FRENCH WORD-A-DAY

There aren’t two sides, Kristi. This was domestic terrorism.

I am sorry. I can't find joy this morning. What a sad sad day for our beloved country.

As a British citizen I looked at the news coverage from Washington in amazement. How could it have come to this? A very sad day for the USA. But hopefully lessons will be learned so that it can never happen again. I pray that it is now over.

Kristi,
Living through the last four years under Trump has been horrible. He attacked our most respected institutions...our dedicated leaders...our partners around the world. This was an insurrection and he and all that supported it must be punished. I know this is harsh. We need to figure out some way of coming together as a country and accept that we do not all agree. I am not sure how we do that. I think a good first start is trying to understand the appeal that Trump has with so many people. That understanding is crucial so healing can begin.

Sadly, the actions of yesterday are just part of the scorched earth exit of a man who will do everything possible to leave the government in shambles so his successor has insurmountable problems. Drawing parallels between Trump and Hitler would make him proud. The man is a psychopath. I hope the 25th amendment is invoked so that he can never run again. Then maybe the sides can find a way to move forward.

It is clear that not only is Trump severely mentally ill, our government has failed to take the necessary steps to remove him from office. The anger he has encouraged to set free is a danger to not only our country but to the world. We will weather the storm and must find a way to protect our democracy from ever allowing such a monster to be elected again. And every one of his enablers must be voted out. We must never forget who they are.

I was gripped with anger watching it. Appalled that it could happen. But I rejoice this morning when I arise and find that justice & the constitution won over evil. I think the Statue of Liberty is standing taller this morning. Peace.

I am from Atlanta, Georgia, and have lived in Aix-en-Provence for 20 years. I'm proud to say I'm from the state that not only helped elect Biden but also elected the two senators who will tip the balance of power. I agree with Alice that the 25th amendment should be invoked. I've also compared him not only to Hitler but King Henry VIII, who reigned under the belief in the divine right of kings. Trump has governed like a very evil king, nothing divine about him. There is hope for democracy again. Il faut tenir bon! -- Susan Stone

The dog tilted their head saying, "But I don't need a haircut".

Wait a second...facial recognition has identified some of the "protestors " as Antifa members.
Most Trump supporters are middle aged and wear red white and blue..they are not young guys wearing black with Trump stamped on the back of a helmet...the better to get photo op as you smash stuff.
Get all the facts before you jump to the wrong conclusions.

Oui, Kristi! Tenez bon! C'est suffit!

Please remove your head from between your legs. That posture makes you as ridiculous in appearance as your post. If you support the people involved in yesterday’s events in any way, even after the fact, that makes you complicit.

Yesterday was a huge worldwide embarrassment for the U.S. That we, as a country, are unable to control chaos or conduct ourselves in a dignified manner. The division in this country is out of control. We need mutual respect for each other despite our differences. There may be finger pointing to sides within the U.S. but the events that occurred yesterday give the rest of the world a unified message about America. I am certain honor and respect are not included in their opinions. Thank you, Kristi, for reposting the adorable photo of the dog with his head cocked. ❤️

Good point! Never again!

And you think Biden is NOT mentally unstable? He is the most mentally challenged candidate in the history of the Republic. He has a history of criminal behavior, along with other members of his family. He can barely put one foot in front of the other, with practically no physical endurance whatsoever. And he frequently doesn't know where he is. His policies will kill off The United States of America. (Read Genesis 12:3. It is very clear.)

If it's a global society you want, you are moving in the right direction ~ Biden, Harris, the Deep State, The Bilderburgers (and their ilk), the WEF, the Davos reset 2021, all ready and willing to "adjust" the way we are living to fit the global model. Trump is far from perfect. But he did give us a four year reprieve from the fast moving NWO, for which I'm thankful.

Thanks for giving us a look from abroad. The bottom line is that trying to “understand” the South in the Civil War was for naught. Trying to be understanding of the Nazis was futile in WWII. The truth is that only when decent people will not accept anti Democratic behavior will it end. We can’t avoid confronting supporters of an autocrat. We have to make it clear that democracy is our form of government and sacrosanct. Anyone making excuses for these insurrectionists
should be condemned and Trump should be barred from ever serving in government again.
Shari Reed

This was domestic terrorism, incited by the President of the United States, a very sick man, aided and abetted by his cowering cronies who care more about their electability than right and wrong. Viva la France, because the USA is sick,

Hi Kristi,
Love the photo of the bulldog!
What is going on is horrific and is just a continuation of what has been going on for 6 months. The media totally ignored that cities like Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland were going up in flames and police stations were taken over and people were killed. Rioters took over these cities and businesses were destroyed, police stations taken over, and these riots are just continuing and they are all wrong. Like others have said above, it is domestic terrorism and it was terrorism 6 months ago.

You are right, Alicia. Patricia is placing blame where it belongs!

This claim of "antifa" instigators is false. It was promulgated by the Washington Times and other far-right news media and far-right Trump supporters like Lin Wood and Matt Gaetz to deflect responsibility from Trump, his son, Guiliani and others who inflamed the thousands of Trump supporters who were ginned up to come to Washington on Jan. 6 (Trump told them "It's going to be wild."). The Washington Times reported - without any attribution or evidence - that a "facial recognition company" (not anyone in law enforcement) had identified antifa. You will never see any actual proof of that, just like you will never see any actual proof of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election. The woman who was shot and killed trying to climb through a window into a secure hallway of the Capitol was a known MAGA loyalist from San Diego, as is that nut with the horned hat. Please stop listening to fringe politicians and news media. They are playing you.

Thanks Alicia...Am not sure why Andrew felt the need to say insulting things and point his finger at me.
Some people cannot discuss issues without resorting to these tactics.

Le chien vous dit: Kristi qu'est-ce que ce passe? Pourquoi vous avez l'air de tristesse aujour d'hui?

Thank you, Ellen .

I will not comment on the domestic terrorism. What more is there to say?

Instead, I thank you for the phrase "tenir bon" which I never knew, in all my years of speaking French! It's such a good one to know. :)

I think that sweet little dog wants, really badly, to communicte with you. Maybe it's saying, "Are you going to pet me? or even better, feed me?" Clearly it's looking at you with an open heart.

Maybe we should all be more like dogs...

xoxo Kate

Our Country is in trouble. The people who broke into the White House were members of Antifa which is now coming out on the honest news channels. America is now headed to Socialism/Communism, Open Borders, Huge tax increases , Identity Politics, Cancel Culture (no free speech) and the list goes on. So hope we can all work together for the America that was founded hundred of years ago.

Hi Kristi. Here's a NYTimes column from last October that, despite all the noise, seems to have been borne out. See: "There Will be No Trump Coup" by Ross Douthat (link below).
I have been writing our congressmen and senators asking them to be a force in bringing us together.
Paul
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/10/opinion/sunday/trump-election-authoritarianism.html

I was shocked when I heard that the Capitol had been breached. I tried to find out as much as I could through
Twitter and News via email, but I. Ended to leave to bring food to some friends (He has double pneumonia). I dropped it off and then sat in my car at the beach listening to my radio describing what was happening. I watched the sun slowly descend I over the water. I needed a time to reflect. I almost stopped at my church and sat in the chapel, but the beach worked well. Upon returning home, I sat horrified, watching the TV as thugs ransacked our, the people’s, Capitol building. I was angered by Trumps words. Still he would not concede and he said that he loved the marauders.
Then to have Hawley and Cruz still saying that the election was flawed, and to have all of those Republicans stand with them, drove me crazy. Enough said.
As for the dog. “What? You say that I need a haircut? But it is short enough. I’ll freeze if it is much shorter. Just give me a treat. Don’t I look cute enough?”

Dear Kristi, I see how you bravely tried to express your concern both about what happened yesterday but also about how we could "heal" our country. One "mistake" I think you made was to say that both sides are "entrenched in his or her beliefs".
I don't see it this way. There are many viewpoints in America. Conservative, liberal, libertarian, "independents", and more. That's not the problem.. The problem is several things. A President who dis-respects the law and is incapable of having concern for anyone but himself (now, even throwing his vice-president under the bus). He has done everything he could do for four years to deconstruct the agencies that serve and protect Americans. The majority of people voted him out of office as is our right and responsiblity to vote. For two months he and Fox news and other right-wing propaganda machines have lied and said the election was stolen. DESPITE numerous recounts, despite that even his own appointed judges said there was NO basis for his claim. Still Trump stoked the flames of hate and fear and resentment amongst his supporters that the election was STOLEN, and even that very morning exhorted them to march on the Capitol. This is not a case of "entrenched beliefs" of the "two" sides. This is a case of wanton lies and an extremely violent assault on the Capitol. This was not only disp-respect for democracy and the will of the people in terms of our sacred right and responsibility to vote; this was an attempted coup and a criminal incitement to violence. So yeah, no. This is not about -- oh, let's all just get along. Interesting too the way the Washington police handled the essentially white violent mob with kid gloves. You know if these people had been black they'd all be dead or in jail. Hardly any arrests. There is a very serious problem under-lying the events of yesterday, and it's not going to be resolved by all of us being "nicer". We are in a very sad and sorry state in our country with some 70 or80 million people having been brainwashed by Fox and Trump to believe his lies. It does indeed remind me of what happened in Germany and how the German people ended up believing the vicious ideology of Hitler -- that Jews, communists, gypsies, and gays were the root of the economic problems in Germany and therefore had to be eliminated. As a Jewish person, I am aware that I had family living in that region who were never heard from again. I take this kind of demagoguery personally. It's 100% not ok and not negotiable. The German people and government have taken it upon themselves to educate themselves and their children against this kind of ideology so that it won't happen again. We need to do that too. It's not a question of "understanding" this hatred and violence. It's a question of our nation gaining a clear and kinder vision of ourselves and educating against this kind of hate-based ideology. Thanks for letting me say what's on my mind. And thank you always for bringing your own honest and kind viewpoint to the world (even if I disagree with your comment about entrenchment). And yes, we need to hang in and hope to get to the other side of this American nightmare. with love, Gayle

Indeed that is true. The Capitol Police betrayed their principles in not acting more swiftly and strongly. The investigation should start TODAY.

PLEASE REMOVE THIS ANGRY POST, Kristi.
It is filled with conspiracies, not facts.

Please. Spare me. "Emotional storming of the White House?" The mob, as you call it, acted like a mob does; mindlessly and violently. It had nothing to do with arrogance or smugness. It was a radical, violent, terroristic act of hate, promulgated by the President of the United States. Can't you get your head around that?

And the truth is, Trump IS a sociopath. He suffers from a raging case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (look it up in the DSM-5, if you don't understand this PD) He is utterly incapable of thinking of anyone other than himself. Ever. He is sick, but so are the people who follow him blindly. And the Hitler references? While they may be a bit overheated, yesterday's event had the look of another Reichstag fire from where I sit.

And here's a big head's up. This is not going on because of my "attitude," it's happening because Trump and the GOP have sewn anger and hate and discontent for years now -- aided by a complicit right-wing media machine and social media. The same can not be said of the Democrats. We want our country back and we're damn tired of these false equivalencies that you make.

Kristie - I'm sorry for making this kind of post on your lovely blog. Forgive me. But it needs to be said.

Finally, did we notice who the remaining Senators were who didn't give up on the faux vote protest? All of them came from states where education is horrible and low information voters abound.

Stop all this hate talk now !
The coup started when Trump ran for office-
won-& the Democrats went after him in 2016.
Think about that with some logic.
Hypocrisy is the word of the day.

Ditto everything Gayle said.

Doggie said, « awww, why do you want a pic of me....I am just a plain and insignificant doggie. »

All the beautiful countries we want to flee to are socialists, such as Canada, France, England, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Italy... yeah, those are the countries we all would LOVE to flee to. USA is a joke of a country. We pay as much taxes as all the above countries, and we get nothing in return, no healthcare and no higher education! Heck, even some developing countries have better healthcare and free higher education.

Ha, I bet this letter has a chance to win the prize for most responses?

I just want to say that saying this was a coup d'etat will mislead people from other countries that have to deal with the possibility of real coup d'etats. There was never any chance this would actually change the legal transfer of power to Biden in 2 weeks. If you listen to the interviews of the protesters that went into the Capitol, even they realized that they weren't going to change the outcome. They said they were there to "send a message" and "disrupt the process". Stupid and illegal and shameful, yes, but not a real coup d'etat attempt.
According to the definition of insurrection, it WAS an insurrection - a violent uprising against a government.

Le chien dit, »Oú vas-tu sans moi?  Ne me quitte pas! As-tu oublié que je sois ton copain fidèle? »

We had a president incite a mob to attack the Capitol yesterday. Trump must be removed from office immediately. Otherwise our country will be vulnerable to anyone in the world who might egg us into international conflicts we can’t easily withdraw from. Make no mistake: Trump will escalate his actions from now until January 20th and beyond if allowed to. He claimed yesterday to have won by a landslide. That was four years ago! He is unhinged, delusional, and a clear danger to the country he is now attacking.
The dog is saying “It works wonders for getting pet more if I tilt my head just so.”

Oui! Vous comprenez précisément!

Le chien dit, vous etes fou, mais j'ai de la patience, beaucoup de patience pour vous. Je serai patient tous les jours. Je vous attends. J'attendrai la raisin du monde.

I must take umbrage with those of you who allege that Antifa was in the forefront of the mob storming the Capitol. News reports from a variety of news rooms across the political spectrum state it was Q-anon rioters who led the charge. What a sad day for America.

The dog is saying « how long does it take to get a haircut ? »
If you read joe bauchers books,Deer hunting with Jesus and diary of a redneck,or A hillbilly elegy, then you understand how half of Americans have been overlooked and undereducated by successive governments of both sides. These people don’t even know how to make choices and many are very deeply angry .
That’s where the healing should start, by addressing their issues, not mere political rhetoric.
I live in Australia and my fear is that we have politicians here who admire the USA way of life.

plus ça change dear Kristi
Regards, Gaye

In addition to my two replies to comments, here is what I think the doggie is expressing: "l have been waiting for my person to come out of the barber shop for SO long...will you give me a pet?"

The dog tilted his head ...can we go home!

Bonjour! I'd say, in keeping with the theme of your post, that doggie is saying: "I wonder what is happening to the U.S.?" The divisiveness is entrenched for sure. Each side has a worldview. I would characterize the left more globalist/socialist in mentality and the right as more American exceptionalist/capitalist in mentality. Each side has their own media: the left has CNN, MSNBC, NPR, New York Times, Washington Post, The Atlantic, the Economist, etc. and the right has Fox, NewsMax, Blaze, Epoch Times, City Journal, The Spectator and so on.Since, as you notice, the left-leaning media is the mainstream media, people on the left do not see what people on the right see and vice versa. For people on the left, they saw a demonized and hated orange man in power that they never felt was legitimate yet the right saw a populist president who was not owned by the lobbyists and globalist/corporate power structures. The four years our current president was in office was marked by a media and academic community who hated him and tried to get him out of office. The supporters of the president were frustrated that the president and his family were maligned, marginalized and hated without cause. You see? We live in two different realities. No wonder doggie is confused.

Yes the events are horrible, and as Kriti says so well one has to “ tenir le coup”. Like we say in France “A chacun ses mauvais gouts” “Each one has his/her own bad test” and should weather the storm in respect and dignity, it should not prevent civility and more so friendship. I am so sorry to see that many have used Kristi’s friendly and amicable blog to turn it into a vindictive and partisan mean of communication. Kristi, we’re looking for more of your cheerful news.

Excellent summary - thank you.

Spot on Alice reg comparison to Hitler. I‘ve been in mental pain every time he opened his mouth- so every day. Such a relief when he is finally off the scene. May he and his supporters be as heavily punished as legally possible in the US.
I already lost a friend in America due to her blind support of Trump (love the ‚alternative‘ meaning)
Sometimes you just have to draw the line and show some backbone. What does it say about a person supporting that sorry excuse for a human being? Only by accepting to lose a friend when you speak your mind, will we be able to save democracy. Don’t give them more power by faking you are tolerant enough to accept bullies and narcissistic personalities
It is good to see that you all haven’t supported that sad excuse for a human being
Anja from Germany

Anja, me too I am sad-traurig.
My beautiful adoptive country has been in turmoil.
(Germany was my previous, also beloved adoptive country).
So many wonderful people everywhere and so much kindness to lift our hearts too.
Kristi, you found the right words.
Let's not allow anything to divide us... It is OK to have different opinions. Let's try not to shut one another out. Let's check our facts. This blog and its readers have always been such a sweet reprieve. If human beings can't get along we are always in trouble!
Amicalement-with love

Photo of "le chien" ... He says to himself ... "My reflection shows me that I can lean both ways."