This is a continuation of this post, BAD JOURNALISTIC PRACTICES AND GOSSIP AFFECT REAL PEOPLE: UPDATE. I doubt that until I die I will ever have a final word on bad journalistic practices and gossip. So long as some enjoy gossip and others “prosper” off gossip, I will have a few words. Nonetheless, I do not think I will have much more to say about Frank Marshall Davis.
What inspired the last post was a visit by Kaleokualoha. Apparently this fellow is the son of Frank Marshall Davis. According to some, when President Barack Obama was a young man, Davis served as his mentor. Unfortunately for Davis’ son, Davis’ reputation suffered from his association with the president. In March of 2007, a communist identified Frank Marshall Davis as the “Frank” mentioned in his book (see here), Dreams of my Father. Things went downhill from there. Davis had his share of enemies and a less than immaculate reputation. Moreover, he has been dead since 1987. So even his most enthusiastic detractors faced little chance of being sued for defamation. Thus, if you search the Internet, you will find a lot said – much of it just nasty and pointless speculation.
What is the truth about Frank Marshall Davis? Davis has been dead for over 20 years. When a man is dead, we cannot ask him questions. He has no opportunity to defend himself. If he is relatively unknown, then his reputation is at the mercy of the unscrupulous. Even the living can have great difficulty defending themselves from a skillful manipulator of “facts.” So when investigative journalists have a vested interest in portraying the “facts” as negatively as possible, it is quite difficult to get a proper perspective.
Do we need to discern the truth about the relationship between President Obama and Davis? No. If our object is to evaluate the quality of Barack Obama’s associates, it makes much more sense to look at his more recent and living associates. In fact, Obama has given us too much work. Too many of the characters he has appointed have anything but sterling reputations. The dead can do us no harm, but these scoundrels would steal our freedom. Instead of reveling in juicy stories about the dead, we must challenge the Democrat’s efforts to impose unconstitutional government. In addition, we must work on the next election.
Kaleokualoha, of course, has a differing perspective. It is hard for him to leave what he considers aspersions on his father’s reputation unchallenged. Whether Kaleokualoha is right or wrong is not even relevant. Gossiping about the dead is ghoulish. Out of respect for the dead, Conservatives should stop giving Kaleokualoha any cause to challenge their remarks about his father. Let Frank Marshall Davis rest in peace.
Thanks you, Sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Oops! That should be “Thank you, Sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar.”
“A gentleman and a scholar.” What an odd coincidence! I have not heard that phrase in years, but it was one my father used all the time.
Kaleokualoha, you are welcome.