Separate your politics from your rational mind. Freedom of speech means people making well-reasoned essays for things you might find horrible. That's the entire point, peaceful persuasion through reason and civil discourse. And if it were only things we found comfortable, we would stagnate as a species.
Running around with your head on fire in a moral panic constantly doesn't accomplish much for your side -- and it makes for horrible public policy. We should mourn the loss of any civil person who makes a reasoned and rational case for anything. Even if they are wrong, they raise a new generation on understanding why they are wrong and being able to think their way through the issues. In fact, the people who are the most wrong -- as long as they are civil, rational, and make well-reasoned arguments -- are the most valuable protector of a free and moral society that we have.
I swear I'm getting an inflatable copy of "On Liberty" and start beating people over the head with it. Western society went over this ground 200 years ago. Nothing has changed since then.
Thanks, but I'll take DBM's world, where I can listen and make up my own mind.
I regularly scan opinion columns from people all over the political spectrum. I enjoy reading well-reasoned essays whether I agree with them or not.
Krauthammer always provided well-reasoned essays. Whatever the issue, if the public got too far out ahead of it, either for or against, Charles was quick with a "Harumpphh" and a clever one-liner to point out that we should be more circumspect.
I stopped watching cable TV news years ago. Charles Krauthammer is one of a few commentators that I missed watching on a regular basis. He was a grumpy old uncle who had been around the block a time or two and was going to set me clear on how to think about some issue. Most of the time I just ignored him, but it was fun having him around anyway. The world will be a poorer place without his work.