OPINION:
In an era of selfishness, social media obsession and political dysfunction, death too often becomes a useful tool for the open exercise of malice and hatred.
The death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, offered the latest tragic opportunity for people to see the depths of depravity to which some are willing to sink to score cheap points against their political foes.
It’s no secret that some critics quickly took to the internet to openly celebrate Mr. Graham’s death, rejoicing and relishing the fact that a man with whom they disagreed politically was no longer on this earth.
Examples of this fiendish activity aren’t worth sharing — and they’re nothing new. We have seen individuals on both sides of the aisle deliver some horrific reactions to the deaths of their ideological opponents.
In fact, in December I openly condemned President Trump’s horrific and shameful response to Hollywood legend Rob Reiner’s murder.
At the time, I called Mr. Trump’s social media attacks on Mr. Reiner “one of the most head-scratching, lamentable and downright shameful reactions to a death I’ve ever seen from an American president.” And I stand by that condemnation.
When people die — especially people with whom we have disagreed or people whom we dislike — it’s a true test of our character and the level to which we comprehend humility, forgiveness and compassion.
Rejoicing in someone’s death or using it as a pathway to condemn them is evidence of a rotting heart, a confused mind and a person more influenced by the flames of hell than by the elements of truth and goodness.
“The View” co-host Ana Navarro called out the recent insanity surrounding Mr. Graham’s death and lambasted those using it as an opportunity to go after the late senator.
“I saw a lot of posts online this week kind of celebrating his death and rejoicing,” she said. “I know that Trump does that … but it’s inhumane and it’s really lacking empathy.”
Ms. Navarro proceeded to raise another point as well: the person being attacked is deceased and unable to hear, but their friends and loved ones are left to suffer. In the case of Mr. Graham, his sister, Darline Graham, who was sworn in to finish her brother’s Senate term, is able to see some of the dreadful responses to her brother’s death.
Ms. Graham and Mr. Graham had a tight bond after their parents died when she was just 13 and her brother was 22. He adopted her and became her guardian, with the two often discussing their closeness and bond — something on which Ms. Navarro reflected.
“The dead person is dead and can’t hear you and can’t read your post,” “The View” host reminded viewers. “But his family – his sister who he adopted when she was 13 because both their parents died, is alive and is hearing it.”
Ultimately, Ms. Navarro offered advice that everyone, on all sides of the political divide, should heed.
“I think that for the benefit for humanity, for having a normal decency toward the family of the dead, that just has to stop,” she said.
“The View” host is unquestionably correct. It’s almost unimaginable that people would so dehumanize an individual as to mock or celebrate his or her passing. There’s something truly toxic unfolding around us when there’s no longer anything treated with grace or respect.
The loss of a person’s life should trump efforts to engage in politics, emotional whims, anger or any other self-serving reaction. Yet, for many, it has simply become another opportunity to diminish someone.
In the Bible, Jesus addresses a fascinating question from the disciples, who asked him for signs of the end times. Among other sentiments, he proclaimed, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12, NIV).
I’m not sure where we are on the prophetic Bible calendar, but there’s no doubt that we’re experiencing what appears to be an increase in evil and a frigidity in human hearts and minds that seems otherworldly.
At some point, we have to decide who we want to be as individuals — and as a nation. Jesus calls us to love, feed and clothe our enemies, yet too many of us are more interested in using social media to mock and deride them in their most vulnerable and finite moments.
No one is requiring people to agree with or even like Mr. Graham. Instead, we’re asking for a base level of decency that anyone with a brain and some semblance of a human heart should be able to easily muster.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell also is the author of four books.
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