Just when you thought it was safe to like the French

Yesterday's Bergen Record carried a story entitled, "French leader Maurice Papon dies". It details the passing of a man who was convicted of complicity in crimes against humanity for his role in deporting hundreds of Jews from the Bordeaux region in France during the Vichy regime.

For those who are not students of history, the Vichy regime was when a portion of France rolled over and played dead in order to avoid being invaded by the Nazis in World War II. They essentially became another German state in order to save the Nazis the trouble of taking them over in a no-doubt bruising battle lasting for maybe several hours.

Mr. Papon was convicted in April 2, 1998 (a mere 53 years after the war) and served a portion of his ten year sentence but was released by the French government because of his age and physical health. It only took almost 20 years of legal efforts by a former Bordeaux resident and a Nazi-hunter to bring the man to justice. In 1994, then-President Mitterand admitted that he was using his office to delay prosecution of Mr. Papon.

Would you like to know Mr. Papon's defense? He was just following orders, AND he didn't know that the Nazis were sending the Jews to be exterminated in Aushwitz!! Ok, haven't we said before that one of the main roles of government is to protect its citizenry, especially its most vulnerable?! How did Mr. Papon do this by sending 1690 of his citizens (223 of them children) to a foreign country ruled by a political party that was openly hostile to those he was sending? What did he think the Nazis were doing with them, having them over for tea? Even if he didn't know they were being exterminated, he at least had to know that they would not fare as well as they would have if they had stayed home!!

This is the country that has the NERVE to preach to the United States about the morality of its actions in Iraq and Afghanistan!! They have the gall to criticize our actions and yet cannot even follow through with a condemnation against one of their own CONVICTED countryman. They cannot even allow him to fulfill his 10 year sentence for what is one of the most heinous crimes in the modern world. They "feel bad" because he was "sick". Are you kidding me? Why don't they "feel bad" that he HELPED KILL 1690 people!!!

The French have NO moral standing in any forum!! They should not even be allowed to address the world stage. Furthermore, I have said it before and I will continue to advocate a refusal to assist the French government in any way. Personally, I will do my part by not ever spending a single US dollar in France despite my desire to see the city of Paris.

Thoughts anyone?