Words Matter

The death today of Washington Post syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer prompted a lot of reflection from opinion writers, politicians and public figures -- those who agreed with his generally conservative take on things and many who did not. The former, of course, lament the loss of a friend or at least one of the most articulate voices advocating their point of view. The latter said they will miss an almost uniformly gentlemanly and courteous opponent with whom they could disagree cordially.

One of the better notices comes from Krauthammer's fellow columnist, George Will. Will described Krauthammer as having "more brain cells to spare than the rest us have to use," which sounds pretty on target.

The universe, it seems, likes seamy and sordid irony. Political commentary loses one of its most thoughtful voices, and the major immaterial matter occupying the chatterati was a coat worn by Melania Trump when she visited a shelter for children of persons seized after crossing the U.S. border illegally. It says, "I really don't care? Do U?" Apparently it's a $39 item available from a designer, and while I don't know that it's the best look for a 48-year-old woman -- it seems more fitting for a teenager -- I also can't imagine that makes a lick of difference to what her mission was. She wanted to see the centers and be a presence at places central to the current controversy over how to handle children of those families that make the illegal crossing. According to a USA Today story, the pictures of the children moved both Mrs. Trump and her stepdaughter Ivanka to push the president to end the family separations. Which would argue, contra the coat, that she did care.

And the president, with characteristic gracelessness, suggested that the message was intended for the media, not the children or their families.

Several friends posted on their Facebook feeds some story or another about this matter, along with uninventive snark about it that "couldn't even!" I was on the brink of losing some friends as I considered posting comments and responses. A good handful of those folks had been the same ones who interpreted the Donald/Melania body language at the Inauguration as PROOF!1!1! that the president was an abuser. For people who hate this guy so much, they sure spend a lot of time posting about him.

Before I typed my responses, I considered how Charles Krauthammer might have told them that they were being shallow idiots. Then I realized: He wouldn't. A willingness to engage with what's printed on a coat as though it were in any way meaningful does not indicate a willingness to hear about how meaningless it really is. He'd have turned the page and gone to a baseball game. Which I couldn't do, but I could listen to one on the radio.

So I did.