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Post by lagatta on May 28, 2018 11:19:55 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on May 28, 2018 11:35:03 GMT
Yes, that's half a block from my apartment. President Macron invited Mamoudou Gassama to the Elysée today, announced that he would be naturalised and would become a Parisian firefighter. Not bad for a migrant who just arrived nine months ago without papers.
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Post by lagatta on May 28, 2018 11:39:55 GMT
Well, he is certainly fit and courageous. Hope he succeeds in firefighting school. He was going to a restaurant or café to watch a match, so I'm sure you know where that is located.
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Post by mossie on May 28, 2018 15:31:54 GMT
He certainly earned his citizenship and job.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 28, 2018 15:52:29 GMT
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Post by bjd on May 28, 2018 16:54:19 GMT
I was watching a news report on France 24 and they mentioned several other undocumented migrants who have been given papers or else had their permits to stay in France extended after a brave act. The first one mentioned was the clerk at Hypercacher during the January 2015 attacks. He had hidden 6 customers then got out to call the police. Also two guys from Ghana who were sleeping under a bridge saved a young man who had fallen into the river. There have been several such cases.
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Post by mickthecactus on May 28, 2018 18:03:10 GMT
Despite what we may think there are good people everywhere.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 28, 2018 20:53:17 GMT
I'm glad that the guy did not try to dress up for the meeting with the president. Those might be the dressiest clothes he has. In one of the stories I read, his brother said that Gassama was living in temporary housing. I admit I've watched most of the footage of that heroic climb and still find it awe-inspiring. I love that he's been offered a job as a fireman. This short video is in English, but contains something very odd. Who is the man being applauded at :55? It certainly isn't Gassama.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 28, 2018 21:35:11 GMT
That's Lassana Bathily, the hero of the Hyper-Cacher attack, who also obtained citizenship through heroism.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 28, 2018 23:04:30 GMT
Thanks, Kerouac! The English-language captions must have been cobbled onto a French video without anyone bothering to notice that a different hero was included.
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Post by questa on May 29, 2018 0:45:30 GMT
Who needs "papers" when the person is courageous, strong, gallant, decisive and pro-active?
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2018 10:25:15 GMT
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2018 11:30:48 GMT
Reading a new article about this event, the boy is just about one of the luckiest people in the world because...
He didn't live in that fourth floor apartment. He lived on the sixth floor and had already fallen two floors, managing to catch the fourth floor balcony on his plunge to death. That's why he was dangling on the outside of the balacony.
Clearly not the brightest boy in the world but oh so lucky. And if he can already grip a balcony railing like that after falling, he is going to be just as strong as Mamoudou Gassama.
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Post by bjd on May 29, 2018 15:00:57 GMT
Who needs "papers" when the person is courageous, strong, gallant, decisive and pro-active? Unfortunately, you need papers to prove that you are in the country legally if you are stopped for any reason. Also to get a job, lodging, health care, etc. etc. Is it not the same in Australia?
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Post by bixaorellana on May 29, 2018 15:25:01 GMT
He lived on the sixth floor and had already fallen two floors, managing to catch the fourth floor balcony on his plunge to death. That's why he was dangling on the outside of the balacony. Oh god oh god oh god! That picture from your window somehow brought the height and terror home even more than the ground shots we've all seen. But the true details -- good grief! I don't think we can assume the child is not very bright just because he fell. Four-year-olds are not usually noted for their keen senses of judgment, plus his parents don't seem to have been good models in that department.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2018 15:30:32 GMT
He was just with his father. The mother and grandmother were scheduled to arrive from Réunion next month.
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Post by lagatta on May 29, 2018 16:45:30 GMT
And it seems that his dad was out of the flat at the time. But for now, I think the rest is just speculation.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 29, 2018 16:47:35 GMT
The father has already admitted that he went out shopping and then started playing Pokemon on his telephone.
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Post by lagatta on May 29, 2018 21:11:13 GMT
Wonder if dad knew the door to the balcony was open/unlocked...
Now, a question. Gassama will earn about 600€ a month as a firefighting trainee - much better than nothing, but not enough to live in Paris. I assume that they will be billeted in some kind of barracks or residence?
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Post by questa on May 29, 2018 23:05:09 GMT
Unfortunately, you need papers to prove that you are in the country legally if you are stopped for any reason. Also to get a job, lodging, health care, etc. etc. Is it not the same in Australia? Yes, bjd, we have the same systems as everyone else. I think my post was meant to imply that there are qualities greater than just having the right papers that should count towards awarding a person citizenship. I was surprised that from the crowd watching, no-one went to assist the climber. He would have appreciated some-one at the base to catch and steady him if he fell.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 29, 2018 23:47:07 GMT
Questa, he must have acted on pure adrenalin. Apparently he made it up to that 4th floor balcony in only 30 seconds! The crowd probably had no time to react. You do have to wonder, though: before Gassama went into action, was anyone in the crowd trying to organize something that might at least cushion the child when he fell.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2018 4:11:19 GMT
Yes, the crowd was already getting ready to catch the falling child.
Gassama lives in a foyer in Montreuil with 5 people in the room. There are bunk beds, but he sleeps on the floor.
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Post by bixaorellana on May 30, 2018 4:17:41 GMT
When I think of some of the "hardships" I complain about in my life (not enough electrical sockets in the dining room!), and then to read about how some others are forced to live.
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Post by lagatta on May 30, 2018 21:10:03 GMT
Kerouac, I knew he lived in a "foyer", but I was wondering if he got any more suitable lodging as a firefighting trainee.
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Post by kerouac2 on May 30, 2018 21:16:52 GMT
Most undocumented aliens dream of living in a foyer.
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Post by whatagain on Jun 1, 2018 20:56:58 GMT
Of course living in a foyer is perfect training for a firefighter.
I am disgusted to see some people saying it was all a hoax or a mise en scene.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2018 20:59:28 GMT
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Post by lagatta on Jun 1, 2018 21:12:28 GMT
Kerouac, I agree that many undocumented migrants live in far more squalid and dangerous circumstances than a foyer. I was simply wondering what his living situation would be now.
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Post by kerouac2 on Jun 1, 2018 21:26:58 GMT
I saw in today's paper that he is now in a hotel, paid for by.... ?
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Post by lagatta on Jun 1, 2018 21:43:09 GMT
Perhaps simply some well-wishers. I wouldn't assume that it was the State.
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