D – 4: Once again this year, numerous tragedies have hurt our planet: plane crashes, fires, assaults, epidemics… These words, which cause so much sorrow as soon as they are mentioned, should no longer exist in our language. And yet! These cruel scenarios are part of reality. “Life is not a long tranquil river,” as Lamartine wrote.
I cannot begin this article without paying tribute to the 220,000 victims who lost their lives in Sri Lanka just a year ago. The year 2005 began by mourning these tragically lost beings.
Five days after New Year’s Day, the press announced that Florence Aubenas, a journalist from “Libération,” and her guide Hussein Hanoun were kidnapped in Iraq. A wave of generosity mobilized across France: demonstrations, collecting signatures, words of support… to remember those risking their lives to keep us informed about the world situation. After more than 140 days in captivity, they were finally released on June 11.
This summer, forest fires once again wreaked havoc in the south of France. Several hectares went up in smoke in the Var department. A lunar landscape now marks our hills despite the fierce battle by the firefighters. This year again, before the summer period, various preventive measures were deployed to fight the fires, but the risk still exists, alas.
The flames also burned several buildings in the Paris region. Several people, including about forty children, perished in these fires. These disasters reignite the problem of social housing in Paris. Decay or unsanitary conditions?
According to statistics, airplanes are the safest mode of transport. This year, the number of aeronautical accidents does not confirm these results. 2005 was a black year for the aviation world: On July 17, a plane crash in Guinea claimed 60 lives; on August 1, a Canadair crashed in Haute-Corse, killing both pilots; on August 14, a Boeing 737 claimed 121 victims near Varnava; on August 16, a plane crash in Venezuela resulted in 161 deaths, including 153 from Martinique…
To the natural or technical disasters, violence in so-called “disadvantaged” neighborhoods is added. On May 19 at La Courneuve, Sidi Ahmed, 11 years old, was killed by bullets while he was washing his father’s car. The next day, the Interior Minister declared he wanted to “clean up the neighborhood with a Kärcher.” These words ignited the powder keg in the suburbs. On October 27, two minors being pursued by the police died electrocuted in an electrical transformer. This event triggered 18 days of riots. A state of emergency was then declared in France.
After the mad cow disease of the 2000s, here comes the 2005 version of bird flu made in China! Never so highly publicized, poultry made headlines daily. Hunted and pursued, migratory birds are under close surveillance. By the end of October, avian flu reached the European continent. Numerous preventive measures were taken in all poultry farms.
Yes, this year again the Earth has witnessed many dramas that have caused numerous tears. Alas, no one is immune to the accidents of this world. But let’s stop there, the bad memories of 2005, tomorrow we will concoct a flashback synonymous with happiness!
