Bush’s New Start with an Old
Friend
By Jane Hampton
Cook
On
the same weekend President George W. Bush welcomed new French
President Nicolas Sarkozy to the United States, I was doing what
many American women don't have time to do during the week. I
took a quick moment to visit a beauty shop, or salon, I should
say.
Not
long after the two leaders shared a meal of hotdogs and
hamburgers at the longtime Bush family get-a-way in
Kennebunkport, Maine, I met a true blue Franco-American. Her
French accent made her stand out among the French manicures
offered at the salon. Marie’s immigration story was not
unusual. She first came to the United States as a tourist. She
liked it so much she looked for work here and got a Green Card.
Then she married an American and had a daughter. She obviously
held sentimental regard for France, but America had been quite
good to her. However, it was quickly apparent the frosty
French-American relations over Iraq had been a little difficult
on her. She had been reminded a thousand times by her fellow
Americans how much France owed the United States for rescuing
her from Germany during World War II. So, I tried to say
something encouraging.
“America
couldn’t have won the Revolutionary War without France,” I
said.
“Thank
you,” Marie said with relief and surprise. She explained I was
the first person who had said that to her.
It’s
true. America couldn’t have secured independence from Britain
without the support of France. King Louis XVI’s official
recognition of American independence in 1778 made King George
III quake in his English riding boots. His trembling could be
felt across the English Channel. King George was simply shocked
that a monarchy like France would support a revolution against a
fellow monarchy. But support France did. King Louis XVI sent
money, men, and munitions to America. The final victory at
Yorktown came through the cooperation of American and French
soldiers.
One
of the Revolution’s best and most enthusiastic generals was a
Frenchman. The Marquis de Lafayette left behind his wife and
child and paid his own way to join the Continental Army.
Lafayette’s youthful exuberance for American independence,
something he called the “final struggle of liberty,” won
George Washington’s heart. When Washington first showed
Lafayette the rag-tag American army, he was surprised at the
Frenchmen’s response. He expected Lafayette, a member of
France’s prestigious Black Musketeers, to offer suggestions
for improvement. Instead, Lafayette replied, “I have come to
learn, not teach.” Later,
when Lafayette was wounded in battle, Washington asked the
attending physician to keep a close eye on the young man because
he “loved him like a son.”
When
Americans talk of friendship with France, it’s understandable
that they turn to World War II. Friends and family members keep
the memories alive (including my 83-year-old neighbor who landed
at Normandy on D-Day). Although the American Revolution is
sometimes as removed from our memory as the British flag is from
our shores, there’s a reason why America needs to nurture its
friendship with nations like France during this time of
terrorism. You never know what the future holds. It’s vital to
strengthen our friendships after a time of testing over
disagreements, especially the ones built on the mutual cause of
liberty.
Friendship
is usually a bond between people with common interests and
like-minded values. Friends are chums, comrades, cronies, and
confidants. A strong friendship includes enough sugar to keep
the relationship sweet with a small amount of salt to make it
interesting. A friend is often someone we know, like, and trust.
Pennsylvania founder William Penn put it this way: “Friends
are true twins in soul.”
But
friendships forged in freedom are different from ordinary ones.
They aren’t based on a mutual enjoyment of something fun, such
as fantasy football. Alliances, such as France and America in
the 1770s, are often unlikely. These friendships are crucial for
overturning tyranny and fighting terrorism, democracy’s
nemesis. More than most friendships, freedom friendships endure
tremendous tests of loyalty, culture, and betrayals. They
sometimes require extreme makeovers. But if these relationships
survive, the resulting bonds strengthen, not weaken, the edifice
of liberty.
As
Marie’s story shows, there’s no doubt the frustrations with
the French government over the past few years have tested, but
not erased, the overall friendship between the United States and
France.
“I
respect the French people, I respect the history of France. We
have had disagreements -- on Iraq, in particular -- but I've
never allowed disagreements to not find other ways to work
together,” President Bush told the members of the media before
his lunch with Sarkozy. He hoped the pair would have a
“heart-to-heart” talk.
President
Bush has a fresh start with an old friend. The new French
president may unravel the Chirac-inspired French twist. In that
same media moment, Sarkozy explained he had just finished
reading a biography on Lafayette and praised the 250-year-old
friendship between the nations.
“The
U.S. is a large, big democracy. It's a country of freedom and
it's a country that we've always admired because it's the
country that brought a constitution and freedom to the world.
And France is friends with democracies, not with dictatorships.
Do we agree on everything? No. Because maybe even within a
family there are disagreements, but we are still a family. And
we may be friends and not agree on everything, but we are
friends, nevertheless. That's the truth,” Sarkozy said.
President
Bush may have more success with President Sarkozy, whose
policies are less liberal and his personality more amiable than
his predecessor. Bush and Sarkozy have serious issues to
discuss, especially the growing threat of Iran. But both leaders
understand the truth about freedom. Freedom flourishes best when
leaders lead for a short time. Free elections and the peaceful
transition of power are what make freedom strong.
“Afterwards
we, the French, were involved in the war (World War II)-- the
West were on our side,” Sarkozy said. “And on the East Coast
(of France), we see a lot of cemeteries with small white crosses
-- on the French coast -- and those are young Americans who came
to die for us. And that is a lot more important than Mr. Sarkozy
or Mr. Bush, because after Mr. Bush, after Mr. Sarkozy, we'll
continue to be friends of the Americans.”
|
