On the beach

RE “Paris’ Sandy Social” (by Kristin Hohenadel, Aug. 2): Parisians enjoying a sandy beach sponsored by a gay socialist environmentalist mayor? This is the last straw in French perversity. Memo to President Bush: Renaming French fries hasn’t taught those people a lesson. Train the Marines for landings on the Seine!

Gaines Post Jr.

Claremont

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L.A.’s socially unconscious politicians have a lot to learn from Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe. Of all American cities, L.A. probably has the least to offer in terms of thoughtfully created public spaces and dynamic public events.

The idea of inclusiveness is completely lost on our leaders and is reflected in a city that becomes more and more ghettoized each year. Los Angeles citizens are often labeled as unfriendly, and if you ask people why, we’ll often say that we’re afraid of each other. Perhaps if our city leadership had the foresight to bring people together, to reach out to our less fortunate, and provide people with more opportunities for congregating and companionship and just plain fun, L.A. would become as warm in a human way as our weather.

Kenny Feuerman

Beverly Hills