“Neanderthal”

August 12, 2005

In my column on “Conservative Judicial Activism” I wrote the following:

An “originalist” Court would be no guarantee of a conservative policy shift. A reversal of Roe v. Wade, for example, wouldn’t necessarily lead to the wholesale illegality of abortion. But it would restore power to the states to decide an issue properly left to them, which would expand the people’s liberty (choice?) and sovereignty. (Even if the Neanderthal Southern states outlawed it, surely expectant mothers could travel north or northeast to find sanctuary.)

To my amazement, I have received tons of e-mail from people outraged that I would make such a comment about the South. I have told every one of them, in response, that I was being completely sarcastic, lampooning the liberal elitist prejudice against southerners and pro-lifers. For the record, I am ardently pro-life and love the South. My attempt at sarcasm failed, at least with many readers. I did have one guy tell me he loved the “dripping sarcasm.” But many didn’t get it. So I’ll take the blame for miscommunicating. Perhaps I should have put the word “Neanderthal” in quotes.

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