On Breitbart
by David Atkins
The comments here and the online world are abuzz with the passing of Andrew Breitbart, so I figured I should break the silence.
The Romans had a good saying for these situations: De mortuis nil nisi bonum. "Of the dead, [say] nothing but good." It works better for me than the typical English "Speak no ill of the dead," as it emphasizes the idea that when dealing with the passing of a person about whom one would say nothing good in life, saying nothing is a perfect alternative.
So of Andrew Breitbart, I will say nothing.
Of his family, I will say that I wish them deep and heartfelt condolences. I know as well as anyone that one can have close family whose views and personality one finds abhorrent, but their absence and passing are felt no less painfully for it.
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