A significant number of readers have written to say there’s no excuse for saying anything nice about France now. C’est la vie, I reckon, but I’m hearing from many more readers who agree with me that the French government is behaving despicably, but there’s still a lot to love about France — and that it’s important to remember that in a time of crisis and animosity. So many of you wrote with your own stories of falling in love with France. Here’s one of my favorite letters, from reader John Novak:

Thanks for saying exactly what I think about France, too. I hate their duplicitous politics, but the style and beauty of their culture makes me think they are closer to God than even they know. I stole a line from Bruce Paltrow (he used it on his daughter, Gwyneth) when I told my wife that I wanted her to take our 4 year old son to Paris so he would see that city for the first time with a woman who would love him forever.