Don't Make Everything About Your Politics
There's a time and space for politics. There's also a time and space for simply being a decent human being.
I had a different topic planned for this week's newsletter. I was halfway done with my draft when the news came - Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated at a campaign event in Japan, and the suspect was apprehended. Like many people, I was shocked and tried to understand what had happened. I chose not to retweet or like any videos showing Abe being shot out of the respect that no one wanted others to witness their last and most vulnerable moment like this.
The following day, I learned that Abe didn't survive and died at 67. My first thought went to Abe's wife, Akie Abe. The couple was married for more than 30 years and was famous for having a loving relationship. Mrs. Akie is known for posting photos of them enjoying life together, which is rare for public figures in a society that reveres subtlety and restraint. I cannot imagine the pain she is going through right now.
My second thought went to the Japanese people. When a political leader dies in such a tragic and shocking way, even citizens who disagree with his policies feel lost and hopeless.
I contemplated writing a piece analyzing Abe's foreign policy hits and misses. But I decided to wait. There will be plenty of time to do such an analysis, but the time is not now. Presently, his family and his nation are grieving, and the only respectful thing for outsiders is to express condolence and give them time and space to mourn.
Apparently, not all outsiders think this way. Some wasted no time exploiting this tragedy to score political points. For example, the National Public Radio (NPR) tweeted out this,
Clearly, those who work at NPR felt entitled to inject personal political opinion into what should have been straightforward news reporting. After facing much criticism, NPR deleted the tweet and replaced it with a new one that wasn’t much improvement. It says,
“Shinzo Abe, the former Japanese prime minister, and ultranationalist, was killed at a campaign rally on Friday.”
NPR couldn’t help itself, and maybe it needs a third try. Those who work there are determined to take a swipe at the man whose politics they disagree with no matter what. This is a perfect example that shows our legacy media is so ideologically driven on one side that it’s incapable of covering news and showing respect and humanity after a tragic event. Yet, the legacy media continues to act shocked to learn that few Americans find it trustworthy.
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