A forthright political stand
No matter who objects, I deplore the sack of Rome by the Visigoths, on this date 1,600 years ago.
About John McIntyre
John McIntyre, mild-mannered editor for a great metropolitan newspaper, has fussed over writers’ work, to sporadic expressions of gratitude, for thirty years. He is The Sun’s night content production manager and former head of its copy desk. He also teaches editing at Loyola University Maryland. A former president of the American Copy Editors Society, a native of Kentucky, a graduate of Michigan State and Syracuse, and a moderate prescriptivist, he writes about language, journalism, and arbitrarily chosen topics. If you are inspired by a spirit of contradiction, comment on the posts or write to him at john.mcintyre@baltsun.com.
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Comments
You, sir, are daring controversy to flare up. I am shocked.
Posted by: Katharine O'Moore-Klopf | August 24, 2010 5:11 PM
Oh, I don't know. Weren't the Romans ripe for a takeover? New blood and all that? We are always hearing at work that change is a good thing.
Posted by: Dahlink | August 24, 2010 5:27 PM
Some additional comments from Facebook:
Amy Reynaldo: Oh, please. They had it coming.
Elizabeth Herrington: I commend you on the courage of your convictions.
Matthew W. Grieco: It's too soon, John. Too soon.
Vince Rinehart: I see angry people with heavy eye makeup in your future.
Paul Ybarrondo: Well, what really got me was when they tried to build that Visigothic Community Center next to Hadrian's tomb.
Joyce Marcus Weinstock: eh, they got theirs anyway.
Posted by: John McIntyre | August 24, 2010 5:39 PM
It all started when a Capitoline copy editor tried to force the Visigoths to stop splitting infinitives.
Posted by: Michael Sebastian | August 24, 2010 5:51 PM
Will no one speak up for the neglected Ostrogoths? They too deserve our attention and sympathy
Posted by: Patricia the Terse | August 24, 2010 6:24 PM
As an Alan, I'm distantly related to the Visigoths through the Vandals, and some of my best friends are Goths. I therefore deplore your remark.
If the Visigoths hadn't sacked the city, we wouldn't have the ruins of ancient Rome that we have now.
Posted by: Alan Palmer | August 25, 2010 6:25 AM
Oh, yeah, like that puling weakling Honorius was doing well by the Romans, hiding in Ravenna.
Posted by: Alaric | August 25, 2010 8:28 AM
Oh, John, sometimes you just make me laugh out loud, right here at my desk!
Posted by: Eve | August 25, 2010 10:00 AM
Alaric has submitted my favorite comment to date.
Posted by: John McIntyre | August 25, 2010 11:19 AM
I hope you corrected for the switch from the Gregorian to the Julian calendar, otherwise your deploring will be 11 days too early (or late, I never could figure that out).
Posted by: David L | August 25, 2010 12:46 PM
It was no tea party. That's for sure.
Posted by: Jed | August 26, 2010 8:09 AM
I don't want to suggest that all Visigoths are terrorists, but I do think it's interesting that all terrorists are Visigoths.
Posted by: fev | August 26, 2010 8:30 AM
The Visigoths' treatment of Rome was restrained compared with Rome's treatment of, e.g., Carthage. At least most of Rome was still there, afterwards.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 26, 2010 10:18 AM
The Battle of Thermopoly was no treat, either. Face it, people are no 'damn good. (Populi non boni sunt.)
Posted by: Patricia the Terse | August 27, 2010 3:58 AM