To the editor:
In the internecine battle that is the Republican campaign for the party’s nomination for president of the United States, some of the candidates have uttered rather offensive remarks.
Newt Gingrich has excelled at making such remarks. In a repugnant putdown of rival Mitt Romney, he accused him of speaking French, reminiscent of the same insult thrown at John Kerry by the George W. Bush re-election campaign in 2004. The remark not only belittles the opponent but also everyone in this country who dares speak French.
What is it that prompts certain people to disparage others? Stupidity? Discrimination? Prejudice? Sense of superiority? Ignorance? Combination of all the above?
For a person who takes pride in his university professorial experience, Newt suffers from World History Deficiency Syndrome (WHDS). He seems to be unaware of the contributions of France to the fledgling United States in the late 18th century, including uniforms, rifles, warships, and officers such as Admiral Degrasse and the Marquis de Lafayette. The colonies could not have won the Revolutionary War without the help of French-speaking military personnel. France also built our Statue of Liberty and gave it to the U.S. as a sign of friendship and alliance. If ever a country and a language deserve our respect, it’s France and its beautiful French.
Finally, the English that Gingrich speaks has a vocabulary that is 54 percent of French extraction due to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 A.D. Because of the Norman dynasty that claimed the English throne, the official language of the Court of England for over two centuries was French.
Ross Paradis
Frenchville
