Sunday, January 11, 2004

Always Read To The End


I've cautioned readers of this blog to always read news stories to the very end, as that's often where the good stuff gets buried. Some inconvenient fact that mostly refutes the point of the story, some additional information that puts a different light on what the writer has said, some quote that can't be avoided but isn't highlighted either. It's always something, as they say.

In this story, about the annual convention of the Modern Language Association, the main point was that the professors in attendance were almost in lock-step in their opinions about the War on Terror's front in Iraq. Dissent was worse than scarce.

But read to the very, very end and you find this money quote:
[University of Nevada at Reno professor Aaron] Santesso said he gains a good perspective from his students, most of whom he characterized as "libertarian conservatives." Most of the debate at the MLA, he said, "would completely alienate my students."
Ah-HA! "Most" of his students? It's heartening to hear. If only the Libertarian Party was in any shape to take advantage of that.

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