Story Archive

Yellow — Caution

Officials in Marseille, France, decided homeless people should wear cards with their medical information. “I’m appalled by the absurd controversy” that resulted, said Xavier Mery, a deputy mayor. The cards carry the individuals’ health information and have big yellow triangles to help medical personnel spot them. Whyever would anyone object? Well, if you’re the social affairs minister for France’s Socialist government, you might complain they stigmatize the poor. And you might invoke the “fundamental right” to “medical confidentiality.” Or, if you’re a human rights group, you might point out the resemblance “of this card and the yellow star that the Jews had to wear during the Second World War.” Protests over the latter issue, at least, have had some success: an emergency medical service official said they would “change the look of this card.” That official noted that “I really didn’t see this row coming.” (AC/London Telegraph) ...It’s always everyone else who looks like the Nazis.