John Lewis, In Memoriam

[Mark]

When it came to some important current events Lewis perverted Ayn Rand’s concept of selfishness into sacrificing others to himself. Mr. Biddle’s "living and loving life" should be read with that in mind.

[PDS]

I hope when I die that those who intellectually oppose(d) my good faith views are content to take only one piss on my grave.

Two pisses seems like too much, and three would seem to say more about the pisser than the pissee.

[william.scherk]

I must explain myself. I had written about Kim Jong Il. I had written that I like to shout abuse during obseques of important folks.** This was probably a mistake, but it is too late, too late to go back and fix it.

I had written that I do indeed like to use eulogies or memorial occasions to discuss politics, in response to Michael's note.

Argh. And now I guess I should answer all the interesting questions asked of me (I even have let Phil out of the locker for the day). OK. Moral emotions are readily evoked by the perception of moral violations; Michael, Dennis, Phil and Stephen were disgusted by what seemed like another example of graceless sniping at a freshly-dead man. And my blundering intervention merely tarred me with the taint of Westboro Baptist yeehaw ...

I brought it on myself. I mentioned Kim Jong Il. I mentioned shouting at obseques. I disgusted someone whom I respect. There is no getting around that. It does not matter in the least that my Over The Top and drily ironic answer to Michael was misunderstood. I seem to have written my words above to be stumbled over, to be misunderstood. Right?

Sure. But before I am taken to the gallows or the torture chambers, I would like to say that we must not be hypocrites. If we take the least pleasure in the death of some figure and ourselves have not waited until the conventional period of mourning is over to offer evalutations and even criticisms of that person's legacy, then we can empathize with those who want to cry out at funerals ("He was a monster!") if only to recognize that in one or two special circumstances, we, each of us, might do the same.

At the same time, why can"t Mark at least acknowledge grief?

I learned, again, that we are virtual, but we can engender real emotion in each other. Thus, yet another thread on Objectivist Living full of disgust, contempt, ludicrous hyperbole, wagging fingers and so on.

Mark, gawd love you, you seem to have a limited range of tones. Nothing would have prevented you from waiting a day or two for the earth to settle.

But your 'Hi There, he is dead AND and ASSHOLE' clanged. It seems crass or rather, not classy. A classy guy might have murmured some commonplaces about death about this death, realized that in the presence of grief, those who curse the dead are contemplated with disgust by those in grief -- and then opened a fresh thread topic Lewis's Legacy of Death or whatever.

Mark, I tried to put this in less chiding terms, above.

I do [ like using eulogies or memorial occasions to discuss politics], though not during the procession or speeches. During the obseques of important folks (like Kim Jong Il) I have been known to shout abuse. Similarly with deaths of controversial figures in the world of politics, law, religion, entertainment, newsmaking, or in the case of John Lewis, Objectivism.

I should mention that I wasn't actually at the funeral of the North Korean leader. I watched in on TV and on the internet. When Nixon was buried, I shouted at the screen. When Kissinger is boxed and shipped, I will shout.

Does this mean you approve of the tactics of the Westboro Baptist Church shouting and protesting at funerals of gays and soldiers?

Are you making a comparision between my post above and the Westboro Baptist Church campaigns?

If so, regard: I like using eulogies or memorial occasions to discuss politics, though not during the processions.

During the obseques of important figures, I have been known to shout at the screen (of the television). This shouting has mostly been confined to my own premises.**

If you lost someone you loved, would you welcome that kind of behavior from strangers at his or her funeral?

Um, let me look back at the kind of behaviour 'like that' you are referring to. OK, "shouting and protesting at funerals of gays and soldiers."

I like using eulogies or memorial occasions to discuss politics, though not during the processions. I have been known to shout at the screen during obseques.

Or hell, forget about the funeral. How about on the Facebook page of someone who knew that person?

Oh, let me tell you. When a thirty-five year friend died in 2010, I avoided all the memorials, the funeral, even the one year memoriam with family whom I was very fond of. Why? In order to be honest. I had problems with this person. She was imperfect. She harmed herself and others. She stymied her own dreams and goals. She left a lot of enemies and wasted effort.

I couldn't say this at her funeral (and feel, since my father's funeral in 1975 that sometimes nothing is said in a eulogy that resembles the real dead person), so I did not go. I did not want to pretend then nor pretend a year later that the legacy was pure -- if asked, if my opinion had been solicited. I could not mask my face. I gave sincere personal condolences to her son and daughter. I did not explain myself publicly for not attending. I used Facebook to add my own statement of condolence. I simply did not want to sit around with a lot of people who blanked out a portion of reality ...

Lay this against something else. When my sisters and brother and I nursed our mother till her death, we also took responsibility for every aspect of her passing. We washed her body. We dressed her. We sat with her for 24 hours and welcomed our larger family in. We said final farewells in our hearts at her cremation. We planned and executed the day when friends and family gathered. We placed a death notice. We prepared the memorial keepsakes for everyone who attended our non-institutional funeral (daffodils and perennial seeds of her favourite). We prepared the memorial books and photos. We did our public and private job. We requested of the City that reserve the park next door to mom's place for our 'funeral,' we picked music, we welcomed and embraced folks who had loved our mother. We posted signs at the park that informed the public were were holding a memorial. We posted someone at the gate. .

We all also attended the funerals and get-togethers of our cousin three weeks earlier, and our Aunt three weeks later.

I don't know why the image of kicking a sick dog comes to mind...

Because you trust your gut sometimes, and because you like strong metaphors, perhaps. You like to use analogies.

I just do not see a dog, nor a kick, nor me, nor any relation to me in your musings and awkward analogy.

But. Just so we are straight on this -- my comments and excerpts from Lewis were unwelcome, somewhat like posting hate on a Facebook page of a recently deceased person (how one could get to post on that page without being a 'friend' I do not know)?

Are university professors who teach and promote a certain ideology equally as evil as dictators who actually murder, imprison, torture and maim people in massive numbers?

[ ... ]

So, sure, let's talk about Dr. Lewis and Kim Jong Il in the same breath while some people are trying to make a symbolic gesture of paying last respects.

[ ... ]

I mean, who would ever imagine that sharing a quiet moment to grieve the passing of someone--or respecting that moment of those who do when you opposed the person in life--is reasonable and a decent thing to do?

Ah, the moralist in full finger-wagging flight of rhetoric. By implication, William, though not by direct accusation, you are charged with EQUATING John Lewis with Evil Dictators, you fuck.

William, you talk about Kim Jong Il in the same breath while some people are trying to make a symbolic gesture of paying last respects.

Oh, man, what can I say to this implied accusation? Should I respond -- can I respond helpfully, honestly, informatively?

Compare and contrast, not equate. Comparisons are odious because they sometimes teach too much, they hurt as well as inform.

This kind of thing has happened before in not-so-similar situations. I recall some heartless nutcase (perhaps Luke Setzer?) come out ugly against Nathan Hawking just after his death by painful cancer had been announced. This was, I believe, at RoR. And in this Stephen is correct, it was disgusting, it was pissing on a grave.

So, it will happen again. Some people are emotionally blunted or uninterested or unlearned in the niceties. But as long as this bluntness and emotional tone-deafness abounds (in people like Mark and me), and can be expected, why not have a Memorial section on OL where originators may control the process and edit? Next time somebody dies and someone here wants to post tributes and memorialize about a particular person, then you could post your Memoriam to MSK and he could place its following comments under moderation.

Be that as it may, I apologize for stinking up the outhouse. It was shitty of me to use phrases that could be easily misinterpreted.

Michael, I accept that I made an error. In retrospect, considering all the death I have dealt with in my life, it would have been much much much better to have written a personal reflection on death and character, and to have utterly avoided wading into the argument over Lewis's publications. That can wait.

To Stephen Boydstun, I personally apologize. As soon as I realized I appeared on the same side of the fence as Luke (or whoever the nut was), I knew I was wrong capital W.

** imagine the TV store with its window full of Kim Il Jong and his portly son grieving in mass display. Imagine a busy street of pedestrians. Imagine me shouting. Imagine yourself.

Edited January 10, 2012 by william.scherk

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

William,

You wrote in the hidden part of your post: "Next time somebody dies and someone here wants to post tributes and memorialize about a particular person, then you could post your Memoriam to MSK and he could place its following comments under moderation."

I don't intend to moderate anything like that.

However, I'm glad to see that the tenor of your discussion on this particular thread has moved from saying how you like to shout aggressive things at groups of people who are gathered around (or focused on) memorial concerns for the recently deceased to a long discussion about...

... uhm...

... you.

Michael

[william.scherk]

I apologize for stinking up the outhouse. It was shitty of me to use phrases that could be easily misinterpreted.

Michael, I accept that I made an error. In retrospect, considering all the death I have dealt with in my life, it would have been much much much better to have written a personal reflection on death and character, and to have utterly avoided wading into the argument over Lewis's publications. That can wait.

To Stephen Boydstun, I personally apologize. As soon as I realized I appeared on the same side of the fence as Luke (or whoever the nut was), I knew I was wrong capital W.

I'm glad to see that the tenor of your discussion on this particular thread has moved from saying how you like to shout aggressive things at groups of people who are gathered around (or focused on) memorial concerns for the recently deceased to a long discussion about you

Yes, and I appreciate both your careful consideration of and response to my post, and your gracious acceptance of my apology. As you have so kindly pointed out, I did spend an inordinate time writing about my experiences with death. For that, for the impertinence of giving context to my earlier misplaced post, in acknowledgement that my experiences are worth little but a sneer, I shall move on.

Edited January 11, 2012 by william.scherk

[9thdoctor]

I must explain myself. I had written about Kim Jong Il. I had written that I like to shout abuse during obseques of important folks.** This was probably a mistake, but it is too late, too late to go back and fix it.

One major difference is that it’s reasonable to expect that on OL there aren’t going to be any people genuinely mourning the passing of miscreants like Kim Jong Il or Osama Bin Laden.

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

As you have so kindly pointed out, I did spend an inordinate time writing about my experiences with death. For that, for the impertinence of giving context to my earlier misplaced post, in acknowledgement that my experiences are worth little but a sneer, I shall move on.

William,

You do not wear victemhood well.

Anyway, the guy who died is named Lewis. He's the one the really bad stuff just happened to. It got so bad he died dead.

Michael

[Mark]

"Mark takes pleasure in Lewis’s death" (paraphrasing) is a straw man. The cause of his death wasn’t his intellectual perversion, he died of some cancer or other, completely unrelated to his work. His death has no relevance to the ideas he held.

If you want to know, I feel neither joy nor sorrow at his death. I have no feeling about it at all. I didn’t know him personally. I don’t know his friends or family. His friends might be as bad as he was.

The false ideas Lewis promoted in the name of Objectivism should concern every Objectivist. The fact that some alleged Objectivists are turning him into a fine fellow on his death should too.

Doubtless ARI will continue to distribute his "bomb Germany/Iran" essays and videos. If President Obama -- or President Romney -- nukes Iran, a while after the radioactivity clears ARI writers will deny they ever advocated such a thing, so save copies.

[william.scherk]

From the Ayn Rand Institute's website.

It is with great sadness that the Ayn Rand Institute announces the death on January 3, 2012, of Dr. John David Lewis after an extended battle with cancer.

At the time of his death, Dr. Lewis was visiting associate professor in the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Program at Duke University, a position funded by the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship and by the BB&T Charitable Foundation. He was also adjunct associate professor of business at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After a 25-year career in business, he changed direction and earned his PhD in classics in 2001 at the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England.

Dr. Lewis lectured internationally and was well known and respected by his colleagues at Duke. Dr. Lewis authored three books—Nothing Less than Victory: Decisive Wars and the Lessons of History (Princeton University Press, 2010); Early Greek Lawgivers (Bristol Classical Press, 2007); and Solon the Thinker: Political Thought in Archaic Athens (Duckworth Press, 2006)—as well as many other publications in academia and in the popular press. He was a frequent lecturer at Objectivist and non-Objectivist conferences throughout his career.

Dr. Lewis drew personal inspiration from Ayn Rand’s philosophy—and his work and life reflected his beliefs. He had a unique talent for conveying his knowledge and views, whether in delivering a lecture, writing a book, or in discussion with those around him.

Dr. Lewis’s wife Casey is planning a private memorial service later in 2012. She has requested that anyone wishing to contact her to please do so via email at: JohnDavidLewisMemorial@yahoo.com.

It was Dr. Lewis’s wish that in lieu of customary gestures of condolence, those wishing to honor his memory should send contributions to the John David Lewis Memorial Fund at the Anthem Foundation for Objectivist Scholarship and/or the John David Lewis Memorial Fund at the Ayn Rand Institute. ARI’s Kathy Cross will assist those who wish to contribute to either of these funds. Please contact her at 732-242-9408 or by email: kcross@aynrand.org.

In the passing of Dr. Lewis, the Objectivist movement has lost a true fighter. From all of us fortunate enough to have known him—and John had many personal friends at the Institute—thank you, John, for all your work, for your tireless devotion to the ideas you knew were right, and, most of all, for the inspiring way you lived your life. You are dearly missed.

[william.scherk]

Alex Epstein penned a memoriam for John Lewis. This appeared at the website of Center of Industrial Progress.

I recently learned that historian and activist Dr. John Lewis has passed away after a long battle with cancer.

I was fortunate enough to have many interactions with John over the past dozen years, and he repeatedly inspired me in both word and deed. I first encountered John back in 2000, when we were both taking a year-long writing class (over the phone) with the Ayn Rand Institute. Even though he was a seasoned adult–several decades older than the youngest student in the class (me) and a grad student at Cambridge–John was openly, youthfully, and unpretentiously eager to learn.

He embraced criticism, whether from the instructor (Rob Tracinski) or his classmates. He had no desire to keep up appearances, just to improve. I noticed, as I kept up with his work over the years, that his writing kept getting better while other writers would stagnate; his ambitious disposition is surely why.

The first class I took from John was in 2002, shortly after he got his Ph.D. in Classics from Cambridge. It took me approximately 30 seconds to become a fan of his teaching. Booming voice, enthusiasm for the subject (Solon and the development of law, a subject he would revisit often), encyclopedic knowledge–what wasn’t to love?

It was in 2002 that I learned more about John’s story–the story of how he switched careers from businessman to intellectual. For a long time he worked a full-time job and pursued the studies that would eventually make him an expert in the field. I remember learning about his late nights in the library learning the foundations of Classics. Ever since then, the image of John studying while everyone else is sleeping has stuck in my head as the archetype of what a serious intellectual is willing to do to master his craft. John never gave me advice–he showed me what listening to his advice would look like. Know what you want. Know why you want it. Know how to get it. And get it.

John got it. He spent a solid decade doing what he loved to do. He wrote books about his favorite subjects, he taught at Duke University, he won over crowds with his impassioned and insightful speeches. And he inspired many other intellectuals, myself included.

One thing I admired about John is that he was the full package–he knew history inside and out, he continually tried to understand it on a more fundamental level, and he would always connect everything to real people and real values. He was comfortable in academia and he was comfortable at a Tea Party Rally. He embodied the idea that ideas are for living by, and that an intellectual should be an engaged, compelling communicator, comfortable explaining his ideas to anyone.

Another thing I admired about John was the breadth and depth of his knowledge. Even though his background was in Classics, because he was so studious and so interested in life, he would regularly come up with fascinating facts that I could use in my own work on

business, energy, and industry. In 2008, while I was preparing a course on the history of oil, he mentioned to me that although oil wasn’t rendered useful on a wide scale until the 1800s, its used was referenced repeatedly in the Old Testament. After a few pitiful attempts to find the references on my own, I asked John if he could give me some guidance.

He could, to say the least. Here was his response:

“Pitch, aka, asphalt, in the Old Testament:

Genesis 6.14 God commands Noah to coat his ship with pitch, which may be raw asphalt or bitumen

Genesis 11.3 pitch, or slime, is used for mortar

Genesis 14.10 the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into it

Exodus 2.3 Moses’ boat of bullrushes was coated with it

Isaiah 34.9 it burns

…

Reverend John”

This is John Lewis as I will remember him–always with the answer, always enjoying his life.

Goodbye, John. It was a privilege to know you.

[william.scherk]

A page of remembrance and tribute is up at Ari Armstrong's blog, including this from Paul Hsieh:

I remember many things about John Lewis.

I remember his excellent lectures on ancient Greece at the OCON summer conferences. I remember a wonderful impromptu jazz piano performance he gave one evening at the Seaport Hotel in Boston. I remember when he was our house guest in Colorado raking horse manure, while telling fascinating tales about the battle tactics of the mounted Mongol archers.

But what I remember most about John was how he helped me regain my will to fight for my values back in 2009. At that time, the battle over ObamaCare health legislation was in full swing and I had become deeply discouraged. It seemed that despite all my blogging and letter writing, I wasn't getting anywhere. My efforts seemed futile and pointless, like someone trying to fight a raging forest fire armed only with a tiny squirt gun. I was on the verge of quitting health care activism altogether.

But then one of John's articles on ObamaCare got picked up by Rush Limbaugh.

Rush quoted extensively from John's piece on his radio show, sending John's words to millions of Americans. John's example showed me that a single man, armed with the right ideas -- and willing to articulate them with clarity and conviction -- can indeed make a difference.

Fans of Ayn Rand's book "The Fountainhead" may remember the scene when a young man is struggling to find his purpose in life after graduating from college. He finally finds his inspiration after seeing the recently completed Monadnock resort built by architect Howard Roark. For that young man, seeing another man's achievement gave him "the courage to face a lifetime".

John did the same for me. Seeing John's ideas reach millions of eager Americans helped rekindle my enthusiasm to continue my own personal activism. His success gave me a spiritually vital "shot in the arm" at a time I needed it the most. John helped me understand that one is most alive when one is working to make one's values real. In other words, John helped me understand what Ayn Rand meant when she said, "Anyone who fights for the future, lives in it today."

Thank you, John, for helping me find my courage for my lifetime.

[9thdoctor]

Maybe this is the time and place to discuss how the death of Leonard Peikoff ought to be handled. He discussed in one of his podcasts how he spends his days, and he stressed that a lot of time goes to doctor's appointments and such-like. Tick-tock tick-tock, y'know? Some people here have had substantial interactions with him, and shy away from criticizing him, but most of us pound him in the metaphorical mortar on a regular basis. Mark of ARIWatch surely holds him in lower regard than he held John Lewis. Thoughts? I expect that I won't have anything negative to say when the day comes around, and won't say much at all. OTOH, must we rule out, in lieu of something solemn like the Mozart Requiem, a very different musical tribute?

Separate threads, I'm thinking...

[Brant Gaede]

That was poor of you.

--Brant

[Philip Coates]

What would you expect?

[9thdoctor]

That was poor of you.

--Brant

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzPBUGUM7KQ

What’s wrong? You think it shouldn’t be discussed, or was I too flippant about it for your taste?

[Brant Gaede]

Ah, battered by two forces, Phil and ND. The waves crash about my feet. I know I shouldn't be on this beach.

--Brant

taken down by the natural justice of the situation and a taxi driver acting an actor acting a taxi driver

de Niro once gave me a ride to Manhattan from La Guardia--fortunately there was a partition--he's that wacko

[9thdoctor]

Ah, battered by two forces, Phil and ND. The waves crash about my feet. I know I shouldn't be on this beach.

That’s right, run away, run away!

So anyway, I gather/hope that my point about attacking the recently departed made it across, but made people too uncomfortable to express their opinion. I was a bit concerned The Wizard of Oz thing was going too far, then I decided that that was the point.

[9thdoctor]

Here's an old thread about John Lewis. Denial of tenure, wonder how it worked out.

http://www.objectivi...indpost&p=31433