...that human beings act like human beings?
All of us here are human beings. All of us here have mothers and fathers. Some of us have brothers or sisters. Or both. All of us have or had grandparents. All of us have close friends who seem like family in our lives.
And all of us here deal with death in our lives. Everyone that we grew up with and love one day is going to die. Just as we one day are going to die.
We will all, if we have not already, suffer tragedies in our lives. Sometimes these tragedies will come on suddenly. Sometimes these tragedies develop slowly over time.
What should be innate in all of us as human beings is compassion and sympathy. For when death and tragedy strike others, we know that, but for the luck of the draw, or by the grace of God, it could have easily been us enduring loss.
I say should be, because, quite obviously, it is not.
Today a 58 year old man from Buffalo, New York died, leaving behind a loving wife and a son and an elderly father, to each of whom he was devoted.
In 2005, an elderly man, after years suffering from Parkinson's Disease and other ailments, died in his apartment in Vatican City. He was a role model to many, and in devoting his life to the teachings of Jesus Christ, he inspired faith in billions.
In 2004, an elderly man long suffering from the ravages of Alzheimer's Disease passed on, leaving behind four children and a devoted wife.
I omit their names because their names and accomplishments (or failures) in life mean nothing. All that matters in the time of passing is understanding the suffering and despair their loved ones feel at that moment.
Indeed, it is a truly rare event, considering the billions of people in this world, where, upon the death of a person, you can truly say "good."
Such persons are named Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, Slobodan Milosevic, Atilla the Hun and other truly evil and horrible people.
With respect to nearly everyone else, we, as human beings need to summon compassion and understanding, no matter our disagreements with certain aspects of the departed's life. Out of respect, we need to table our disagreements for a time, in order for our compassion to float up. While these men lived, and long after they have died, we can debate and discuss their actions or inactions during their life. But when they die, we need to follow the advice of our grandmothers: if you've got nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all.
I have been truly disgusted by some comments here on Daily Kos today.
Fuck him.
I'll never forget how he lied through omission about his involvement in the Plame outing, nor will I forget how he treated conversations with GOP figures as "off the record" by default.
There's a special place in journalistic hell for Pumpkinhead.
Great news!
We'll never forget how that scumbag attacked Hillary Clinton and Democrats while coddling Repugs.
so many tasteless jokes
so little self restraint . . .
I wonder if it was something he ate?
And a last one, why not speaking ill of dead, wishes death on another human being...
"Why wasn't it Pat Buchanan?"
These are only samples. There are others. Both here and elsewhere. I will spare you what the people over at Hillaryis44 are saying. Well, no, I won't. They are celebrating his death as evidence that karma works, and it is a bitch. But I digress...
I am ashamed to share not only this blog, but also this planet, with the people who authored these comments. That these were the first thoughts they had as human beings, upon hearing of the death of another human being, makes them miserable failures as human beings.
Yes, their comments are just a small minority of comments both here and elsewhere. Yes, they are only mindless worthless trolls. But their lack of compassion needs to be made example of, so as to remind us that yes, even our political opponents with whom we disagree with vehemently at the top of our lungs for all of our lives with every fiber of our being, are human beings too. With families and loved ones. With friends and colleagues. And it is not too much to ask that we human beings fucking behave like we have an ounce of compassion or dignity or understanding, and allow the departed and those they leave behind some peace.