National Review fires John Derbyshire for racist rant

[Enrique]

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/295514/parting-ways-rich-lowry

Anyone who has read Derb in our pages knows he’s a deeply literate, funny, and incisive writer. I direct anyone who doubts his talents to his delightful first novel, “Seeing Calvin Coolidge in a Dream,” or any one of his “Straggler” columns in the books section of NR. Derb is also maddening, outrageous, cranky, and provocative. His latest provocation, in a webzine, lurches from the politically incorrect to the nasty and indefensible. We never would have published it, but the main reason that people noticed it is that it is by a National Review writer. Derb is effectively using our name to get more oxygen for views with which we’d never associate ourselves otherwise. So there has to be a parting of the ways. Derb has long danced around the line on these issues, but this column is so outlandish it constitutes a kind of letter of resignation. It’s a free country, and Derb can write whatever he wants, wherever he wants. Just not in the pages of NR or NRO, or as someone associated with NR any longer.

[DonCoquixote]

1. wow

National Review is trying hard to pretend they do not agree with John D.eh?

[XanaDUer]

2. Free market . Nt

[Zalatix]

3. "it constitutes a kind of letter of resignation."

[KG]

4. the 'kill the Clintons' piece he wrote a few years ago didn't tip NR to what a hateful prick

this guy is?

[liberalhistorian]

6. Was that the actual title of a piece he wrote?

I've never heard of this jackwagon before, and now I wish I hadn't, having read his hateful Klan-recruiting piece. Did he actually advocate the killing of the Clintons or was that just rhetorical?

And bullshit on NR. WTF did they publish it for in the first place if they didn't like or agree with it? They're just trying to put out a firestorm they didn't expect to occur, kinda like closing the stable door after the horse has escaped. NR has published some hateful shit over the decades, I don't believe for a second that this isn't their real views. Their "sainted" founder, Buckley, was even against the civil rights movement and continued to be so long after many of its signature achievements.

[Bette Noir]

10. The article in question wasn't published by the NR, but by some fringie website.

[jade3000]

14. Never heard him either, Don't think NR published it

My impression from quote is that NR didn't publish this piece -- it was this other outlet.

That article is so offensive it's scary that he tells his kids those things.

[Loki]

5. The Derbydick will surely have a job at

Fox Propaganda Network. They won't let a hater stay unemployed for long.

[roguevalley]

7. literate. really? He's a bigot. that means his mind and opportunities are finite. Sad state.

Too bad they didn't fire him for all his other rants.

[malaise]

8. Look for him on Fox n/t

[sakabatou]

9. I'm sure Fox "News" will pick him up

[Number23]

11. Wow. That was one of the most disgusting things I've read in a long time

There has been alot of really crazy stuff posted in GD this week.

[cyglet]

12. What? You can't work for a national magazine

and get away with saying such things elsewhere? Who knew??

[fishwax]

13. "Derb has long danced around the line on these issues" ... and you at NR gave him the platform

"We never would have published it, but the main reason that people noticed it is that it is by a National Review writer."

The flip side, of course, is that this bigot has that kind of appeal because you've willingly tolerated (perhaps encouraged?) his "danc(ing) around the line on these issues."

[tiny elvis]

15. no one could have predicted that derder was a savage primitive

reactionaries do not talk about fight club

[MindMover]

16. Another one bites the dust...........

[mistertrickster]

17. Wow. I didn't think it was possible

to be fired for being too conservative there.

[mainer]

18. I can't get to the rant -- site seems to be too busy.

so I guess a lot of other people are now checking it out.