The reaction around the blogosphere to Reagan's passing has surprised me to say the least. Running from near praise to full on hate, the debate about how the left should react to the passing of one of America's more popular presidents has opened old wounds. Some have spoken out forcefully. Some have spoken out emotionally. Some have argued silence.
I will say this do those who feel the most anger toward Reagan: Don't be silent. Don't hide your suffering. Don't forget what you've witnessed.
Use your voice and your suffering and your experience when they will have the greatest impact in the most appropriate way. At the same time, weigh your comments against the time and place and the events at hand, thinking long and hard about the outcomes of speaking disrespectfully or forcefully of the recent dead in the moment.
This begs the question whether such practice is driven by common decency or political strategy. It is driven by both. Great statesmen realize when to speak truth to power, and rarely offer many words when they may do little good, or actually reap harm to their cause. They wait for the right opportunity, then they leave their apparent timidity and silence behind and forcefully speak their truth forged from their experience. This should not be misconstrued as cowardice, nor seen as a disservice to those who have suffered. It is the nature of the body politic, and unfortunately or not, it is such discipline that separates those who's opinions are heard and respected from those who's are not, regardless of the validity of the opinion.
Yet it can also be argued that the blogosphere is a place to vent and share one's feelings with others of the same ilk. A gathering of like minds, sharing their experiences in the moment. But remember, the blogosphere is also a public, and highly visible arena, in which the statements of one of us may be used against all of us.
Update [2004-6-8 18:51:11 by michael in chicago]:The time to attack Reagan's legacy is not at hand. Doing so negatively, in the midst of the eulogies and self perpetuating praise for his accomplishments, rightly or wrongly, exaggerated or not, will not advance our cause nor help to ensure that the future writes history accurately. [/UPDATE]In fact, such vitriol, accurate or not, may actually give the current crop of neo-conservatives a platform from which to out do even the worst of Reagan's legacy. History is written by the victors. We can not waver from this realization.
Never forget your suffering, your pain, your experiences under Reagan. But at the same time, never view timely pause out of respect for the recent dead and/or long term strategy as forgetfulness.
Your time will come.