There are a lot of quaint phrases that people use without even thinking about them, like, you should never talk about religion or politics at a gathering (well, maybe that isn’t so quaint). The one I have always struggled with is that we should never speak ill of the dead. In most cases, this means that all of us have things we have said or done that we aren’t proud of, so we should be careful about what we say about others – others might say similar things about us. And I get that someone who has died can’t change anymore or defend themselves, so let bygones be bygones (another difficult colloquialism). And while I don’t think speaking ill of the dead is a good practice, generally, I also believe in telling the truth. Those who have attended funerals I have presided over know that I will speak to the quirks of the deceased in ways that make us remember and chuckle. We can remember their funny ways and also give thanks for their faithful lives.
The problem with not telling the truth is that people who have done terrible things are often given a pass in death; some are even lionized when they are memorialized. This came to mind this week at the death of Dennis Hastert, former Speaker of the House (he served longer than anyone else in that position) and longtime representative from Illinois. In 2016, he was sentenced to 15 months – yes, 15 months – in prison for covering up his sexual abuse of boys while he was a wrestling coach. Most of the reports of his death chose to not include this information in the headline, meaning that anyone not familiar with his perverse behavior would not know just how evil he was. And yes, he was evil. The fact that he was only sent to prison for that short time, and that he was released 3 months early, shows us once again how the powerful are given benefits that others are not. It also shows just how little we care about the safety of children, similar to how little we care about women.
I know that none of us is perfect; I also know that some of the best people I have known have been treated with less respect that Hastert has been given – by some – in death. His life of public service, no matter the accomplishments, cannot atone for his despicable behavior. He should have been locked up for life after ruining so many lives. This bizarre propensity we have to allow men to run wild must stop. There is no greatness in pretending that men who behave this way are no worse than the rest of us; by doing that, we give permission to future rapists to do the same. Instead of pursuing hard working immigrants who are chasing the American dream, why not spend our money on sending law enforcement to the homes of these perverts who are so blithely destroying people’s lives? Then, when they die, bury them without ceremony or pomp. They don’t deserve our adoration or praise.
Prayer – Holy God, keep us on the path of righteousness, so that the innocent can be protected. Amen.