Best way to respect the dead on social media

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Anyone seen a goodun recently?

Earlier in the week a TV+film comedy actor died. An RIP thread was started. Someone posted: "Never heard of him."

I shan't comment on the recent royal death, as that row has already gone party-political. Oh OK, one reply was:
"Hope there's a day of mourning - I can go for a ride on the empty roads."

Anyone else seen a good one? What would make your mum say "if you haven't got anything nice to say, dear, ... "
I sometimes despair for the human race... 😟

(EDIT: I do include CycleChat in "social media" - although obviously we are the creme de la creme, and thus lead where others follow ... )
 
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" A good day for bad news"
 

byegad

Legendary Member
Location
NE England
Respect for the dead is all well and good, but sometimes people either don't care or simply detest the recently deceased. I can think of one politician whose death was celebrated in some households.
As for Philip, I can see the good, and bad, in him and, on the whole, I'm sad to see him go. He did occasionally overstep social norms though.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
Anyone seen a goodun recently?

I shan't comment on the recent royal death, as that row has already gone party-political. Oh OK, one reply was:
"Hope there's a day of mourning - I can go for a ride on the empty roads."
😟
It seems to me a perfectly reasonable response. I was thinking the same. No reflection on the deceased, whom I presume was not a friend or relative of the commenter.

I remember being annoyed when the organiser cancelled the event I'd entered because Princess D died. Luckily I got a last minute entry to another (in Wales). An Englishman coming out of a cafe as I entered said he presumed I was escaping the fuss as well.
 

CanucksTraveller

Macho Business Donkey Wrestler
Location
Hertfordshire
Some "old fashioned" (or traditional) approaches still hold true. In the case of speaking about someone just departed (no matter who), if you don't have a high opinion of the deceased, it's dignified to remain silent. You can crow about it another time, if that's your thing.

The "cycling empty roads" comment didn't strike me as being offensive or in too poor a taste, however; If I'd written that, I'd have paused before hitting the big orange button, and likely reflected that it was possibly a thought best kept to myself.
There's many a comment I've drafted on threads here, and then thought "nah", and just left it there in draft.
 
I remember being annoyed when the organiser cancelled the event I'd entered because Princess D died. Luckily I got a last minute entry to another (in Wales).
I do have sympathy for that view, as the Princess Di wave of grief did somewhat take over the county; so if you were not related to her, then disruption was irritating. I was on a friend's stag night when she died - the wedding was on funeral day so several guests didn't turn up, which I thought was bang out of order.
 

Domus

Guru
Location
Sunny Radcliffe
On the day of Diana's funeral I was in the gym, I was on the step machine and standing beside me was a member of staff in collar and tie, stood to attention in front of the TV. Bizarre I thought at the time and still do. A case of Emperor's new clothes I think, the media telling us how to feel.
 

roubaixtuesday

self serving virtue signaller
I was on a friend's stag night when she died - the wedding was on funeral day so several guests didn't turn up, which I thought was bang out of order.

I was also at a wedding on the funeral day. The pub stayed shut until later due to the occasion, we were literally banging on the door to get let in.
 

winjim

Smash the cistern
It always seems like there's a race to be the first one to announce it, resulting in multiple threads. It's a bit ghoulish I think.
 
On the day of Diana's funeral I was in the gym, I was on the step machine and standing beside me was a member of staff in collar and tie, stood to attention in front of the TV. Bizarre I thought at the time and still do. A case of Emperor's new clothes I think, the media telling us how to feel.

What makes you think that his actions were the result of being told how to feel by the media, and not the result of his own independently determined feelings?
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
I have been in the unfortunate position as many of us have of having to deal with the death of several people close to me. Reactions vary according to how close you were to that person. I still grieve for my wife who died nearly 6 years ago.
I have also had to deal with bodies of people I did not know.
Respect for the dead was shown for those I did not know but emotionally it had no effect.
Generally the best response is to say nothing for anybody you did not know. I do not regard public figures as people I knew.
 

glasgowcyclist

Charming but somewhat feckless
Location
Scotland
Best to have someone proof-read your message before you fire it off on Twitter. I thought there'd been a massacre!

583040

P.S. Not all of Scotland is mourning. I feel sorry for his wife and kids but I'm not in mourning.
 

Drago

Legendary Member
Fortunately, I don't do Felchbook, Twatter or WhatsTok, so don't have to weigh my intelect down with such weighty matters. Just was well, as I don't think I'm to be trusted with matters of such importance.
 

Ian H

Ancient randonneur
Generally the best response is to say nothing for anybody you did not know. I do not regard public figures as people I knew.
The deaths of public figures will generate public responses, not always of fulsome praise.

WH Auden on Churchill:-
Providentially
right for once in his life-time
(his reasons were wrong),
the old sod was permitted
to save civilisation.


Swift on Wellington:-
’Twas time in conscience he should die
This world he cumbered long enough;
He burnt his candle to the snuff;
And that’s the reason, some folks think,
He left behind so great a stink.
 
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