I was with my kids in a subway train when my daughter said “look! The infoscreen! Something is burning! They write Notre Dame!” I started the Figaro-app on my smartphone and we saw it live, and we were sad. We had been there last time during our summer vacation in 2018. When we read that they already collect money to rebuild it, my kids wanted to give money, too. I lauded them and said, I would give 5 Euros, too. The next day, I was surprised to hear that Total had given 100 millions and the whole sum collected was already over 500 million. Another day later, the sum surpassed one billion Euros… I was shocked. And I explained to my kids, that there are so many urgent problems on this planet and many people and organizations working hard and asking for money to help people in need or to save the planet, that I find it inappropriate that companies many of which are tax evaders and utilizing offshore places to maximize their profits are now bragging about having given so many millions for Notre Dame. The kids understood this immediately. And they know, that we are giving much more to organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres, SOS Kinderdorf, Misereor etc. Yes, Notre Dame matters, as a piece of art, as a historic monument, as a landmark, and as a national symbol, but in the end, it’s only a building.
I was with my kids in a subway train when my daughter said “look! The infoscreen! Something is burning! They write Notre Dame!” I started the Figaro-app on my smartphone and we saw it live, and we were sad. We had been there last time during our summer vacation in 2018. When we read that they already collect money to rebuild it, my kids wanted to give money, too. I lauded them and said, I would give 5 Euros, too. The next day, I was surprised to hear that Total had given 100 millions and the whole sum collected was already over 500 million. Another day later, the sum surpassed one billion Euros… I was shocked. And I explained to my kids, that there are so many urgent problems on this planet and many people and organizations working hard and asking for money to help people in need or to save the planet, that I find it inappropriate that companies many of which are tax evaders and utilizing offshore places to maximize their profits are now bragging about having given so many millions for Notre Dame. The kids understood this immediately. And they know, that we are giving much more to organizations like Medecins Sans Frontieres, SOS Kinderdorf, Misereor etc. Yes, Notre Dame matters, as a piece of art, as a historic monument, as a landmark, and as a national symbol, but in the end, it’s only a building.