Hate Kills

I know that there are lines that should not be crossed, a hypothetical step which is one too far and tonight’s column may be in that range.  It is definitely not cool to speak ill of the dead, although in our currently charged and polarized political landscape, I’ve found myself doing it a few times recently.  Most notably with Andrew Breitbart, a truly hateful right wing blogger who, a couple of days previous to his death, had been standing and screaming at a group of occupy protesters “Behave yourselves!  Beehaaaaaaaaaaaaave yourselves!   Behaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaave yourselves!” until he was escorted from the scene.

Rick Beebe

On Tuesday, a minor politician in Florida died suddenly at a tea party rally.  Rick Beebe was only 52.  I’m sure his wife and kids, and friends will miss him terribly.  And he wasn’t even a major politician, he was running for a seat on the county elections commission, he was just an average neighborhood guy, probably.  So, maybe it’s a bit mean of me to say this, but he was a bagger and I think I may have a legitimate point.

Breitbart had been yelling at the crowd.  Beebe had been giving a speech, “like gangbusters” said one rally attendee.  When he sat down he was sweating profusely.  Well, Florida, that’s no big deal.  Next thing you knew, he was lying on the floor, dead.

I think it’s possible that Breitbart and Beebe were both so eaten up by rage that it tore them up physically.  Maybe just their constantly accelerated heartbeat and their high blood pressure finally caught up with them.

It’s sort of like that expression  about  heads exploding, but it’s really happening.  So, if you are looking for a career in politics and would like to live to be an age that’s higher than the speed limit on the interstate, don’t be a teabagger.

The hate could eat you alive.