It was certainly good news to see the headline "
After 40 Years, Separatists in Spain Declare Cease-Fire". Anytime people can settle their differences in a peaceful fashion should be time for celebration.
But at the risk of being disrespectful, I can't get the following joke out of my mind:
"One day not so long ago there was a fire at a Spanish restaurant in southern France. But unfortunately there was only one emergency exit available for the diners to use to get out of the restaurant. As a result, many people were injured in the ensuing stampede. One can conclude that the moral of this story is: Don't put all your Basques in one exit!"