Beware the Spectre of Family Values

My handsome husband and I were discussing the advent of Halloween in our village. Roger let out a sigh before he pooh-pooed the new holiday; pointing out that it was an American idea and there wasn’t anything French about it.

Then he went on to tell us about the fascinating origin of MOTHER’S DAY in France.

Before World War II, France didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day.

Roger explained that before the war, the motto of France was Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite – which in English translates into the rousing call of Liberty, Equality, Brotherhood.

But when the Nazi-puppets, that were the Vichy government, ran “Free-France” they changed the motto to Travail, Famille, Patrie – which means Work, Family, Country. You can’t find a more uninspiring slogan than that.

To demonstrate what huge supporters they were of family values, the Vichy-based government instigated Mother’s Day - - they sponsored essay writing contests in schools so the children could extol their mothers; while at the same time, the government was helping the Nazis round up thousands of mothers, fathers, and children and sending them off to death camps. Talk about hypocrites!

(Believe me, whoever is screaming the loudest about the sanctity of any institution, is doing their best to destroy said institution.)

When the war was over, France reclaimed her beautiful Revolution-inspired motto, but kept celebrating Mother's Day . . . and Roger blamed the flower vendors for that blasphemy.

I was lying on the floor in my office last night unable to sleep because Antoinette was licking my face. I was keeping the puppy company so she wouldn’t wake up the husband with her howling. I couldn’t get Antoinette off of my head and I couldn’t get Roger’s history lesson out of my head.

When you think of it, every dictatorship feels it’s necessary to pound the ideals of FAMILY, WORK, and PATRIOTISM into their citizens’ heads. All three “concepts” require that you OBEY and give up your silly ideas about LIBERTY, EQUALITY, and BROTHERHOOD.

Feel free to draw comparisons to modern politics; and this Halloween, beware the spectre of Family Values.