June 25, 2024
On originalism vs. functionalism at the Supreme Court...
I’m linking to today’s column for two reasons.
It’s really good.
It’s a nice return to form from an old site favorite whose work has recently become too strident to post.
Regarding Reason 2, these things happen. Another former site favorite — the first writer to be featured here two days in a row — also became too angry to post. I know that sounds hilariously prudish and maybe it is, but there’s more to it than pearl-clutching. I’m tired of the indignation. It serves no purpose. I wasted twenty years reading righteously indignant columnists and every time I had a political discussion or argument, it quickly became obvious I was debating the straw man in my head, not the person in front of me. No one was persuaded of anything except that I didn’t know what I was talking about. I just hope they thought I was polite about it.
All this is to say those angry columns did me no good. They did my opinions no good. It’s columns like today’s that are helpful, both in informing me and in helping me frame an argument others might be receptive to. I’m so glad today’s columnist is back to writing like this. I hope others follow her example.