I've always thought of that powerful phrase, "I will not give you the gift of hating you" born of heartbreak in these last 5 years and Antoine's letter is just as strong as when I had first heard it back then as I do again here now. I hope that father and his son are living well.
Five years later I am just now hearing (& about) this letter for the first time. Brilliant, and brutal. Love to you, Antoine Leiris, and your son. Love, also, to you, Helene Muyal. Thank you, Mr. Firth, for the reading.
@@andrewduncan4908 OK history lesson. When did terrorists really start attacking western cultures? After we had left their culture and country destroyed and we had violated them. Hate breeds hate man it has to stop at some point otherwise we’ll go round and round In circles. anyway I’m assuming you haven’t personally been victimised by terrorists so why are you holding onto hate and bitterness if it’s not doing anything but spreading rudeness on RU-vid channels? Did you not learn any thing from this letter? This guy has a right to hate but he’s not 1 because he knows it’s useless and he needs to give his happiness to his son and 2. Terrorists feed on fear and hate is just a by product of fear.
Forgive evil ? Especially without forgiveness being asked for ? What are you talking about ? Also the high horse you are on is fictitious, "we" didn't destroy anything.
Your history is baffling as they began attacking everyone weaker than them from the beginning. They continued raping, stealing, and murdering leading to the Cruades in response. They openly sought to enter and conquer Europe repeatedly and were stopped mostly by Byzantium. They entered and occupied Southern Spain for 711 years. Our first Presidents had to act and our government make decisions about the pirating by these same people taking by force, raping, killing, and stealing. The attacks perhaps lessened for a time and were refocused at times such as during The Great War. It is only recently that there is an attempt to rewrite all history and to erase all true history in favor of pure garbage. most teachers regurgitate this implausible nonsense no matter how ridiculous, improbable, and contradictory. Sadly you seem to be a product of just such an education. If you actual read their book and listen literally to what their stated intentions are you would realize you are their greatest infidel. They can't hear you because to them you are lower than a dog which they despise.
What a personal tragedy for that man and his little boy. He put his feelings, his heart into words better than I could have done. Amazing.. beautiful and heartbreaking.
Beautiful deep words ....he is such a beautiful person Leiris. May his lovely wife rest in peace , she did not deserve to die and leave behind their son.
On Friday evening, you stole the life of an exceptional person. A love of my life. A mother of my son. But you will never have my hatred. I don't know who you are, and I don't want to know. You are dead souls. If this God for whom you killed so blindly, made this in His image, then every bullet in the body of my wife is a wound in His heart. So no. I will not give you the gift of hating you. You obviously want it. By responding to it with anger would be to give in to the same ignorance that made you what you are. You would like me to be scared, for me to look at my fellow citizens with a suspicious eye. For me to sacrifice my liberty for my security. You have lost. I saw her this morning. At last, after nights and days of waiting. She was as beautiful as when she left on Friday evening. As beautiful as when I fell head over heels in love with her, more than twelve years ago. Of course I am devastated with grief. I will give you your victory, but it will be short-lived. I know she will join us every day, and we will find each other in the paradise of free souls which you will never have access to. There are only two of us, my son and I. But we will be stronger than every army in the world. I can not waste any more time on you, as I must go back to my son who has just woken up from his sleep. He is only just seventeen months old. He is going to eat his snack, just like every other day. And then we are going to play, just like every other day. And all his life, this little boy will be happy and free. Because you don't have his hatred, either. Antoine Leiris
Mr. Leiris, that was such a beautiful letter. Well-written and well-said. I am so sorry for your loss. Your son is very blessed to have you as his father. Colin, that could not have been read better. Thank you! ❤️
Thank you to the you tube algorithms for bringing this back to me, it's so beautifully written bless the families effected by this pain. And thank u for reading this and highlighting love to all.
*What a profound piece of art that letter was!* It moved me to my core, and made me step back and take a good long look at myself! I pray I'm never in that situation, but if I am, I hope I could handle it such a beautiful powerful way!
I’m not sure that applause was the appropriate conclusion to that letter. I don’t criticise it. Not at all. It’s our reflexive expression of approval, support and, I suppose in such circumstances, polite solidarity. I, no doubt, would have contributed to that expression. But, with the benefit of reflection, I would have preferred silence, the sort of silence that would magnify Mr Leiris’s already powerful words and sentiments so well rendered by Mr Firth. Thank you.
Silence takes coordination. One person can start applause and then the next will join in and the next and next. But silence doesn't really work that way. You'd need someone to introduce the speech and at the same time let people know the plan.
I take the applause as agreement in the letter of not giving into hate and to the beauty and sentiment of Antoine’s words. I don’t think the applause is that out of place. Whooping would have been.
Applause can have many meanings. Cheers, joy, agreement, respect, ... For instance, after what happened to his wife, Antoine does not give in to hatred, and I applaud him for that.
Thank you for sharing this. Living souls are truly what make God smile. My mother died 15 years ago on this day. I know that she is wherever there is Beauty. 🌸🕯🕊❤️
Such a weak response to existential violence does mean that the terrorists have won. They have shown themselves to be wolves and Antoine and those who think this is some sort of response to political violence are sheep that they will continue to prey on. Anger is an energy that is required to defeat the political terrorists and the fellows who support them.
@@andrewduncan4908 I think that comment shows that you too have anger in your heart. This was one mans way of overcoming his grief and getting on with his life.
I met Helene Muyal when she lived in the United States in Philadelphia. At the time we were young kids. She was 17 when I first met her. We had our group of friends together and had good times. Helene was an amazing gem of a person. Rest in paradise Helene we all miss you back in the States.. You did not deserve that..
God, how did I get to read this and cry my heart out? It’s so full of love and pain. May her soul rest in peace and I pray that you continue to have that mindset of never giving in to hate for those monsters. God give you strength to care for your Boy.
Whay an emotional & beautiful letter, written at a time when her husband must have been in so much pain, but there was no hatred in his words...just Love, for his poor wife, & for his Son, who i'm sure will grow up & have a happy life, regardless of the awful atrocity that took his Mommy away. My prayers go out to that family & lots of Love for a better future xx
This is the first time I've come across this letter. What a beautiful, well thought out and crafted response to such an ugly and tragic event. Proving that when you weaponise language, and temper it with a steely restraint, it can be far more brutal and effective than any blade or bullet.
Time had passed, but his voice is the same like " in vain i have struggled but it won't do. Allow me to tell you how ardently i admire and love you" P&P
Colin Firth is my favorite actor in the whole world for doing justice to Mr. Darcy in BBC pride and prejudice.... no one has done that character justice before.... or since, in my opinion. 😊 And that just shows his talent coz Darcy is understated and is more himself by what he doesn't say and how he acts.
For me, this is the point of being able to forgive. It's not about letting someone away with something. It's so much more that you give to yourself. Like peace a peaceful soul. Deep seated peace is better than deep-seated hatred. Thankyou for sharing your thoughts Antoine.
This was not how I felt. I'll carry that hate forever, and the man who killed my love was just a drunk driver. He's out of prison enjoying life with his kids, and I'm here, stuck in time, wondering if you ever really loved someone if you don't hate who took them from you. Fuck forgiveness.
This isn't about you so what you would do is irrelevant. You also have no right to tell someone how they should heal or deal with the aftermath of such tragedy. Hatred and anger isn't going to bring the person back so why should he be bitter for the rest of his life? If he wants to forgive his wife's killers that's up to him and it doesn't mean he didn't love her.
@@eddiy335 yet here you are telling me how to handle my grief? Hypocrical loud mouth. I'll keep my hate as it's all I have left. I will never forgive that man, as he's off living his best life after taking hers, and destroying me in the process. Who tf are you? The things I would do to him are numerous, but forgiveness is not among them.
@@eddiy335 I have no one and nothing left but HATE. Without the hate there's only depression and negativity. I hate ppl like you and him. Shove your forgiveness up your @$$