Visionaries, I sent this response to Vera’s weekend piece to The Daily News this morning. FYI. Cordially, Douglas Wilson Response to Vera Vera White laments the fact that Moscowans are becoming less civil to one another (July 19/20, 2003), and in the course of her discussion she locates the source of the contagion–Christ Church. As …
Racism and Relativism
Dear visionaries, Steven, thanks for the interaction. I don’t have any problem agreeing with you that in looking for the motive forces for the colonialism of the British Empire, and now the emerging American Empire, one of the central things we should do is follow the money. My point was not that (for example) the …
Not So Simple
Visionaries, and Judith, Thanks for the interaction. Wouldn’t we all agree that some of the patronizing attitudes of the past (of the “white man’s burden” sort) could be motivated entirely by kindness, but that the person extending that kindness had the racist view that his own race was necessarily superior to the other? Thus, benevolent …
Racism Inflation
Dear visionaries, In our discussions, we have to beware of racism inflation. In contemporary public discourse, such charges are too readily leveled as the all-purpose trump card. Why don’t we agree to reserve it for those who believe and affirm that one race is (racially) superior to another? With this more precise definition, it would …
Audio Reading of Post
Ministerial Self-Defense
Morning, everybody. Tim Bartnick asks two reasonable questions. The first is that if folks locally can discount what Johnson says and does, then why do we need to defend ourselves against him? First, the answer is that we do not have to. The point was not to defend against Johnson’s charges, but rather to point …
Explaining the Joke
Dear visionaries, First, lest there be any more misunderstanding, I will do my level best to have this post be simple and straight, no goofing around. Humor works by means of startling incongruity (although there are mysteries beyond even this). Thus, when I and Christ Church were accused of racism, I undertook to defend our …
Not A New Phenomenon
In the course of the French Revolution, when the monkeys escaped from the monkey house, and captured the zoo to run it for themselves, Voltaire once said this, “Is not the fanaticism of your irreligion more absurd and dangerous than the fanaticism of superstition? Begin by tolerating the faith of your fathers. You talk of …
Missing Something
All this activity by the Panzer Diversity Corps has really got me inspired. Everywhere I look there is something else to say. Something new. Something fresh. Metaphors form in a conga line in my brain, and appear to be having a good time. Rose Huskey, in a fine fit of “backatcha-ism,” responded to my observations …
How We Handle Words
How we handle words tells a great deal about us. The questions I have raised about secret city council deliberations with Bill London, ex officio something, I haven’t figured out what yet, have raised some hackles out there. For example, Rose Huskey, one of our volunteer litigant ladies, has posted an, um, enthusiastic response to …
Lord’s Day Prayer 33
Father of all life, we thank You for our physical life, and for our life in the Holy Spirit. We thank You not only for life, but also for that which sustains life. We thank You for the food before us, and for the grace that the food represents in so many ways. We would …