Stuff YOU Should Know
Celebrating Bastille Day
Credit: Raphael Van Butsele/Getty Images; France recently celebrated Bastille Day. What is this day all about?
As you surely know, Independence Day (July 4th) is a holiday that celebrates the United States officially declaring its independence from England. Did you know that France celebrates a similar occasion just ten days later? Named for the prison that was stormed by the French people, Bastille Day commemorates the beginning of the French Revolution in 1789. Like us Americans, the French mark the day with picnics, parades and fireworks. Government offices and some businesses are closed and people gather to listen to dignitaries talk about the sacrifices made to secure to personal freedoms. They also wear red, white blue to symbolize their flag.
In the mid 1700s, France was in financial crisis, due mainly to a combination of its involvement in the American Revolution, as well as extravagant spending by its king, Louis XVI. Protestors began to assemble in protest, eventually storming Bastille in an attempt to seize weapons and gunpowder. Just like the American Revolution, the French Revolution ended in the drafting of a document (the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen). Unlike the United States, it would take France several more years to secure a democracy.
Dig Deeper Do some research and see how many countries you can find who celebrate gaining independence from another country. Write a sentence or two on each about what happened.
“King James” Returns to Cleveland
Basketball great LeBron James made a recent announcement that he will return to the Cleveland Cavaliers, the NBA team where he made his professional debut in 2003. James, who famously hails from Akron, Ohio (a city just south of Cleveland), caused an outrage when he allowed himself to be successfully wooed by the Miami Heat in 2010. He is currently considered to be the best basketball player in the world, and credited with winning two titles for the Heat in 2012 and 2013 as well as putting them in the NBA finals in 2011.
With two years left on his contract with the Heat, he is “opting out,” to become a free agent, which means that any team in the NBA can offer him a contract. However, James has decided to return to Northeast Ohio for the sake of his family. In interviews, he said that he always believed that he would return and finish his career in Cleveland. The time was right as the decision coincides the announcement that his wife is pregnant with a little girl.
What Do You Think? There were a lot of people who thought James had betrayed the people Cleveland when he left. Do you think he should be welcomed back with open arms? Why or why not?
Latest Activity in Gaza
In our last edition, btw brought you news of escalated tensions between Israel and Palestine in the Middle East. After a one-week truce, fighting has resumed. The Hamas (the militant Islamic group who represent the Palestinians) are responsible for its first Israeli civilian casualty (shrapnel that hit a 16-year-old boy riding a bike) while the death count of the Palestinians has reached 190.
Israel, who launched Operation Protective Edge on July 8, has implemented a highly sophisticated missile defense strategy called Iron Dome. The system has been successful in protecting the Israeli people against more than 1000 rocket attacks. Complex mathematical equations are used to calculate and then intercept the incoming rockets. In response, the Hamas has sent several drones inside of Israel, one of which was shot down by a Patriot missile, supplied by the United States. Former Israeli Defense Minister has said that, “in the end, the only thing that will bring true quiet is a diplomatic solution.”
Dig Deeper The White House said that the fact that the two parties managed to have any sort of cease fire (even for such a short time) was encouraging news. Do some research. Do others agree? Why or why not? Continue to follow this story.
Harry Potter at 34
Are you a fan of the young wizard fantasy novels? If so, you probably already know that author J.K. Rowling recently released a Harry Potter-themed short story by posting it to her website, Pottermore. Readers were so excited to get a glimpse that they crashed the site (caused it to shut down from a surge in overuse). It’s no wonder. It’s been nearly seven years since the seventh (and final) book closed the lid on the beloved series, building up a massive “what’s next” curiosity. The story, “Dumbledore’s Army Reunites at Quidditch World Cup Final,” takes the form of a newspaper article written by gossip columnist, Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet. She remarks on a now 34 year-old Harry and his friends Ron and Hermione. The timing of Rowling’s 1500-word installment was timed nicely to coincide with the real life World Cup matches that just wrapped in Brazil.