A Matter of Taste

My general attitude is that it’s polite to set out a little time after someone loathsome dies before you say bad things about them. This is a matter of personal taste. I may think “good riddance” to myself, but I’m just going to refrain from saying it for a day or two, or maybe until they’ve been laid to rest. I make exceptions for notorious dictators and criminals. It’s not usually the case that I’m glad that someone is dead, either. Even when I’m sorry or generally indifferent about someone’s death, I try to refrain from badmouthing them for a period of time.

Obviously, a lot of progressives have less tact. I think, though, that one must consider what it means to live a life that causes such hatred. But enough of that, lest I violate my own rule.

I hope Andrew Breitbart’s loved ones will be spared too much vitriol over the next few days. After that? We will discuss vitriol quite a lot.

Author: BooMan

Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.