Those Yalies! Iconoclasts, the lot of ‘em. Seems like they never miss an opportunity to turn some heads and ruffle some feathers, usually with unfortunate results. To wit: Politico’s Ben Smith tweeted today about one such Eli, who wrote a letter to the university’s alumni magazine this month — you know, just to catch up and stuff.

His name is Sam Taylor. He’s Class of ’73. And, he’s what some might call a casual racist. (By “some” we mean the Southern Poverty Law Center, who know something about the subject.) But that’s no problem, because it doesn’t seem to bother Sam all that much. In fact, he gets a big ol’ kick out of it, and he thinks you will, too.

The letter opens:

Did you know that one of your classmates is officially considered a “hate-monger” by the Southern Poverty Law Center?

… Go on.

I believe this is a first for Yale.

(Unlikely, but whatever.)

You can judge for yourself whether I am a “hater” if you read my just-released book, White Identity: Racial Consciousness in the 21st Century.

The book argues, by the way, that: “If [white people] do not defend their interests they will be marginalized by groups that do not hesitate to assert themselves, numerically and culturally.”

Oy. So we’re really going there? Fine. Tell us more. (After the jump!)

Race is a tricky subject and certainly confirms Mark Twain’s observation that nothing astonishes people more than to tell them the truth!”

That Mark Twain! Good company, Sam. When I think of people with regressive views on racial politics, that dude is top of the list. Wait … what?

This letter is starting to seem like a remarkably bad idea, to us. Then again, so does writing a book about white power, so what do we know? Either way, it’s going to be tough for Sam to parlay this into a sympathetic portrait, but let’s wait and see. Anything else?

I hope the summer breeze is cool where you are.

Oh, how genial! (Update: Actually, as a “Jared Taylor” in the comment section kindly points out — after a rather remarkable defense of crazy — a lingering quotation mark would seem to suggest that the passage’s fond farewell was supplied courtesy of one of the magazine’s editors, and not Mr. Taylor. Sorry for the mix-up, bro.)

Let’s get down to brass tacks, though. What exactly does the SPLC have to say about Mr. Taylor? (Who writes using the alias “Jared,” FYI.)

In his personal bearing and tone, Jared Taylor projects himself as a courtly presenter of ideas that most would describe as crudely white supremacist — a kind of modern-day version of the refined but racist colonialist of old.

And?

 In His Own Words
“Blacks and whites are different. When blacks are left entirely to their own devices, Western civilization — any kind of civilization — disappears.”
— American Renaissance, 2005

…

Well, as long as he’s OK with everybody from Yale being totally skeeved out by his creepy, awful politics, that’s cool, I guess. See you at reunion!

You can check out the letter in PDF form here.