Our Loss

Hilzoy is hanging it up.

She's one of the people on my read daily list, and probably one of the two that I respect the most. She has the same attitude toward the mechanics of commentary that I do -- fact check, link to primary sources, lay it out as evenhandedly as possible and let people make their decisions. And while she hasn't been as combative as I am (OK, I admit it -- when I see the same deliberate lie being thrown out again and again, I get pissed), we really do have the same attitude toward public discourse, albeit couched in different terms. Given our different circumstances, that's not really much of a surprise: she's all for treating those who disagree with respect, as am I, unless respect has been taken off the table, which, for the overwhelming majority of the people I'm commenting on, is the case (James Dobson, you know we're talking about you).

And I think I've also tried to keep it based in reality, as she has been so successful in doing: Hilzoy's another one who knows to ask the next question and not accept pat answers.

I'm not as patient as Hilzoy, nor, no matter how hard I try, as well informed, but she's been one of my role models in this sphere. Miss her already.