What a good man! At some point last month, I wrote somewhere about George W. Bush as a bit of a St. Joseph–a loving, protector. That’s Jim Boulet. He felt protective about his country, about the language he saw crucially tied to national identity, about conservatism, even about National Review itself, a magazine (and its people–which includes everyone reading this) he loved, and this radiated in his personal dealings.
He was such a generous person. A funny thing: He would send me his Ms. magazines so two of us didn’t give them subscription money as we sought to know the enemy! And, yes, John, I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out he always said a prayer for me when he put the magazine in the envelope.
Rest in peace, Jim Boulet Jr. I can’t help but think that there is some young person out there who loves his country and all the rest as much as Jim did who will be getting some extra protection before long.