There are a number of signatories on that letter whose main contribution to public life is finding often rather trivial excesses to largely benign or righteous social movements. But there’s also a tremendous breadth of thinkers, writers, artists many of whom are known for ...
2/ their humane and liberationist contributions to our society and culture. The big divide I saw from a casual review of the names is generational. There are pretty few names who arent at least close to 40. I don’t say this as a plus or minus, just an observation, a fact. I’m 51.
3/ Many of the reactions to the letter which I’ve seen tend to validate its premises, even though these are premises I generally find overblown. But what strikes me most is the subtextual nature of the whole public conversation the letter has spawned. Either because ...
4/ of the identities of some of the signatories or the fairly vague and even anodyne phrasing, everybody seems to be sure the letter is talking about them. And who knows, maybe it is? But again it’s really quite general, even platitudinous in some cases, a kind of ...
5/ public public life version of Bill & Ted’s “Be excellent to each other.” It’s broad and schematic and undefined enough that everyone can sign on and everyone can be offended. Indeed a few actually did seem to literally sign the letter and then also be offended by it.
6/ We are in a moment defined by radical subjectivity, our perceptions of our safety or freedom or lack of either.
