Chris Buckley is a disgrace. WFB and his wife were, by most accounts, wonderful people. However, considering the way Chris has turned out (i.e., writing columns like this, fathering illegitimate children, etc.), the Buckleys’ parenting skills were less than stellar.
I have heard that Chrissy Buckley is gay.
During the 1976 Republican Convention here in Kansas City I was employed as a general ‘gp for’ by the NBC Press Corps and one of my duties was to drive dignitaries to their hotels and so forth. Several times I drove Mr. Buckley and his wife to their hotel or to dinner. He and she were some of the most charming people I’ve ever met....and although it wasn’t required, excellent tippers too!
I’m not sure WFB was that great, either. He specifically disinherited his grandson (Christopher’s son) in his will, allegedly because Christopher wanted to punish his ex-wife (or, at any rate, the boy’s mother - I’m not sure they were married). Christopher has nothing to do with his son, and WFB apparently was fine with that.
I thnk WFB might have been a fine wrtier, but not necessarily a great person; Christopher doesn’t even have the excuse of being a fine writer.
It may have been the Benedictines or Yale which failed to provide in this sad case. Arrested development is difficult to cure.
On the other hand, I know people who had rotten parents who turned out to be not just good people but remarkably good people.
A person can simply refuse to follow the loving leadership of good parents, or a person can say, "My parents were horrible people, and I am NOT going to be that way!"
Something to do with free will, I think.