The faux rage about “canceling” Dr. Seuss because the corporation that preserves his legacy removed a small handful of his countless books because of content that clearly is not appropriate and is hurtful in 2021 is so off point.

Much of what Theodor Geisel wrote was lovely or fun. That is not going anywhere. It is the process of separating the chaff and the wheat over what stands the test of time.

Since Geisel was a good Lutheran, an apt comparison would be Martin Luther. Much of what he wrote was profound and contains the central tenets of my theology. However, some of what he wrote was anti-Semitic and used by Hitler to defend the “final solution” and ultimately the Holocaust. It is ugly. As a Lutheran I repudiate it. As does the church. Luther was flawed and a product of his times. I don’t worship him, but I am still a Lutheran.

Life is about separating the chaff from the wheat. The same can be said for ideas I’ve had that have evolved over time. I’ve said, thought, preached and written things that don’t stand the test of time.

So this furor being created that we are “canceling Dr. Seuss” is just another false flag, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing but a failure to apply critical thinking skills.