why I am glad mom was not famous when she died...

[The Straight Story]

I never really watched that Russert guy, tv is just not my thing (don't have the time for one - and when I do, well I already get enough politics here/web and don't see the need to watch it on tv).

I don't see the guy as having a lot of impact in the world because I really don't think people make decisions in life based on some person on a news broadcast. If you already lean a certain way you will like and listen, and if you don't you won't. If people are really that stupid (to change their beliefs based on a person on TV) then all hope is lost and we should just abandon ship now.

Russert did the job he was hired to do - stir the pot, talk smack, ask questions, and even if biased (and um, aren't we all in some way) he was still someone people got to know.

My mom voted for Carter. She also voted for Reagan. There were things in her life she did that some would see bad and others would see as good.

She influenced a generation of kids and grandkids by being there 24x7 while this guy was someone in our homes only if we chose to see him and even then only an hour or so a day at best.

We all knew him as we saw him on a regular basis, we all judged him based on our beliefs.

Short story though is though most of his life was spent with his family, and they are the ones I feel bad for now because I have been there. He didn't enable people, they used him to enable themselves instead of thinking for themselves.

A perfect man by our standards? Uh, no. But then neither am I or you or anyone else.

Thank god my mom was not famous, lest her memory be dragged into the mud over things she did over time.

I grieve for him and his family because I have been there, and the last thing I was thinking about when mom died was not what she did 'bad' in life, but what she did that was good.

We choose what to remember about people - I choose to see the good in their life when they are gone and remember them for that. History will record all the rest, but I don't want to spend my time condemning them because their beliefs were not the same as mine.

When my X wife died, and trust me she screwed myself and my kids over seven ways to Sunday, I went to her grave site and told her I was sad that she died and I forgave her for what she did. Because she was more than just an X to me, she meant something to others and I saw them hurt.

Should we canonize someone just because they are dead? No. But we also shouldn't use it as an opportunity to attack them since they are no longer here to defend themselves and their beliefs (with certain limitations of course on some people).

When a soldier dies I don't think about whether they voted for bush or not, or if they killed someone in battle. I think about a life lost, a family in pain.

There will be time later to discuss it all in a better light. The day of their death is not such a day.

[Bluerthanblue]

1. amen.

thank you Straight Story.

:hug:

peace~

(my mother died on fathers day- four months after my father. It's been 10yrs now...)

[The Straight Story]

2. well screw it

I am about ready to give up at times here.

Sorry to hear about your loss. Damned sad.

Death affects us all and celebrating the death of someone we don't like seems rather sick to me.

Russert and I may have not seen eye to eye, but hell the least we could do is recognize the fact that he was a decent human who simply disagreed with us on some things.

Otherwise, we might find ourselves being the fundies we so despise.

Oh wait, maybe some already have.

Fundies aren't just on the right of the spectrum, we have quite a few on our side as well.

[Hekate]

3. I'm giving this a midnight kick. This has been one dismal, embarrassing day for DU, imo

The man's body wasn't even cold before way too many people here spit all over him. You'd think our "compassionate progressives" could give their grudges a rest until after the funeral -- or even a mere 24 hours.

Thanks, TSS.

Hekate

[YankmeCrankme]

7. Maybe some could give their adulation a rest, too.

Then maybe we would have less of this pointless posting about how great a guy he was, which draws the rebuttal posts about what a dirtbag he was.

[Hekate]

8. There's an ancient and honorable tradition called "not speaking ill of the dead"...

...and it still holds today. Think of his family. Think of yourself when you are newly dead. Think of your karma, for gods' sake.

Hekate

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

4. I totally agree with what you have said here...

It is sad when anyone dies. I have no beef with Tim Russert either. I thought he did good work and I respect the level of skill and talent he had to have to do that job every day. He was just a person like the rest of us. I hope that he enjoyed his life while he had it.

[annabanana]

5. "she meant something to others and I saw them hurt"

And there it is. The deceased is beyond recrimination. It is the bereft who's sensibilities are foremost then.

[SalmonChantedEvening]

6. Too true my friend

I can't watch the TV news for another coupla days. I posted a quick note on LBN and left it at that, simply offering condolences.

Were there things about Russert I didn't care for? That doesn't matter right now.

His family is saying goodbye.

I'll leave them to it. With the same respect for their loss I would wish for myself if he were a member of mine.

Peace be with you TSS. :hug:

[hfojvt]

9. there has been far more lauding, perhaps even on DU

than there has been 'dragging in the mud'. Is it a terrible thing when people remember the bad things you do? Maybe you should look at yourself for having done those things rather than at your victims for remembering those things.

"Most of his life was spent with his family". I am not sure that is true. Working a 40 hour week with 1 hour lunch and 1/2 hour commute makes for 47.5 hours a week. There are 168 hours in a week, but perhaps 56 of them are used for sleep, leaving only 112 waking hours. That means at least 42% of the week is given to work. Then consider that other people are going places or even off in their own rooms. Russert was working odd hours and maybe long hours too, covering elections until the middle of the night.

My dad turned 58 in 1991. I graduated high school in 1980 and after that only saw dad about one weekend a month and two weeks every summer.

It's not an attack on Russert to remind his fans of the way Somerby attacked him when he was alive, and justly so. Russert never saw the need to defend himself from even a blogger like Somerby much less from an anonymous poster on a message board. Doesn't really have an impact on either his huge salary or the words of praise broadcast all over the place.

[Breeze54]

10. "There will be time later to discuss it all..." - Isn't that what people are doing NOW?

:shrug:

Look, he put himself OUT there for all to see... he was in TV every Sunday and spewing the BushCo lies and venom. You know it and I know it!! This has nothing to do with invading Russert's privacy at all!! He wanted to be OUT there and to now, try to draw connections between a private citizen and him is off the wall!!!

Stop the BS!!

It's unbecoming to a man of your wisdom, that I respect.

[The Straight Story]

11. There is a time for it

But the body is still warm, his family is still in shock, and people are flocking to the things about the man they hate.

I don't know why we celebrate the death of someone so quickly when they are a fellow citizen who happened to disagree with us on issues. I didn't really like the guy myself, but it does not hurt to have a period of respect for someone after they pass on and think of the family.

He had a job in the media, he pissed off some people on both sides, but that does not mean we should be all happy about it and spend time pointing out things we saw about him that we didn't like.

It all reminds me of Steve Irwin when he died.

Cut the guy and his family some slack. He can't defend himself at this point. We have a choice in what we say though right now, and to me it makes you a better person when you can say something nice about a person instead of digging around trying to prove they were a 'bad' person.

If it is that big of an issue it can wait until later. But like with so many others that pass people won't even care to mention it a week from now.

Maybe because it was not that big of an issue anyway to them - they just like to dance on graves.

[Breeze54]

12. I agree and that time was yesterday!!!

Breeze54 - Fri Jun-13-08 04:42 PM
RIP Tim Russert.... You've been there every Sunday for me. Thanks.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3446002

That was on Friday. It's now Saturday......

[The Straight Story]

13. Yes indeed

His body might still be warm, or not, but I am not about to go and check ;)

Can we at least wait until after it is in the ground (or cremated)? The guy never did anything wrong to me personally - he just disagreed with my views.

That is not enough to be happy about it or spend time telling others how awful he was based on my own belief system and view of politics.

As before, I have no love loss for him - but I don't want to celebrate the deaths of those who disagree with me - that would be too rw for my taste.

My sons have RW views, and one just joined the army. If he dies in Iraq I won't be sitting here telling people how awful he was because we disagreed. I will try to remember him for the good in his life.

Russert had nothing to do with this war - he didn't make it happen, he didn't make the dems that voted for it vote for it, and he had no real power unless people gave it to him (ie, if they were idiots).

He talked a lot - but the people who made all these things happen and continue to fund it are the real issues. Not some dude on a tv show. Just because a fellow American did not agree with my political or religious views does not mean I should be ripping them a new one when they are dead and they are not here to defend their actions.

I won't become like the RW and piss on the graves of people over philosophical differences. Piss me off as they might, I don't wish them death.

If I want to be pissed at someone it is those living with power to make laws and approve wars and continue them - not people who had a TV show.

I am sad he has passed on, you cannot take back death. I find it better to remember someone for the good they did in life than the bad. That's just me.