Never the Twain Shall Meet
September 26th, 2002 - 10:19 am
I usually enjoy the hell out of Jonah Goldberg’s stuff, but he sure stepped in it this time. Arthur Silber explains why.
And did I mention it involves one of my personal heroes? A good Missouri boy, too.
I sense a vaction is needed,Jonah.
Didn’t he just have a vacation? In Alaska? With his dog? And wrote about it on the road? Perhaps more, um, “drastic” measures are needed.
Guess I’m just not “edumacated” enough to catch all the sophisticated nuance provided in the link but how can one attack local censorship based on the argument of “who gets to decide”?
Locally elected officials decide what is locally acceptable and, in turn, local residents have two choices, a) boot the officials out of office if they’re out of step with the community or b) move to a community that is closer to your standards. Isn’t that simple democracy in action? Either vote at the ballot box or, if that doesn’t work, vote with your feet. Again, I know that’s simple but that’s what it boils down to regardless of whether we’re talking conservatives/liberals/Ayn Rand/Ayn Rand’s dog, etc … simple rules of a civilized society.
I’m sure I’m missing some very important point here so please feel free to straighten me out but please use one-syllable words whenever possible so I’ll understand.
From Mr. Silber’s blog
” If nothing else, I would have thought the reference to an “unexpurgated Bible” would have given Goldberg at least a clue.”
From Mirriam Webster’s 10th Collegiate
bowdlerize 1: to expurgate (as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar.
Now, just what book does Mr. Silber think Thomas Bowdler
edited to give us this term?