23 March 2003
Grenoble, France

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

The Grenoble Center continues to receive much mail. The killings have begun, and so has the war of humor. Below are messages forwarded to us  from two French students seeking to survive in this period of mass psychosis.

Take a minute to laugh with us, and make the pathogenic leaders disappear, if only for a few seconds. . . .
 

As always, we welcome new entries in this comparative humor contest.

Sincerely,
F. Feeley
Professor of American Studies/
Director of Research
 

________________________
A.
 From a French graduate student who is studying in the United States this year.

Irony, he notes, among students on the small American campus where he finds
himself this year is one weapon that is being used to light the candle of
thought and, who knows, perhaps eventually resistance.

His grandparents grew up under the Vichy Regime, and suddenly they have a
lot to talk about....

___________
Dear Professor,
I feel dreadfully lonely today. I feel I am in an enemy territory. I think
I will cope with it until May, but it will be hard.

In a poll made yesterday, 55 % of the students here are for the war, while
90 % of the faculty are against. Many students here laugh about the war,
think it's cool, like a video game thing.

I was thinking about returning home, but there are already many anti-war
protesters in Grenoble, and not enough here.

I am forwarding a message that a student here sent to all the campus this
morning: "The War Prayer," by Mark Twain.

Here is his message :
I know there's a lot of religiosity involved in these coming days of war,
but I just thought I'd share a humble war prayer with all of you...

O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to
battle--be Thou near them! With them--in spirit--we also go forth from the
sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe. O Lord our God,
help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to
cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help
us to drown
the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain;
help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us
to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help
us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the
wastes of
their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun
flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with
travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it--for our
sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract
their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their
tears, stain
the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit
of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful
refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble
and contrite hearts. Amen. --Mark Twain, "The War Prayer"

Cordially,
Charlie
 

However, many students here think Charlie's message is in support of the war!!!
 

à bientôt,
Jean

__________________________
B.
 From Clair :

Professor Feeley,

I am writing to you in connexion with the e-mail you sent on March 10th.,
dealing with parodies of bush's administration web sites and other funny
images.

As I have just received this series of "funny" posters, I take the liberty
to expose you to some French humor. Is it any different from American humor
on this subject?
 

Regards,
Claire
 

__________________
Please see the attachments.
 
 

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\busherie1.jpg

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\chronique1.jpg

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\sadwar1.jpg

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\tony1.jpg

Pièce jointe convertie: c:\eudora\feeley\attach\universalsoldier1.jpg

**************************
Francis McCollum Feeley
Professor of American Studies
Director of Research at CEIMSA
Center for the Advanced Study of American
Institutions and Social Movements
http://www.u-grenoble3.fr/ciesimsa
University of Grenoble-3
France
Tel: 04.76.82.43.00