Larry McMurtry is a national treasure, the man responsible for literary classics like Lonesome Dove and The Last Picture Show.
His op-ed skills, alas, need some fine tuning.
McMurtry took to the pages of The Washington Post this week to share his thoughts on the Tucson shooting and the ensuing cultural debate. He’s a longtime Tucson resident and felt he had something to add to the conversation.
On second thought …
His rambling essay contained the usual liberal bromides spelled out in convoluted fashion. And, worst of all, he apparently has serious misgivings about the free and unfettered political debates in this country. Why would an artist who makes his living with words fear a spirited body politic?
After a quick attack on Arizona’s lax gun restrictions – a subject wholly relevant to the matter at hand – McMurtry brings out his big guns.
Oh, sorry. Is that hate speech today?
He applauds Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik for blaming heated political rhetoric for the killings, even though the entire civilized world now knows there isn’t a microscopic scrap of evidence to bolster Dupnik’s case.
That doesn’t seem to bother McMurtry.
I thought that he was magnificent and his point obvious. Ask the Indians and the Mexicans; the latter are usually referred to as “illegal aliens,” though none of them comes from outer space.
Definition of “alien” from Dictionary.com:
1. a resident born in or belonging to another country who has not acquired citizenship by naturalization ( distinguished from citizen). 2. a foreigner. 3. a person who has been estranged or excluded. 4. a creature from outer space; extraterrestrial.
McMurtry recent wrote Books: A Memoir, which recalled his life-long love affair with texts as well as remembrances of his own book collections. Maybe the only edition missing from his book shelf is one written by that Webster fellow.
The Pulitzer Prize winning author then blames Arizona’s willingness to enforce its own border as part of the state’s violent mindset, using a massacre from 1871 to help buttress his case.
“This border has always been cruel,” he writes. “On Ajo Way car wrecks are frequent; the convenience stores sell memorial crosses.”
Wonder if he has any compassion for Arizona residents who deal with the wave of illegal “aliens” on their property, or the crimes a fraction of them commit? And why can’t a nation defend its borders? Does he consider the consequences if immigrants from every part of the world streamed into the country without any sort of control in place?
Of course, you know a slam on former Alaskan Gov. Sarah Palin is mere syllables away.
“Palin has attacked journalists for suggesting that violent speech might provoke violent action – but mightn’t it? We don’t know for sure.”
Actually, we do know for sure in this case. It didn’t. But the monster who shot 19 people Jan. 8 is on record as loving The Communist Manifesto and digging music from Drowning Pool. Where is McMurtry’s essay calling out either source for blame? Don’t hold your breath. Violent fiction doesn’t inspire murder. Criticism of ObamaCare just might, though.
Chalk McMurty up as a literary genius whose skills translate badly to the op-ed pages. He’s also yet another artist willing to use a tragedy to malign those who don’t agree with his ideology.