National Review columnist Jay Nordlinger published a column yesterday wherein he mocked conservatives who believe Ronald Reagan pandered to "wetbacks," a slur used in reference to immigrants.
After the inevitable questions of why he used the racial slur "wetbecks" instead of simply "immigrants" reached his desk, he issued the following response.
Look: I am not a politician. I’m a writer. And if you don’t like what I write — for heaven’s sake, there are 8 billion others you can click on. I would further say to the complainers, using a phrase I’ve never liked, frankly: Get a life. Get a frickin’ life.
One more word: If people wet their pants on seeing the word “wetback,” this country is as far gone as the most pessimistic and alarmist people say it is.
Can't a guy publish racial slurs free of the consequences anymore? What's wrong with this country!? Leave the privileged, white, conservative columnists alone! They've suffered enough! Our American way of life is doomed!
The National Review is a sizable organization, and the white wisdom of a growing list of racially insensitive columnists cannot be attributed to the entire publication, but it's becoming increasingly hard not to.