Tea at Trianon: Saying the Wrong Thing

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Saying the Wrong Thing

It's easy to do. From The Federalist:

When I got unpersoned, in a social-media driven mobbing, I was self-injurious and my life was at risk. My family was there for me, and they helped me get healthy again. Then I met some friends. Some people had seen what I had gone through and wanted to offer support and discussion. My new friends were politically conservative, so I was hesitant at first. Old prejudices die hard. But two friends in particular kept encouraging me to tell my story. They checked on me to make sure I was okay, and encouraged me when I entertained a creative thought. I started anxiously writing notes to myself and organizing my thoughts until I finally had an essay.

That essay was published at Quillette. It went viral, and it started me on this brand new journey as a writer—fighting on the side of sanity in the culture wars. I will never forget what those two special people did for me by consistently encouraging me to tell my story until I did. After my debut essay, I began to forge more and more friendships. These friendships were not exclusively with conservatives. I would estimate a 70/30 split between conservative/centrists and exiled liberals. My debut essay also helped me land a new job. I work at a news outlet called The Post Millennial. It’s a center-right news website, but my colleagues are all over the political spectrum, from old-school fiscal conservatives to lefty former Bernie bros. It’s a great place to work and a testament to ideological diversity. I think that’s why it’s growing. I think that’s why I love it there so much. (Read more.)

From Life News:

In a highly anticipated ceremony on Thursday, President Trump signed an executive order directing the government to take action in protecting free speech on college campuses. It wasn’t something that enthused the liberal broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, and, NBC) so they omitted it from their evening broadcasts. Instead, they all cheered on New Zealand for their swift movement in banning so-called “assault weapons.” So, that’s two rights the liberal media seemingly don’t like.

In sharp contrast, Fox News and chief White House correspondent John Roberts covered the story early on during Special Report. “At a ceremony in the East Room this afternoon, President Trump took a step he hopes will ensure all voices are heard on college campuses across the nation,” Roberts reported. “In an executive order, the President directed his cabinet agencies to tie federal grants for education and research to more aggressive enforcement of the First Amendment.”

At the signing ceremony, President Trump explained to the crowd how “under the guise of speech codes, and safe spaces, and trigger warnings, these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity and shut down the voices of great young Americans.” Roberts added: “The move follows incidents at several colleges and universities where conservatives have been targeted, including UC Berkeley were a student, Aidan Williams, was punched in the face for supporting the President and conservative policies.” And it was something Trump had announced during his annual CPAC address earlier this month. (Read more.)