fixed up. In short: order-yes, progress-less so, and bold-not exactly. Their idea of Americans is that we never settle or are satisfied with what we have and that we're always looking ahead. By contrast, the French do not like risk nor do they like change. They take a lot of time to reflect, study, and learn from the past. (Almost seems reactive, doesn't it?) However, many people also recognize that their fondness for "le nostalgie" can slow social progress. But providing order for the Republic is paramount. This is always the first priority of French leadership and French law. I don't think that the Latin American leadership style would be well-received in France. So much boldness would be seen as risky or even theatrical. On a side note about French politics, the personal lives of political leaders or candidates are relatively insignificant. Meaning, a divorce, pregnant teenage daughter, or even having a known mistress does not factor into the general public's opinion of a leader. In fact, President Hollande's ex-wife (whom he divorced while in office) recently published a book about the President's affairs with other women. While this certainly received much attention, it did not severely impact his approval rating. Can you imagine is this happened in the US? The President would have to resign!
ReplyDelete