In today’s Impromptus, I touch on race, among other subjects. (Hard not to touch on when you’re writing about America.) Race is a very easy subject to be intimidated on. I am not, for reasons I suggest.
Poverty, hardship, is another easy subject to be intimidated on — increasingly, I think, with the rise of nationalism-populism. “Elitist!” has some of the force of “Racist!” When the charge is hurled, many cower and plead, “Don’t hate me, I’m really a good Joe.”
One reason I prize Kevin Williamson and David French, as I say in my column, is that they are absolutely unintimidatable on the subject of poverty, or hardship, or struggle. They will say what I once heard Rick Perry say: “Bring it.”
I’ll have you know that French grew up in Georgetown. Yup. So, whenever he and his crew got together for drinks or what have you, they were attending Georgetown cocktail parties. Oh, yeah. (Georgetown, Kentucky.)