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Column On W&L Appreciated
June 7, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: I sincerely thank Glenn Rose for his outstanding column “Sunshine and Lollipops?” (News-Gazette, 5/22/24) answering the “screed,” as he aptly puts it, of JEL, III, class of 1974, which appeared a week earlier in a paid advertisement. There is little I can add to Mr. Rose’s column, which constitutes the best defense of DEI that I’ve ever read and effectively endorses what W&L is doing educationally.
I would like to address JEL’s assertion that I engaged in an ad hominem attack on Judith Conlon. Not true. Ad hominem attacks by definition are negative, usually sarcastic, and are addressed to the person and not to the issue. They impugn the character and/or criticize physical characteristics of the other person. Ms. Conlon’s attack on W&L President Dudley was mean-spirited in her cynical tone and use of “woke” and “cancel” culture, terms fraught with negativity towards people who are considered progressives.
Nevertheless I am not implying that I think Ms. Conlon is a mean person any more than I feel that way about the members of The Generals Redoubt. I respect them for caring about the quality of education at W&L. It happens that we disagree.
It would be good if we had a healthy conservative movement in America today. Then disagreements could be dealt with more effectively and with less ill will. It is tragic that the conservative movement in our country has devolved into a sort of insane worship of Donald Trump, whose own behavior every day and night presents the public with countless examples of genuine ad hominem attacks: “Sleepy Joe,” “Crooked Hillary,” “Lyin’ Ted” Cruz, “Ron Desanctimonious,” “Little Marco” Rubio, “Pencil Neck” Adam Schiff, “Horseface” Stormy Daniels, and on it goes. There’s a good chance that those who find these to be amusing in sympathy with Trump are not assuming it could ever happen to them and they just may be among the ones who let Fox “News” Channel do their thinking for them.
At any rate, God help us if this convicted felon becomes president again. RUFUS KINNEY W&L class of 1969 Jacksonville, Ala.
