Mensch tracht, und Gott lacht

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Speaking of Class at a Funeral

You might sample this to get a taste of what is appropriate and honorable.

8 comments:

James F. Elliott said...

Well, then there's this from the master of eloquence, one Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as an example of how to make a political speech at the funeral.

It's not what was said that has your back up. It's who it was directed to and how it was said. Your assertion that eulogies cannot be political is, well, sad.

Hunter Baker said...

I think the example is completely inapposite. Here we have a state funeral in which Mrs. King is being honored to the hilt. The President is not off somewhere ignoring her and her sacrifice. He is there actively honoring and prioritizing her. I question the values that would call for slapping the president in the face under those circumstances.

Tom Van Dyke said...

It should be said that President Dubya was there representing the entire nation.

Had he dragged in Coretta King's support for school vouchers, which are anathema to the Democratic Party, he'd have opened the door to a partisan smackdown.

But he didn't.

Barry Vanhoff said...

Had he dragged in Coretta King's support for school vouchers, which are anathema to the Democratic Party, he'd have opened the door to a partisan smackdown.


Ahhh ... that passe thing called restraint, aka character.

Tom Van Dyke said...

CLA---There's something to be said for not saying what everybody already knows you could say.

Hunter Baker said...
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Hunter Baker said...
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Tom Van Dyke said...

Altho it was meant only as illustration, I withdraw the remark about Mrs. King, and thank you for the correction. It indeed would have been uncharacteristic of her to stray from accepted opinion.