The Sound of an Adult Writing

The Derb continues to be the Last Best Conservative at National Review Online.

A sliver of a discussion he had, with a more liberal colleague at NRO, about granting a asylum to a woman from Mexico:

I understand the generosity of spirit behind your position; but, as I have argued before on this site, generosity of spirit is a private virtue, not a governmental one.

I find, in fact, that a recurring theme in my differences with colleagues and readers is my complete opposition to the anthropomorphization of government. A government is not a person, and the qualities I admire in a person, and hope to find in my friends, and strive to cultivate in myself and my kids, are in most cases the opposite of those I desire in my government.

I want my friends to be trusting, generous, kind, and flexible. I don’t want my government to be any of those things.

I certainly don’t want my government to be trusting of Vladimir Putin, or Kim Jong Il, or Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, or people who have crossed our border illegally. I want my government to be suspicious — to assume that those it is dealing with are striving for their own advantage, without any regard to the general good of our country."

HT: PC

In the photo: John Derbyshire - "The Derb"

Update: Sound of an adult writing a letter to the editor (number 4, about illegal immigration).