My lovely bride and I visited Paris last year for SQL Saturday 323. We stuck around a few days to do touristy stuff and we learned a lot about the history of France. While reading about an uprising in the late 1800’s, Christy stumbled upon the story of l’affaire Dreyfus (the Dreyfus Affair).
In 1894 Captain Alfred Dreyfus was convicted of treason and sentenced to the Devil’s Island penal colony in French Guiana. It was later learned Dreyfus was innocent and another person was actually guilty of the crime for which Dreyfus was being punished. A trial was held against the other fellow but crucial evidence was suppressed and Dreyfus remained imprisoned for this crime he did not commit. After five years at Devil’s Island, Dreyfus received another trial and was again convicted. But he was subsequently pardoned and set free.
The Dreyfus Affair is considered a textbook case of public opinion winning over justice and popular social bias – prejudice against Jews (Dreyfus was of Alsatian Jewish descent) – skewing principles of state.
It took years, but Dreyfus was exonerated. In 1906, he returned to the French Army as a major. He was forced to resign in 1907, but served as a reserve officer during World War I.
The Dreyfus Affair impacts France even today. I find many parts of this story fascinating. I was first (and most) struck by the fact that Dreyfus did not quit. He was determined to survive Devil’s Island, which he documented in Five Years of My Life, 1894-1899. After pardon, he was not satisfied until he had been exonerated. And after that, he sought reinstatement back into the French Army.
That’s the lesson I take from Col. Dreyfus today: When wronged, don’t quit.
Are people wronged today? Does it happen in our field of database technology? Yep and yep. Has this happened to you? It’s happened to me. My advice: You may not be exonerated, at least not officially, but I encourage you to learn from your “affair.” You will likely learn lessons about yourself as some character traits – strengths and weaknesses – are only revealed when tested. Learn those things. And move forward in your newfound knowledge with strength.
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It is good to do the historic throwback, but you didn’t put in the best pop culture reference for not quitting when wronged! You have wronged the A-Team! B.A. Is coming for you!
Great post Andy, thanks. Also, enjoyed your SSIS framework talk at Microsoft in Charlotte this week. Thanks for that too.
I’ve been (sort of) in Dreyfus’ position and didn’t quit. I was never officially exonerated but those who were involved knew a) what had _actually_ happened, b) who the _actual_ guilty party was, and c) that I had taken “the high road” by not only accepting the official reprimand without complaining/whining but also not quitting.
It is unfortunate but true that there are occasions where someone is not only falsely accused but also falsely “convicted” (all too often by the court of public opinion). There are also cases when those who are rightfully accused are found “not guilty” in the court of public opinion. I can’t remember the source of the quote but I do remember the quote: “Life ain’t fair … so get used to it.”
Great article.