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- Dec 8, 2005
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There obviously are some folks who are doing a happy dance over this, seemingly unaware how ghoulish they’re being. And of those people, yes, I would not have predicted how many there are or with what glee they seem to be celebrating, and I find it really appalling. But there are some of us on the left who recognize this as a horrific crime and a really awful tragedy. I’ve posted about a few of them. That said, that does not cover over the disgusting behavior from some on the left-and I don’t mean to say otherwise. Actually, I hope it helps
You feel a little better, that despite our differences on many issues, there are some of us who will stand with you in demanding justice and in saying loudly and clearly that this assassination is not a good thing, and it never will or can be. It is evil to murder someone for their political views. It is disgusting to revel in the murder of a human being.
I’d want to hear the daughter’s side before judging the case, but I agree that politics and religion are not good enough reasons to abandon your own blood. I do have a relative I’ve cut off, but it had nothing to do with either of those (that’s a tale for another time, but it took a lot). For myself, especially when it comes to religion, I feel pretty strongly that discussion and civil debate is fine, but it is wrong to impugn the way another person knows God. Ultimately, what God may have said to your soul is not my business and is unknowable to me. As to politics…I’m a philosopher, and I have come to believe that the final lesson of philosophy is intellectual humility, which can be stated different ways, but the gist is that no matter how smart you are, you need to remember that you could be wrong. You can still argue what you believe in, especially if you’ve been careful in arriving at those views, but that possibility should always be somewhere in your mind. And so, discussion with others of a different view should always have an element of learning to it. Doesn’t mean you have to agree with an opponent. Just means you can’t dismiss them or be unfair to them or their view in your own thinking. Sadly, I’m afraid only about one quarter of philosophers ever learn that lesson.
(And to be clear, I’m definitely not the guy who came up with that bit about philosophy. That was Socrates. I just realized, about thirty years after I first read The Apology, how the final lesson was indeed the very first).
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