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I’m not sure how I feel about this piece. The last paragraph is a quote from [edit: a friend of] the professor’s ex-wife asking us not to glorify him, and inste
by in_cahoots 9y ago
I’m not sure how I feel about this piece. The last paragraph is a quote from [edit: a friend of] the professor’s ex-wife asking us not to glorify him, and instead to honor the children he’s murdered. And yet the first half of the piece is all about the value of the professor’s work; the children’s names aren’t even mentioned until the very end. I understand that the author only knew the professor in the context of his work, but to me the tone of this piece seems to go exactly against the wife’s wishes. Others may disagree of course.
- jachee 9y ago> A close friend of Ruckman’s ex-wife — the boys’ mother — reached out to me with a plea. Awkwardly worded, but it wasn't the ex-wife that was quoted, but her friend.
- in_cahoots 9y agoThanks for the clarification, that makes this a bit less distasteful.
- SolarNet 9y agoMy thoughts exactly, this article seems to be glorifying a murderer. I had to stop myself halfway through and do a double take of how after he had glorified this man's accomplishments, he brings out the murder bit ("surely he's going to rip into him now") and then goes onto glorify him some more. The closing quote makes it all the worse.
- fellellor 9y agoI myself can't help but sympathize a bit with the writer. Mainly because just like the writer, I don't really know what exactly happened here. This scholar, from their perspective seemed like a well adjusted individual doing good work, who suddenly decided to do this horrific thing. I can understand it's not really that easy to make up one's mind here.