Glenn Reynolds comments on the disdain Leon Kass has for the barbaric practice of eating ice cream in public, an activity that Miss Manners Herself has no objection to.
It's been said that a Puritan is a person who lies awake in bed at night worrying that someone, somewhere, might be having a good time. Note the interesting coincidence of puritanism and luddism. Time was somebody like this would have been called a killjoy or a wet blanket. Virginia Postrel named her important book on dynamism after these characters: Enemies of the Future.
I have a title that I would like to propose for Leon Kass, his cronies, and anyone who would discourage public ice cream consumption. The word you're looking for, Professor Reynolds, is buzzkill.
Nothing wrong with being prissy in your own life and disliking certain things. The problem comes when you try to get the government to force everyone else to change to protect your own prissiness.
Even worse, when you try to get the government to force everyone else to die to protect your own prissiness. Real piece of work, is Kass.
Posted by: Reason at March 22, 2004 11:36 PMNothing wrong with being prissy in your own life and disliking certain things.
True enough. But this guy is prissier than Judith Martin. If there's a Prissy Singularity, he's approaching it.
Posted by: Phil at March 23, 2004 06:42 AMPrissy Singularity
LOL!
Now I know how I'll celebrate after life extension becomes a reality. I'm going to take a full gallon of Blue Bell ice cream, put it in a traffic cone and go marching down the street in front of Kass's house making a complete mess.
Why do I want life extension? So I can have more time to eat ice cream cones in public.
Posted by: Stephen Gordon at March 23, 2004 08:18 AM