Take some time..

There's a natural taboo around death. If someone dies basic human decency implores us to show respect. To say nice, respectful things, or just show a dignified silence. To not speak ill of the dead, especially in the weeks and months following the death.

Even if we didn't like the person in life, or we think that they were a bad person we still show this respect. Partly out of respect to them, partly out of respect for human life in general, and partly out of respect for their family and friends. Who will be in a state of sadness and grief. That are trying to understand and come to terms with a huge loss in their life.

Now sadly some unscrupulous people may exploit death, and the social taboos surrounding it. Either by opportunistically capitalising on an actual death, or by simply concocting a death and exploiting the outpouring of sympathy. Like a conman who invents a tale of self-woe to con an old lady out of her life savings.

Of course, if you call out such a conman it's you that looks like the bad guy. Especially if the people being conned have emotionally invested in his tragic tale. "How could you say such a thing, this man lost his entire family in a freak boating accident."

Again, that natural taboo. In a normal decent society it would be heartless to question such a story, and decent people quite naturally see such a lack of respect for the recently deceased as something intuitively wrong. So if you do suspect that such a tale is false it's a tricky position to be in. You don't like to see your friends and family being conned, but social convention prevents you from speaking out. Plus of course your suspicions could be wrong, in which case you'd very much be the bad person.

So what am I really getting at here? As per the example, basic human decency forbids me from saying. However, what I would stress is that when changes are made to the way we live. Political changes, societal changes. We should always take the time to seriously think about the potential consequences of the changes we're proposing or supporting, and not just base our opinions on emotional "in the moment" responses.

When we make major changes to the laws that govern our societies we need to think about everyone in society, as well as the future generations that will follow us. So it's incumbent upon us all that when serious events occur. Events that make us reconsider our laws and mores. That we first allow a time to grieve. A period of respect for those directly affected. Then patiently and with due diligence proceed with the political response. Allowing for civilised debate, considered thought and time enough to contextualise fully the events that have occurred.

If we act in the heat of the moment. Perhaps based on faulty information, or even deliberately false information. Then that's how major mistakes are made and further problems caused.