February 26, 2005

Goodbye, Sam.

VDARE.COM comment:

Sam Francis was buried today in Chattanooga. Peter Brimelow, who was there, reports that the daffodils are in bloom, and that Sam’s relatives seemed pleased by the large number of his political friends and allies who came to attend. Sam probably would have felt embarrassed.

Fittingly, today VDARE.COM has seen very heavy traffic on one of Sam’s less politically correct columns, stimulated by the latest Supreme Court craziness on the topic of Race. This is the sense in which Peter was correct to write in his obituary note that Sam could say non omnis moriar – I shall not all die.

But we wonder who will write these columns for us in the future.

Below we carry a note by Marcus Epstein, a young man appreciably less than half Sam’s age, whose account of the influence Sam’s writing had on him gives further encouragement to believe that ideas – and arguments – have consequences.

Those more embroiled in current political combat, however, will take a grimmer pleasure in observing that Sam, even in death, could stimulate hysterical outrage amongst his opponents. The (Washington) Examiner’s editorial page editor David Mastio took time off from shilling for the conquest of the Middle East to spew some venom [Francis re-fought immoral battles of 1964- David Mastio The Examiner February 22 2005 ], as did the Cato Institute’s Butterfly Tom G. Palmer (scroll down, 7^th comment etc). Causing these individuals to demonstrate their lack of chivalry, and good taste, would have mildly amused Sam, who would otherwise have treated them with contempt. So, for the moment, shall we.