This piece is stupid and bad faith top-to-bottom but where it really insults the intelligence of the reader is when the author claims that Ilya Shapiro has “a pattern of bias that isn’t just a poor choice of words” because he…also opposed the confirmation of Justice Sotomayor. 
https://twitter.com/washingtonpost/status/1495531922478481416
Oh and because Senators were anti-Semitic in 1916. I don’t believe Shapiro was among them, fwiw
Let me break this down for you: this piece only exists because, with the wisdom of hindsight, even the most unserious people on the left recognize that firing Shapiro for this tweet is preposterous.
So the author endeavors to set the tweet in some broader context about how it *isn’t really* just a tweet - it’s a pattern.
Sure, fine. This is a common variety of op-Ed. Who knows, maybe Butler has juice here.
Sure, fine. This is a common variety of op-Ed. Who knows, maybe Butler has juice here.
But then that pattern just…doesn’t materialize. Butler points out that Shapiro opposed a Hispanic woman’s appointment - of a judicial philosophy opposite Shapiro’s own - but not a white woman (with whom he agrees a lot more).
That’s it.
That’s it.
Instead, Butler focuses on legal-connected racism *from a bunch of people who aren’t Shapiro.* The other two examples come from the WW1-era and a different one of Butler’s Georgetown colleagues.
It should go without saying, but these do not demonstrate *anything* about Shapiro.
It should go without saying, but these do not demonstrate *anything* about Shapiro.
Then, having provided no supporting evidence, Butler simply concludes that Shapiro’s supposed racism would harm black students.
But, you see, this is how the circular logic works.
But, you see, this is how the circular logic works.
The point all along has been the imaginary psychic harm of students who *believe* Shapiro is a racist.
The bell is already rung - these types of pieces are just self-serving window dressing because, to people who think like Butler, Shapiro was in the wrong all along.
The bell is already rung - these types of pieces are just self-serving window dressing because, to people who think like Butler, Shapiro was in the wrong all along.
And so now, if Georgetown dares not fire Shapiro, students and faculty can hold up this piece and all the others and say see! We’re hurting! Meet our demands! The Bad Man has to go!
No where in that chain will there be any evidence - to say nothing of proof - of wrongdoing.
But you’ll have the outrage nonetheless. And, increasingly, that’s all you need.
But you’ll have the outrage nonetheless. And, increasingly, that’s all you need.
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