> My objection to the universal application of the Oxford comma (whether it adds clarity or not) is that a comma in written English essentially always take the

> My objection to the universal application of the Oxford comma (whether it adds clarity or not) is that a comma in written English essentially always take the place of a short pause in spoken English. But exactly that's how I parse things in lists. For example: "Life (short pause) Liberty (short pause) and the pursuit of happiness".