R6 Midterm 2015

Midterm R5

Notre Fantastique Gâteau au Chocolat!

Passé Composé...Parce Que...Imparfait

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Midterm R4

Midterm R3

#jesuischarlie

Hey mom and dad, It's pretty crazy around here. Currently I am in my apartment, 36 Quai de Bourbon on the île de Saint Louis. Normally, I would feel so safe and happy looking out on the beautiful city of Paris on an impromptu day off from work but, sadly, today I feel the opposite. in case you haven't heard what has happened, I will give you an overview. Yesterday on January 7th, militant islamist gunmen opened fire on the paris office of the satirical magazine, "Charlie Hebdo", killing 12. The editor of the magazine as well as four of the magazine's well known cartoon artists were among the victims, along with 2 policemen. Witnesses said that they heard the gunmen shout "we have avenged the prophet muhammed," and "Allah Akbar" ("God is great" in Arabic). The two brothers were on the run for two days before they were found and killed in a deli outside Paris. The attack only occurred a week after the magazine printed a satirical cartoon depicting the prophet Muhammed. You guys probably know that any physical representation of the religious figure, such as photos or cartoons, are strictly forbidden in islamic law. This is allegedly the reason for the attacks. There have been so many peace walks and parades for this in Paris and, almost everywhere you go, you can see signs of "je suis Charlie" or "nous sommes tous Charlie", the slogans for the mourning of these men and women. Along with an overwhelming amount of the population grieving, a spark has been ignited with the debate of freedom of speech and expression. Personally, I believe the magazine had every right to print that cartoon. The main basis of this country is to be allowed your freedom of opinion, and that is just what the writers were trying to portray. I know many people here that are claiming that, while the outcome was horrendous, the acts of the magazine were reckless within themselves. In 2011, the office of "Charlie Hebdo" was firebombed for portraying another image of Muhammed, and many people believe that should have been a warning sign to hold back a little more with their publishing. I agree that their were premonitions of a possible warning sign however, I don't think their so-called "recklessness" with free speech can justify their own murders. I stand with the writers and artists at Charlie Hebdo. As you can see, this is a pretty tough issue and I am sure you will be hearing a lot more from where this came from, but i just wanted to let you know that I'm okay and all is well at 36 Quai de Bourbon, despite the attacks. Love you both! Add ps. attached is a little something for the house: