At the call of Fréderic Ganneval, who defines himself as “just a citizen, a father of 3 daughters, who lives here and often wonders if the grass is greener elsewhere,” a human chain of about a hundred citizens formed yesterday afternoon.
Hand in hand, people who do not know each other wanted to provide an answer, modest yes, perhaps not banal, to the question that Frédéric Ganneval publicly posed: “How long will we continue to fight, here in France, over skin color or religion? Do we want to hate each other a little more each day until a civil war eventually breaks out after the next attack?”
It is the feeling of being “free and safe” beyond all misunderstanding and hatred whether one is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, Buddhist, yellow, black, red, or green, simply because our values are stronger than our differences!
The conclusion? It is from Frédéric Ganneval: “Let’s mark this first meeting between us with a beautiful milestone. May it be a beginning, not an end.”
A beautiful page of civic awareness has been written, and the title is evocative: All United.
Moreover, if the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (written in 1789) introduces the right to freedom of expression and opinion, isn’t it tolerance that makes dialogue and confrontation possible?
The meeting was set at Place Garibaldi, a place that is becoming emblematic: the Charlie tree which can almost be compared to Hyde Park’s “Speaker’s Corner” in London where everyone can freely express themselves to the attention of those present and passersby (an idea for the Mayor?).
Isn’t it tolerance that allows those who do not think alike, have different customs, believe in God or are atheists, to accept each other, to respect and recognize one another?
In these times of doubt, we should reread Voltaire who is often mistakenly mentioned, though sometimes rightly so.
One of the Enlightenment fathers in his Treatise on Tolerance (written in 1763) condemned all forms of fanaticism but also invited reflection on the inadequacy of one’s own language, the insufficiency of one’s own opinions, and the imperfection of one’s own laws.
He explained that intolerance is the mother of all hypocrisy and the origin of all rebellion, encouraging everyone to regard others as their brothers.
In short, tolerance as the union of democracy and freedom.
