I went down to NYU law school today to visit my friend Joseph Weiler —you are all coming to the Eramus Lecture he’s delivering on March 7th, aren’t you?
Anyway, while I was there I saw posters for a lecture this afternoon by Eugene Volokh on the structure of slippery-slope arguments. And I was caught up in a mill—or a scrum, maybe? anyway, a swirling crowd—of students and visitors and New York policeman.
Eugene Volokh rates this kind of action? Turns out that the mayor was on campus for another event, which was, so I was told, the cause of all the fracas. Or rumpus. But meanwhile, the posters for Volokh’s talk read, as I remember: “Founder of The Volokh Conspiracy blog and Gary T. Schwartz Professor of Law at UCLA.”
I wonder how the Schwartz family feels about that. Indeed, I wonder how UCLA law school feels. For that matter, I wonder how I feel. Since when has even a blog as interesting as the The Volokh Conspiracy trumped, for a law-school audience, a chair at a major law school and all the speaker’s academic publications?
A fascinating change in the culture of things.
Time is short, so I’ll be direct: FIRST THINGS needs you. And we need you by December 31 at 11:59 p.m., when the clock will strike zero. Give now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things does not hesitate to call out what is bad. Today, there is much to call out. Yet our editors, authors, and readers like you share a greater purpose. And we are guided by a deeper, more enduring hope.
Your gift of $50, $100, or even $250 or more will bring this message of hope to many more people in the new year.
Make your gift now at supportfirstthings.com.
First Things needs you. I’m confident you’ll answer the call.
