Letters: Kerry speaks French? <i>Mon Dieu!</i>

Re “Kerry gets to let his Europhilia loose,” March 2

I am continuously astounded by the ignorance and, yes, the stupidity of conservatives who “consider it unpatriotic and vaguely unmanly” to speak languages other than English. Not only are they holding the country hostage with their economic demands, now they are critical of educated Americans, one of whom is Secretary of State John F. Kerry.

I do wish these destructive people would crawl back into the woodwork.

Lynne Okon Scholnick

Long Beach

I think it is wonderful that Kerry speaks several languages and uses them in diplomacy. His skills will make communication with foreign leaders clearer, without the need for interpreters, and will show the world that we are not completely insular.

Do Kerry’s conservative critics not realize that French men speak French, German men speak German and Italian men speak Italian? Are European men to be ridiculed for speaking English?

Julie May

Los Angeles

While Kerry had to practice his foreign language skills on his diplomatic trip to Europe, it would have been so much easier had he been a Republican. In that case all he would have had to learn to say was “no” in the various languages.

Bernard Rapkin

Los Angeles

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