Some time ago I wrote a rather negative response to a rather negative online editorial by Blaise Cronin, dean of IU SLIS, about blogs and bloggers. Cronin strikes back with a weak attempt at seizing some kind of moral high ground about freedom of expression and the need for “civility and decorum.” While I do not agree with many of the things written about him by others that Cronin quoted in his column, all I could think of while reading his response was something like: “Oh please, spare me.” Something I wrote about him (“This guy is another guy whom I’ve never taken a liking to, although unlike Gorman, I know next to nothing about him other than that he tends to be controversial.”) was quoted and noted down as part of “irrational likes and dislikes” that “routinely trump logic and suasion.” Again, I say to myself, “Oh please.”

His response strongly reminds me of a scene from one of my favorite movies, Casablanca, in which Captain Renault (played by Claude Rains) closes down Rick’s bar saying, “I’m shocked, shocked, to find gambling going on here!” at the same time as he pockets money from his gambling winnings handed to him by one of Rick’s staff.