It's good to argue about the contribution of dead American Presidents

Taking a rare opportunity to scrutinize crimes publicly seems more conscientious to me than observing even a well-intentioned silence after their architect's passing

Our death rituals for public figures are evolving.

For a moment, obituaries favored the late President George H. W. Bush with the banal pleasantries usually afforded to deceased presidents. Well-wishers from both sides of the aisle hailed Bush’s patriotism, service, decency, and other traits we think we want leaders to have.

Then came the counter-narratives: Bush’s inaction during the AIDS crisis. The generation of war in Iraq he started. His acceleration of the war on drugs and his race-baiting Willie Horton ad. His groping of women. Surely we should have reservations about celebrating such a legacy, many countered.

Now, I’m partial to the