On Monday I joined Tucker Carlson to discuss Hillary Clinton's amusing visual gag at the Yale graduation ceremony. Unfortunately, it was Russian, not Macedonian. Click below to watch:
Tucker was running a little late so we didn't get to another goofy story of the day - New Jersey's Cherry Hill High School apologizing to pupils for the insensitivity of its prom announcement, which had invited students to the National Constitution Center to "party like it's 1776". The principal, Dennis Perry, has now acknowledged that 1776 is something that "not all communities can celebrate". As a Canadian subject of the Crown, I can certainly dig that: For any members of the United Empire Loyalist community at Cherry Hill High School, the year "1776" can be super-triggering. It would have been far more inclusive to invite students to party like it's 1812.
But that's not what Mr Perry meant. He was apologizing for the school's insensitivity to African-American students, to whom America's Independence Day is apparently offensive. If that's true, the United States might as well close up shop. And, if it's not true and it's just the usual grievance-industry obligation to to take offense wherever one can, well, then a drowsy numbness pains my sense as though of hemlock I had drunk. On Saturday, a black American (as black as President Obama) and a descendant of slaves (unlike him) married the great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson of George III. Whatever one makes of that, it suggests that things change - everywhere, that is, except in the unyielding, unending "national conversation on race".
By the way, if you object to 1776, you shouldn't be going to the prom at all - because proms are an American invention, unknown to UK schools until the 21st century. So no revolution, no prom.
~If you prefer me in a non-visual format, I'll be back later today with the concluding episode of our current audio adventure, Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, part of the first anniversary observances of The Mark Steyn Club. And tomorrow, Wednesday, I'll be keeping my midweek date with the great John Oakley at Toronto's Global News Radio 640, live at 5pm Eastern.
Speaking of The Mark Steyn Club, we are very gratified by all those first-fortnight Founding Members who've decided to sign up for another year. On the other hand, if you were waiting a year or so to see if we were in it for the duration, we do welcome new members, and you can find more details about the Club here - and about our inaugural Club Cruise here. Or, if you're looking for a present for a Steyn fan, don't forget our limited-time Gift Membership.
