There was an episode of Seinfeld in which Jerry’s dentist converted to Judaism and began telling Jewish jokes. This irritated Jerry, and when asked if he was offended as a Jew, he replied “no, I’m offended as a comedian!”
We’ve had many chief executives in the history of America. Statesmen or scoundrels, heroic or hapless, almost all had at least a passing acquaintance with the English language. Reading through this book is a tour of the rhetorical majesty we’ve often been blessed with. Whenever I listen to the current inhabitant of the White House, I realize that the casualties of this misadministration aren’t just truth, freedom, or justice. Our very language suffers in the modest hands of this grifter.
I oppose the policies of Donald Trump as an American. But I’m offended as a giver of speeches and lover of English.
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