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The Dead

Someone has past away.  It happens every day.  It is a part of life.  We traditionally give reverence to the dead. While  not exactly liking or admiring them in life we honor their memory in death.  We mourn their passing; we celebrate their achievements.  This is the normal course of events saving the monsters of the day.  Hitler and Stalin are the iconic examples of mass murderer monsters that garner no, absolutely no charity in their passing.

Nowadays we have the hagiographers and demonizers of every high-profile passing.  Case-in-point is Margaret Thatcher.  She is gone; her achievements, great or not, are now in the records.  By many accounts, she elevated a deteriorating British economy, though by many others she was the Iron Lady who ran roughshod over smaller nations.

Many African nations do not celebrate her life.  Many on the far left deprecate her existence and celebrate her death.  They even rejoice in her passing by holding public rallies.  This seems to be symptomatic of our new age.  It is not enough for someone to leave the stage making way for another.  It is important to throw rotten tomatoes even after they're gone.  No honor for past public servants is offered.  No observance for achievements is noted. 

Of course, if you believe Thatcher deserves the tomatoes that is one thing, but it is important and significant that this indicates a new normal in our day.   Reverence is out; trash is in.   Honor is out; retribution is in. This sword has two sides.

All this reveals a very dark side of our psyche.  To demonize the dead?

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