Death, Politics, and Humanity

Herman Cain died today. The 74-year-old businessman died in the hospital, after having contracted COVID in June.

A couple of personal interjections before I get to the core of this piece:

  • I am conservative (if you didn’t know that by now, ta-dah!);
  • I support my right-leaning friends in the USA;
  • I have no personal feelings for or against Mr. Cain whatsoever, other than admiration for his American Dream story and respect for all he achieved.

Okay, now that that’s out of the way, I have been deeply saddened by the deluge on social media caused by his death.

Not from those paying their respects. But by those doing exactly the opposite: gloating, celebrating, using his death to promote their political agenda.

His former colleague posted just after the news broke around 10:00 a.m.:

She predicted it. The cruelty. And it’s worse than imagined.

Mr. Cain had attended Donald Trump’s rally in Tulsa in June. Though he said that he wore a mask in groups of people, he was was photographed not wearing a mask. So of course, the first gloaters pointed that out.

“Herman Cain went no mask at Trump’s indoor Tulsa rally. COVID positive 10 days after. Hospitalized 2 days later. DEAD TODAY.” Big colourful background on Facebook.

You could just hear the glee.

When it was pointed out that the pro-mask crowd continuously calls anti-mask advocates “selfish” because wearing masks is ostensibly to protect others, not the wearer, the original poster countered with the defense that nobody wore masks at that rally.

Perhaps true. But did anyone else die?

We don’t know because Mr. Cain is the political left’s punching bag now. He was a Trump supporter. He was conservative. And that makes his death Fair Game.

Others expressed the same thoughts:

In fact, Herman Cain had battled Stage 4 colon cancer, most of his liver removed, much of his colon, and a few dozen lymph nodes removed in 2007. His immune system was compromised, no doubt about it.

But stating that fact brings up the left’s favorite pastime: ad hominem attacks and sudden medical expertise (“his family said he was cancer-free 13 years ago, so there’s no way he died because of cancer!”).

In fact, the data show that most of the people who have died of COVID had at least one, usually more co-morbidities along with compromised immune systems due to age or illness.

It seems that COVID is much like cancer. When I lost my grandfather, and then my mom, we learned (because you become pseudo-experts when you are in that situation) that nobody dies “from cancer.” People die of complications related to cancer. It attacks organs, metastasizes, and the body is at war with cancer cells.

People who die from COVID are likely those who had other factors that triggered death. We’re learning more by the day. Illnesses, conditions, age, vulnerabilities.

But pointing out that Mr. Cain was an immuno-compromised individual is to deny any number of things, from Science™️ to recklessness, to Orange Man Bad.

The truth is – and it came out in another thread – Mr. Cain’s conservatism is what makes him a Useful Tool in the leftist bag of tricks.

And in their using his death, even just hours after his last breath, they show their utter lack of humanity.

Anything For The Political Points.

Trash Trump.

Trash Conservatives.

They don’t care about Science™️. Doesn’t even matter to these Black-Lives-Matter fanatics that Mr. Cain was black. They care about Agenda.

So the horrific things I have seen on Facebook (I have not quite ventured to Twitter for this yet) have my faith in humanity shattered. It is heartbreaking to see those who are so dead set on scoring cheap political points callously debase a man who never did them any harm, and never would have.

Has anyone in Portland, Minneapolis, Seattle, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles or any other city in which peaceful protests riots have raged for almost 2 months contracted, been hospitalized, or died from COVID?

We don’t know. And we don’t know because they are unnamed, they are not conservative, and the leftist media wouldn’t report it if anyone had – because their Cause supersedes the need to report truth. After all, didn’t every mayor of these cities say it’s okay to protest but if you weren’t part of a protest for BLM, stay home because of the pandemic..? (Yes)

So leftists, Never Trumpers, and leftist media have all stood on Mr. Cain’s grave and used his rejection of masks as a cudgel to beat him with (remember that dead horse cliche? It’s come to pass), shame him, gloat about his death, and somehow try to shame the rest of us.

Here’s the thing: had it been someone on the left, I guarantee there would never have been that level of disrespect.

Not from the left.

And not from the right. When Ruth Bader Ginsburg was hospitalized, numerous times, nobody on the right danced. Nobody wished her ill. Nobody wishes her ill now. When Jerry Nadler’s wife was diagnosed with cancer, every person I follow on social media who is conservative sent him tweets or messages on Facebook wishing his wife well, and sending him strength. I was among them. Some things [should] transcend politics.

I watched social media and I was proud to be on the side of the aisle I stand. Correction: I am proud to be conservative.

However, the left – those who profess themselves to be more tolerant and open – grab every opportunity to celebrate the illness, downfall, or death of their political adversaries.

Borders don’t matter either. I’ve seen more Canadians become Never Trumpers (which is so odd, as we in Canada don’t have a vote) than pay attention to the Canadian political picture.

Perhaps that’s why; the Canadian political picture is one of gross corruption, misconduct, unethical law breaking, and abuse of power. It’s easier for leftist Canadians to deny their side’s malfeasance and decry the American president than accept the country’s downfall at the hands of the guy they still glorify.

Herman Cain’s death has brought out the worst in humanity. The Reuters Twitter account posted a deplorable announcement.

At least there are people – like Greg Price (“social media guy for the Daily Caller”) who know what’s right and decent, and are willing to stand up and call out those who can’t ever pass up the opportunity to display their horrific hyper-partisan hatred.

They are the ones who give me hope that humanity has not, in fact, gone up in flames.

Rest in peace, Mr. Cain. #Respect.

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