The death of as many as 10,000 citizens of France during the recent heat wave is as tragic as it is unforgivable.

Nearly half of the deaths occurred at nursing homes where, one would assume, the health of the elderly would be closely monitored during a crisis. Instead, the “enlightened” French passed health laws that restrict the use of air conditioners in nursing homes and hospitals because of their belief that they do more harm than good by spreading germs. (USA Today/wire reports, Aug. 27)

The facilities were overcrowded because the self-indulgent citizenry routinely dump the elderly relatives in nursing homes while the rest of the family takes its yearly August vacation. Of course, the nursing homes were also understaffed because many of the doctors and aides were also off on holiday.

While the heat has devastated much of Western Europe, the French government has again proven that it has no equal when it comes to ineptitude. Its misguided efforts to coddle Saddam and preserve the millions of dollars in backdoor trading deals it enjoyed with prewar Iraq, simply shows that it has no clue or moral compass in either domestic or international affairs.

Robert D. Beauchesne, Lewiston

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