Church, State, and the Times

Hardly anything seems more innocent and comfortable on a drowsy morning than the grey pages of the New York Times. Over coffee, all soothingly floats by: bombings, airline crashes, gourmet recipes, photos of Doug Flutie . . . And yet, the editorial page of the New York Times can injure the reputation of a public figure against whom it is turned.

Consider, then, the column by Sydney H. Schanberg entitled “Put Up Your Dukes” (December 18) and related editorials. Listen to the music as Schanberg’s target is described: “always telling someone to put up his dukes,” “picking a fight,” “collision courses,” “seems to relish street-brawling,” “latest title bout,” “expanded his fight,” “potential for divisiveness,” “rather win a fight than solve a problem.”

About the Author

Michael Novak

Michael Novak was a Catholic philosopher, journalist, novelist, and diplomat.

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Hardly anything seems more innocent and comfortable on a drowsy morning than the grey pages of the New York Times. Over coffee, all soothingly floats by: bombings, airline crashes, gourmet recipes, photos of Doug Flutie . . . And yet, the editorial page of the New York Times can injure the reputation of a public figure against whom it is turned.

Consider, then, the column by Sydney H. Schanberg entitled “Put Up Your Dukes” (December 18) and related editorials. Listen to the music as Schanberg’s target is described: “always telling someone to put up his dukes,” “picking a fight,” “collision courses,” “seems to relish street-brawling,” “latest title bout,” “expanded his fight,” “potential for divisiveness,” “rather win a fight than solve a problem.”