Is France greater nation than U.S?

Americans are fond of proclaiming that the U.S. is the greatest nation in the world. Now the cowardice of Republicans and of a number of House Democrats risks refuting any claim that we are "great". ISIS has frightened them into trying to deny refuge to Syrian and Iraqi refugees.

By contrast, French President Holande has announced that France will not alter its plan to receive thirty thousand Syrian refuges, "because they are being tormented by the same people who have attacked us." France will not allow ISIS to dictate its refugee policy.

By many measures, the French are better than us. The W.H.O. rates the French health care system as the best in the world. We are ranked 37th. In France, the infant mortality rate is half of the U.S. infant death rate. A mother is three times as likely to die during childbirth in the U.S. as in France. The French have a much lower rate of poverty than the U.S, and a higher rate of social mobility.

We do lead the French on incarceration rates. In fact, we have a higher percentage of our people in jail or prison than any other country in the world, a rate of imprisonment seven times that of France.

Now it appears that the French are ahead of us when it comes to courage.

Fortunately President Obama, Tammy Duckworth and a majority of Democrats have the backbone to stand for our nation's highest values by continuing to support the admission of refugees from Syria and Iraq.

However, if the Republicans prevail on this issue the undeniable truth will be: France is a greater nation than the United States.

Wiley W. Edmondson

Geneva