All right, y'all. The France-bashing is now officially ridiculous. Can we move on to something that actually matters? Something that is more than just a trite, overdone gesture of political protest?
BALTIMORE-- It was nearly "nevermore" for French cognac Monday in an annual tribute at the grave of Edgar Allan Poe.
For 56 years, someone has marked the writer's birthday by slinking into the small cemetery where Poe is buried to place French cognac and three roses on his grave in the middle of the night.
This year, however, the mystery visitor included a note with a possible reference to French opposition to the war in Iraq.
"The sacred memory of Poe and his final resting place is no place for French cognac," the note read. "With great reluctance but for respect for family tradition the cognac is place. (sic) The memory of Poe shall live evermore!"
Jeff Jerome, curator of the Poe House and Museum in Baltimore, has watched the cemetery every Jan. 19 since 1976. He said he was nervous about making the note public because of its political tone.
"I'm the person that picks the items up," Jerome said. "Is it up to me to interpret these and be the judge of what shouldn't be released? If I do that, then I'm setting myself as a censor."
The black-hooded figure appeared just before 3 a.m., walking carefully on the icy cemetery grounds. After placing the roses and a half-filled bottle of cognac on Poe's grave, the figure slipped back into the shadows.
Yes, the "Freedom Fries" and "Freedom Toast" WERE patently absurd. After all, when was our freedom EVER in question over events in Iraq? Thankfully, "French kissing" and "French doors" seems to have survived intact, but the continued boycott of any and all things French has departed the realm of the sublime and arrived in that of the ridiculous. Can we just recognize that for what it is and move on??
The statement has been made, remade, and horribly overdone. Don't y'all think it's time to, if not forgive, at least forget?? I haven't noticed the French government or the French populace cowering in fear of an American backlash. An effective protest generally begins with the presumption that the object of your protest actually cares. Frankly, I doubt the French give a tinker's damn about the opinion of Americans. Of course, it IS more fun if we delude ourselves into thinking that they actually ARE cowering in fear. Yeah, right....
