CONTRA KAY HYMOWITZ, I don’t see how this post can plausibly be read as a “taunt.” I certainly didn’t mean it that way. In fact, as noted in our podcast interview of Hymowitz, I’m in many ways sympathetic to her cultural critique, with the exception of gay marriage, which I don’t see as any threat to traditional marriage at all. I certainly don’t see where in my post, or elsewhere, I’ve said that “[G]overnment shouldn’t say anything about the family problem. And neither should anyone else.” I don’t think the government has much to say, and it’ll probably get it wrong if it tries — I’d be happy if it just avoided screwing things up — but I’ve never said that “anyone else” shouldn’t say things. Just disagreed with them, sometimes. (That’s allowed, isn’t it? It’s certainly not a taunt.)

I don’t like her use of the term “freedom fetishist” to describe libertarians, but Eric Scheie has already said all there is to say on that.

UPDATE: Kay emails: “You’re right; you weren’t taunting. An editor inserted the word (I had simply written ‘wrote’) and I didn’t catch it on a final read. Really sorry.”

That stuff happens. Shame on that editor, though, who changed the meaning and who must not have bothered to follow the link. I’d expect better from Commentary.