Danny ChaiThe following appeared in Ask Marilyn from Parade and I thought it was relevant to stuff Henry was talking about:
My son said he admired Hitler for his speaking ability. I said it sickened me to think that Hitler would be admired for anything he did! My son countered that Hitler’s speaking ability allowed him to influence history. I said Hitler did so by telling lies. In your opinion, can one admire a leader for an accomplishment, even if that leader was immoral or evil? –C.M., Orrville, Ohio
Not if the accomplishment itself was immoral or evil, and Hitler’s speaking was certainly both of those, and more. In other words, admiring Hitler for his speaking ability is like admiring Lee Harvey Oswald, killer of John F. Kennedy, for his marksmanship–an odd and odious choice. Has your son never heard the speeches of Winston Churchill or Martin Luther King Jr. or Mario Cuomo? If not, it’s time to wise up.