About That Day ♠ A Propos De Ce Jour Là |

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It was a phone call, with my mother at the other end. In a clear albeit slightly anguished voice, she said something straight away and her first words still resonate at this very moment, three years later.

She said:

The Americans are attacked!

She didn't talk about planes and terrorists. She didn't talk about hijacking, New-York or the Pentagon.

She just said "the Americans are attacked!" and the brutal implications of such a direct assertion - it was obvious at the moment that in her mind, and therefore in mine, it meant nothing less than war - left me completely stupefied.

The Americans are attacked.

Then she said, "it's on the TV right now! Turn it on!"

So I did.

Yes, Americans were being attacked.

Thus this war started.

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Ce fut un appel téléphonique, avec ma mère à l'autre bout du fil. D'une voix claire bien que légèrement angoissée, elle a dit quelque chose directement et ces premiers mots résonnent encore à ce moment précis, trois ans plus tard.

Elle a dit :

Les Américains sont attaqués !

Elle n'a pas parlé d'avions et de terroristes. Elle n'a pas parlé de détournement, de New York ou du Pentagone.

Elle a simplement dit "les Américains sont attaqués!" et les brutales implications d'une assertion aussi directe - il était évident à ce moment que dans son esprit, et par conséquent dans le mien, cela ne signifiait rien moins que la guerre - m'a laissé totalement hébété.

Les Américains sont attaqués.

Puis elle à dit "c'est sur la TV en ce moment ! Allume là !".

Ce que j'ai alors fait.

Oui, les Américains étaient attaqués.

Et ainsi cette guerre a commencé.

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the dissident frogman

I own, built and run this place. In a previous life I was not French but sadly, I died.

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Comments thread (10)

1613 - Mike H.

Mike H.
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Frogman, your mother had it right, but our liberal media can't figure it out. Maybe your mother could buy a newspaper.

1614 - Valerie, Texas

Valerie, Texas
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Or get Danny Boy Rather's job after he gets sacked for putting out forged docuents as evidence? I would go back to watching CBS if Mama Dissident was doing the news.

1615 - Macker

Macker
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And may I ask how does Madame Dissident feel about the war now? Inquiring Minds want to know....

1616 - Matt

Matt
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It's a small world...the first call I got in Ft. Lauderdale florida was from an Aussie friend vowing, "we're gonna get those rag-heade mother fuckers who did this...." I suddently felt all "PC" and tried to calm him down..."we've no idea who did this but, yes, whomever it is, we'll get them." "It's the goddamned ragheads...crazy islamofacists who did it.. believe it." And, well, yes, it was. I've never turned a deaf ear to this seer since...

1617 - Nightfly

Nightfly
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This explains a lot: apparently Kerry's mommy never called him with the news.

1618 - kat-missouri

kat-missouri
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When I read that, "The Americans are attacked." I had goose bumps. it was that simple.

1619 - Dave

Dave
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Yes, we were attacked. My the nFrench lady friend asked me what the U.S. would do...I tolde we'd take to the bastards,just as we have always done...and we have and we shall. Codicil.. this is provided we don't f*ck up and elect Comrade sKerry

1620 - paulo

paulo
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Dave, cut the macho swagger, you caught the wrong guy. Osama been forgotten ? Now enlist and enjoy Bush's quagmire.

1621 - the dissident frogman

the dissident frogman France
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... And as usual, no surprise here: Paulo's IP address tells me that he's commenting from (drum rolls not needed)... France, of course. Paulo is obviously one of those preposterous clowns who still believe what they read in Libé and le Monde. Hence the resurgence of the outdated "quagmire" thing. I mean, even your average 'Nam veteran Senator running (fast, and in the wrong direction) for the presidential election in the US won't use that one anymore I think. However, Paulo and the rest of the preposterous monkeys are stuck in a very funny alternate dimension where the coalition is loosing the war, France is a major diplomatic power (and if you push them really good, you can even get one of those clowns telling you about France's military power. Very funny), the UN a legitimate institution, Saddam a clone of Santa Claus that couldn't hurt a fly and Osama's carcass (no, wait, he's not dead, he's been eluding those American morons since 9/11) the Robin Hood of the Islamic world and the hope of a certain fringe of the said preposterous monkeys in their gesticulations against the so-called US hegemony. In your dreams Paulo. In a sense, we should pity Paulo (that's if we had nothing better to do of course). He reminds me of the sad and comical self-delusion of the well known (Saddam era) Minister of the Information. Remember that broadcast with the US tank in the background? "There is no American in Baghdad" Come to think of it, *all* the French press took this one for granted as well, which gives us in return such amusing attractions as The Preposterous Paulo. Gee, where's Barnum when you need him?

1622 - SlagleRock

SlagleRock
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It is a fact. We were attacked and the liberal media has forgotten. On a seperate note: Today is a sad, sad day. Superman is Dead! Christopher Reeve has died at the age of 52. SlagleRock (Solemnly) Out!

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