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.
