Today’s blog post is set in the 17th
century when Louis XIV was king of France.
I am writing to King Louis XIV as a French peasant who has been allowed to tour Versailles in the format of a Open Letter on the topic of my reaction to the palace with an incorporation of my thoughts and concerns on my own livelihood and well-being.
_____________________________________________
Dear King Louis XIV,
You have got to be kidding me! While your people are dying
of hunger, you are up living the life in Versailles. I was appalled by what my
eyes looked upon the other day: 700
rooms, over 200 windows, 1250 fireplaces, and 67 staircases? If you excuse me
but how could you be so selfish when your people are struggling every hour of
the day, just to get by. We don’t even have chairs, let alone tables in our
homes.
You have destroyed this countries commerce and what your grandfather
worked so hard to create; the greatest country on earth. With all due respect
sir, your generosity doesn't even come close to what his was. He cared for his
people. He made sure that they were taken care of and it seems, correct me if I
am wrong, you only care about yourself.
Do you know how hard it is to support a family in these
times? You have no control over the weather and how that has contributed to the
harvests but you do have control on how much you money you take from the
country. Why aren’t you putting this money to the areas that need the money the
most instead of consuming it yourself. It is almost impossible to put a
substantial meal on the table every night for my family. I have gone much time
without something to eat so my wife and kids can eat instead.
Don’t get me wrong, Versailles is grand. It is truly
magnificent and I commend you for building such a beautiful masterpiece. I was
honored to be able to step foot inside the other day, but it was extremely hard
to see the wealth in every room. Maybe I was jealous or maybe I was just
completely dumbfounded? It just amazes me how there is complete luxury in one part of France and complete misery in
another.
I do not wish to see Versailles knocked down or destroyed
but yet I would like you to really think about why you created that place. Was
it for the greater good of your people? I would love if you reached out to your
people and wondered about how they were doing and if they needed any help just
like your grandfather, Henry IV did. It is more than challenging to get by
everyday as a peasant and to see you living the life is kind of shocking and
makes me think about your overall mission. Forgive me if I have offended you
with any of those words that I previously used, I am grateful to have a leader
like you and I hope we never lose you.
Sincerely,
Edward
Bibliography and Pictography-
Hall of Mirrors, Photograph, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_of_Mirrors
Quote from Anonymous Letter to Louis XIV 1694
No comments:
Post a Comment