I didn’t see the original article, only the retraction and correction that appeared later, but a Jan. 7 story in the Orange County Register evidently said that 18th Century British politician William Wilberforce, a staunch opponent of slave trade, helped usher in a period of prurience.  Oops, what they really meant was “prudishness,” as the retraction noted.

Whatever happened to copy editors, city editors and proofreaders?  Probably most of them got their jobs eliminated.  Back in the days when I toiled for a daily newspaper, at least two and often four people checked your story before it went to press.  They were fairly prudish too.  Prurience reigned over at Playboy and Hustler magazines.  Now why didn’t I work for them?