My mother taught me it’s wrong to speak ill of the dead. I honored her wishes following the recent passing of Lindsey Graham, yet I am compelled to stand idly by while others lionize him and propose actions to honor him that even he may not have approved of. Donald Trump explicitly urged the Senate to pass the Clarity Act, a major crypto‑regulation bill, saying it should be passed “in honor of Senator Lindsey Graham.” Graham had demonstrated little interest in crypto policy; it shouldn’t be surprising that Trump would use the opportunity presented by Graham’s death to promote a lie and try to benefit. I ultimately wrote about Graham, saying nary a discouraging word but allowing some of his own words to get my message across.
Is failing to speak ill of those who do ill, by withdrawing from the playing field, contributing to the propaganda being promoted on his behalf? Lindsey Graham is credited with being a man willing to work across the aisle, a maverick, and steadfast in his beliefs. But that man hasn’t existed for over a decade, perhaps lost after the death of his friend John McCain, to whom he’d attached himself and borrowed morality.
There is a commercial run by Ethos Life Insurance that bluntly states, “We’re all going to die,” as a plainspoken, matter‑of‑fact truth meant to cut through the usual soft‑focus life‑insurance messaging. I have in mind some current political figures who are going to die and don’t deserve to have their actions forgotten and forgiven. I shouldn’t be concerned with protecting their legacy but rather with shining a light on their misdeeds as a warning to those who come after.
Should Mitch McConnell be remembered as one of the last lions of the Senate, or the man who helped destroy the judiciary in America? Donald Trump is rushing to place his name on buildings and arches because so few will have anything good to say when he’s gone. I should note to Attorney General Todd Blanche that I’m not advocating any steps to hasten the demise of McConnell, Trump, or anyone else. But as the commercial says, they are going to die.
I think I’ll come down on the side of an even-handed approach. I can think of some things Richard Nixon did to advance civil rights that are part of his history, along with Watergate. I’m sure I can find something in McConnell’s record to praise. As for Trump, he can be funny at times. I’ll do what I can to be fair to the dead, which means reporting the bad with the good. I’m trusting my late mother will understand.
The celebrations in the streets will be epic when Trump dies, no matter what any of our moms thought about such matters.
None of us should be defined by our worst moments and yet... These men are elected leaders and it is absolutely okay to tell the truth about the damage they have done to this country. The deaths they have contributed to. The suffering they have contributed to. I have no patience for folks who are trying to paint Graham as some benevolent politician just because he is dead. Save that for his family and those who actually loved him. As for the rest of us we have every right to tell the unvarnished truth of how they did at their job.