4 ms·
For all the sins of past societies, they at least had the good grace and civility to regard those who spoke ill of the recently dead (even if deserved) with sco
by ThrowawayR2 6y ago
For all the sins of past societies, they at least had the good grace and civility to regard those who spoke ill of the recently dead (even if deserved) with scorn. There are times where, as F. Scott Fitzgerald once wrote, "To be kind is more important than to be right."
Let's celebrate the good parts and forgive the bad parts of a person's life at it's end, just as we would want others to do for us. Leave chewing over their failings to those pale few who derive nourishment from it.
- mlthoughts2018 6y agoSorry, but this is just not good enough. This is not any excuse to minimize his despicable behavior. He owned and endorsed that behavior - that’s what he wanted to be known by. Your attempt to deflect that and make it is if it’s somehow wrongdoing or impolite for others to point out what he did just doesn’t hold water. More in this comment: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24953105 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24953105
- jowsie 6y agoI'm sure I'm not alone in thinking that once I'm dead, people can say or think whatever they like about me. I won't care, I'll be dead.
- klyrs 6y agoIndeed. Be honest with me until I'm on my deathbed -- at that point, please follow Fitzgerald; there's little point in changing a dying person's mind and I'll probably be in plenty of anguish already. But once I'm dead? Whatever, I'm dead. Don't delude yourself for my sake! And, does anybody remember when bin Laden died? Was it inappropriate to speak ill of him on that day? Nope, that was roundly celebrated with back-slapping and champagne on the very day it happened, by democrats and republicans alike
- antepodius 6y agoNo, there was a sizeable contingent who said that all lives have value and celebrating a man's death was demeaning.
- ljm 6y agoI'd consider myself lucky if anyone remembered me at all once I'm dead!