Following the death of George H. Bush, on November 30, 2018, people have flooded twitter with both their admiration and continued disdain for the now late #41.
Friendly reminder:
George HW Bush was a reactionary who, in addition to facilitating the U.S. neoliberal imperialism as vice president and president, ran covert and illegal wars in S America and elsewhere as dir of the CIA.
He should not be celebrated as a "good man".#bush
— Union Legionnaire (@UnionLegion) December 1, 2018
Deeply saddened to hear that former US President George H.W. #Bush has passed. We will never forget his incredibly wise political leadership at the end of the Cold War. As Germans we are endlessly thankful for his historic contribution to the German reunification.
— Manfred Weber (@ManfredWeber) December 1, 2018
Many people are choosing to remember Bush as a humanitarian and a strong, wise political leader. On the other hand, a seemingly equally sized group, are choosing to remember Bush for his crimes against humanity and his lack of empathy for any individuals of marginalized groups.
#41
George H.W. #Bush
1924 – 2018
A life of service.#RIP pic.twitter.com/GDDFvIJZUW— Gorilla Pig™ (@GorillaPig1) December 1, 2018
Former US President George H.W. #Bush dead at 94 https://t.co/qYRvPoHfGD pic.twitter.com/gXqATdC39y
— David Icke (@davidicke) December 1, 2018
This dichotomy can be seen over how people are directly reacting to his death. Many people are taking his death very hard and are tweeting about their emotional reactions to this news. At the same time, a good portion of Twitter is celebrating the death of a man that they perceived to be completely evil.
when @google goes grey to mourn a president & I think they should've gone #rainbowhttps://t.co/uhc74SpG58#BUSH #google #NationalDayofMourning MY ASS pic.twitter.com/jocCRxJD2y
— Kaitlin 🏳️🌈 (@Kaitruggiero) December 5, 2018
A true patriot. Godspeed –> George H. W. #Bush 🇺🇸 A Life in Photographs https://t.co/2UFIdMbmMA @hipEchik @STL_Blonde pic.twitter.com/UHWxzw3CJM
— Donnie (@Lure132) December 1, 2018
Either way, when a public figure passes away the masses will react in a variety of ways, that raise questions about death, respect, and what happens to the perceived moral standing of someone who dies.