Commonplace Book: "It Is Characteristic of Most Reform Work"

Editorial, 27 Journal of the American Judicature Society 133 (1944):

"It is characteristic of most reform work that the reforms are to be accomplished on somebody else."

Comments

[Gandydancer]

Link?

Also, is this "Commonplace Book" notional?

This is a very cryptic communication, IMHO.

[Michael P]

David Post explained the idea when he started posting from his commonplace book. I believe this quote is the second from Prof. Bray, following this entry.

[Gandydancer]

Thanks. That helps. But he needs to include the explanatory link, each time, to avoid puzzlement such as mine. Not everyone will have read it.

I’m not finding either example particularly illuminating, btw,

[PeteRR]

"And by accomplished, we mean inflicted."

[Frank Drackman]

and "Reformed" in the sense that Anton Chigurh reformed Carson Wells.

[Dan Schiavetta]

This is quite true. Otherwise it would be self dealing.

It was men who gave women the right to vote. (To pick one example.)

[Dan Schiavetta]

It was grown ups who put into place child labor laws.

[Dan Schiavetta]

It was people who could climb stairs perfectly well who enacted laws requiring handicapped accessibility

[Dan Schiavetta]

And, of course, it was non slave owners who ended slavery.

[Michael P]

Which of those reforms do you think were "accomplished on", rather than "for", those beneficiary groups? (Contrast justice reform, education reform, housing affordability reform, etc.)