John Derbyshire was fired from National Review on Saturday, April 7, after he wrote a column that was blatantly racist.
We agree that he deserved to be fired.
In his column in Taki’s Magazine entitled “The Talk: Nonblack Version,” Derbyshire outlined a list of principles to guide his kids about interactions with African-Americans.
Some of his less egregious suggestions include not attending events that will draw large black crowds or living in an area run by black politicians.
His racial profiling only got more offensive.
It was a major shock to us as an editorial staff. We interacted with Derbyshire when he visited Hillsdale College March 5 to 7. He was nothing but polite and soft-spoken, if a little socially awkward. His talks on mathematics and conservative pessimism were well-received. He shared stories of his life in Asia, including his courtship and marriage to his Chinese wife.
So it was alarming to read his derogatory column. It revealed base and inhumane beliefs held by a man we befriended and trusted, a man whose journalistic legacy inspired us.
But that is not our only disappointment. Derbyshire missed an opportunity to write something truly constructive and important.
He could have highlighted the double standard of politically correct language that masks actual racial profiling. He could have addressed the way we conceal a real need for reconciliation under bureaucratic quotas. He could have pointed out the truth our college recognized in 1844, that intellect and character are not dependent on color or creed.
But he didn’t. He undermined the very argument he was demonstrating — that racism happens despite political correctness — in the crude and almost malicious way he wrote his piece.
He should have known how offensive this was. He ruined his otherwise successful career. As a journalist, father, and human being, he should have known better.
We were disappointed to learn the Derbyshire is a man with a serious blind spot.
We hope the next generation of conservative writers take note. We certainly have.