Making up with the French

Last week the Paris Hotel-Casino in Las Vegas finally decided to put the French flag, which was taken down in March, back up. They made the right decision.

As someone who has studied abroad in France and earned a degree in French Language and Literature, I admit that I'm a little biased. I've always had an affection for the French culture and language.

When France disagreed with the United States about going to war in Iraq, I knew it would create, to say the least, plenty of tension in political relations between the two countries. But I was a little taken aback when I heard about the boycotting of French products across America, and even worse, about Congress renaming French fries to Freedom fries in their cafeteria. Naturally, every American has a right to have and express his or her own opinion. But in this case, I questioned the method of expression. Frankly, Congress should know better.

I can understand why people who were angered by France's position on the war decided to boycott French products. It's a good way to send a message with an economic impact, one that hurts if there are enough supporters. But renaming French fries is quite another matter. I mean, what's next? The 'Freedom' horn? 'Freedom' vanilla? 'Freedom' kiss?

It's about on the same level as the anti-French Web sites calling for us to send the Statue of Liberty back to France. (To be fair, the French have their ridiculous anti-American sites, too: I saw one titled "pretzel-for-bush.com.")

I think the important thing to remember here is that both France and the United States are large, complex countries filled with a wide variety of individuals who have a wide variety of opinions. Stereotypes do not always fall into place. Many Americans think France didn't side with us over the war because they had too much loan money tied up in Iraq; or because they didn't want to anger their large, already-disgruntled Arab population; or because they like to stand up to us politically, to show the superpower that it can't always make the rest of the world do what it wants.

I'm not saying these arguments are without merit. But when I asked my French friends why they were opposed to the war, they told me it was because France had seen too many horrors in World War I and World War II to want to go to war again. They might not have seen the wars themselves, but relics remain, as well as photos of the family members they were never able to meet.

I have heard bitter comments from Americans that we bailed France out in both world wars, and that they obviously have no gratitude. But when I studied abroad there two years ago, one of my unendingly helpful French advisers told me he'd never forget the day the Americans liberated his town in WWII. He was just a little boy, and when the friendly American soldiers rolled through in their tanks, they gave him the first chocolate bar he'd ever tasted. He said he'd loved Americans ever since.

Perhaps I was fortunate in my sojourns in France. I met many nice, friendly people who appreciated the effort I was making to master their language. Whenever I encountered anti-Americanism, even on my most recent post-war visit, it was never personal. The French I met who harbor those kinds of feelings may hate certain American policies and ideals, but they never automatically assumed I had them, or hated me personally for them. In fact, they are polite and mature about it, preferring to talk and listen rather than point fingers and name-call. Or name-change.

Of course, there are undoubtedly French people who are not so mature, and Americans who have had not-so-nice experiences in France. Fundamentally, though, despite our cultural differences, France and the U.S. are really not that different. We promote the same Western values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness -- liberte, egalite, et fraternite.

President Bush and President Chirac are talking and trying to repair the political relationship. I think that Americans and the French should follow the example.

Amanda Walker, Carson High class of '99, recently graduated from Boston University with a dual degree in English and French Language and Literature. She will be moving to France in September to teach English to high school French students for a year.