I mean, sure, he's spewing the standard reactionary swill (A+!) but he's clearly been exposed to the movement in some way, and it's affected him deeply enough that he takes a fairly strong (absurd but strong) position on it.

Not all the work of influencing public opinion and resetting the conceptual framework is roses and baby butts. The abolitionists were often mocked as impractical unserious ridiculous etc. etc. etc. by slavery reformers who advocated the much more popular (and seemingly sensible) view that black americans should be re-colonized to Africa (!!!!) following their emancipation. How far would we have been set back if the Hard Line Abolitionists had played the pussyfoot polite-society game and withdrawn their contention that not only should the slaves be free, but they should be free Americans? - that this is also their Home?


We are accused of breaking up traffic - they were accused of trying to break up the UNION for the sake of their silly egalitarian views.

Sometimes all one can do is make their case with coherence, generosity, and persistence - and accept that they cannot control others' opinions.