white man's burden

    Stephen can't believe an apology isn't forthcoming.
    Will this be on your own behalf, Steve, or perhaps
    your wife's? To which of the lesser breeds without
    the Law do you belong?

    And how extraordinary you cannot imagine friends
    expressing their affection with rough jests. I take it you
    belong, like Will & Tim, to the generation & culture -
    for which I as a member of the shrinks' brigade must take
    some minor responsibility - where tenderness & tears
    & a trembling delicacy of feeling are not to be hidden
    as unmanly or unseemly but rather worn proudly as the badges
    of a higher sensibility.

    As has become evident, I myself belong to an older tradition
    where no length is too far for the sake of a laugh & where
    'bad taste' (pace, Tim) is something that belongs with
    the doilies & the fish knives & the china ducks & the word
    'pardon'. It's a tradition voiced by Libby Purves in the centre
    page of today's Times. Her article could well have been
    written in support of my yesterday's post, deploring what
    she calls 'the crybaby culture of hurt feelings ...';
    & recognising, as I do, the tippytoeing round all possible
    causes of offense as the ultimate in condescension.

    Scottie B.

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Received on Tue Dec 24 08:42:12 2002