Conducting a Eulogy for a Good Friend

I never thought I would see the day when America would follow in the steps of Nazi Germany when they burned “banned books” by the thousands. We haven’t quite reached that level of fanaticism – yet. But it sure looks like our current national leadership is trending in that direction. I hope and pray the following never becomes a reality.

The scene: We stand in front of a blazing pyramid of books outside of an empty library building. A man stands in front, with tears in his eyes as he recites the following eulogy:

“We are gathered here today to say goodbye to a good friend. Our dear friend has passed on and we miss him. There is no one or anything that can take his place. We who stand here today must do the best we can to carry on. As we cast back in our memories, we recall many wonderful, sorrowful, exciting, calming, adventuresome, amazing, and captivating times we all shared with the dearly departed.

“Our friend suffered a long, agonizing death. The onset of his affliction began over fifty years ago, in the 1970s. Each year that passed saw him growing weaker, yet he tried valiantly to rally, ever committed to bringing his gifts to all without prejudice. We must remember that his death was brought about as the result of other’s actions and influences. He did not die of a contracted disease, nor of the ravages of time that are so normal to us all.

“It is right and proper that we remember a remorseless and insidious enemy deliberately assassinated our friend. Our common foe continues to destroy the good works done by our lost comrade. His call to all mankind to seek common ground in hope, joy, peace, freedom, respect and liberty for all is systematically being removed from the world. A raucous rhetoric dripping with venomous lies and slander, would if we allow, drown the last vestiges of the greatness of our lamented companion.

“Vast numbers of the songs and poetry of life are systematically being removed from the minds and hearts of untold millions. Their children will not know the greatness that was and may never be again when all trace of our friend is gone. They will never know how good life could have been. They will never know the heights of joy that we knew. They will never go the farthest reaches of existence. Theirs will be but a shadow of the life we knew because of the influence and power of our friend.

“We gather in this place to remember and honor our dead friend and life-long companion. As we look around, there is no casket to file by; no body laid in state to view and cry over – just these ashes to scatter over us who mourn. We few remaining comrades in a common cause, have only our own thoughts and emotions to bear to the graveside of our friend.

“The world will never know his name, nor will little care. During his long lifetime our friend has had many names. Some of us knew him as Socrates or Plato. Others knew him as Milton or Robert Burns. Wilder, Wadsworth and Poe were other aliases he used. Many knew our friend’s gentler, yet no less powerful feminine side under the names of Emily Dickenson, Margaret Atwood, or E. B. Browning, among so many other wondrous personas, as their personal friend.

“We few stand before these empty shelves and shed tears for that which is lost to the world. When we leave this world and join our departed friends, the world will not mourn us, for they will have never known our great friend: Literature.

“We console one another with the words of comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted. Go in what peace remains.”

May we never live to see the day when this becomes a reality. The trend to this state of affairs has already begun. What will you do about it?