Dillow Interruptus

Gordon Dillow has been anOrange County Register columnist since the 1990s. We think his prose is getting a bit creaky and clichéd. And yet there is something addictive about stringing a bunch of homespun Dillowisms together—it's certainly more entertaining than his normal tripe. Read the following, compiled from lines Dillow's written in the past three weeks, and decide for yourself.

If you're a veteran, or if someone close to you is a veteran, I have a favor to ask of you: please read this column all the way through. And then pick up a phone. Today, we have a few loose ends to tie up. Glad you asked. The bottom line is that never in recent history have so many Americans been defended by so few. Prison convicts have a lot of time on their hands. Examples abound. That's right. So eventually everything will probably work out. The problem is that it shouldn't have been allowed to happen in the first place. If you agree, here's what you can do. The victims have suffered enough. Over the weekend, however, the rules changed. Frankly, that seems like the sensible course. It's like announcing in advance that we're not really being serious here. But as the old saying goes, it's always better to have 'em and not need 'em than to need 'em and not have 'em. Nothing unusual about that. Well, somebody would—and did. It's a good question. But remember, you're going to have a lot to answer for. If not in this world, then surely in the next. Allow me to explain. That's right. Is that beautiful, or what? Think about it. It's our war. But it's their fight. But let's be realistic. But believe it or not, the true picture is even worse. Because why should they even try to jump higher when somebody else is so willing to lower the bar? You may not see immediate results from your actions. But I know you made a difference. And, boy, did they. I respect their opinions. But I certainly was impugning their judgment—and I stand by that. Well, as I said in the Sunday column, there's not much that can be done about it now. So thank you. Because I'll be calling on you again.