Left soils itself in toxic vulgarity at the death of David Koch

I have exactly one memory of David Koch, and from it, I learned just one thing: he was a nice man. A few years ago, I was at a rich patron's–type conference at an institution I won't name, and two famous people got into a fight, one of them inexplicably aggressive, the other baffled and furious. Koch, who I could see was there but never actually met, stepped in to smooth the ruffled feathers and act as the peacemaker between the two. No one else knew what to do because the situation was so strange and unexpected. Koch, who wasn't the guy running the thing, just a participant, is the one who showed the most class.

So with the news of Koch's death, it was right to feel sadness. He was a person who mattered. He was a bright chemical engineer who had enough talent and enterprise beyond that to create value with his brother with their major company, Koch Industries, employing tens of thousands in well paid jobs. He also did whale-sized philanthropy, on wonderful things, such as medical centers, fine arts, performing arts, education, donating $1.3 billion that we know about, probably much we don't. He survived a plane crash in 1991. He endured cancer. He was a victim of the Obama administration's illegal leaking of his tax information, something no one was ever punished for. And yes, he was a principled libertarian, always exploring new avenues for the development of ideas favoring freedom, even pairing with a far leftist like Van Jones on prison reform — because it is after all, a libertarian principle to oppose the unchecked power of the state. He in fact unabashedly promoted conservative and libertarian ideas, something those of us who hold those views are forever grateful for. Yes, he was a bit of an anti-Trumpster, but that was probably a function of his disciplined temperament. For someone who did so much good on so many levels — and who showed such strength of character — his death indeed was sad. But on the Left, some of the most barbaric behavior ever seen at the death of the man is now out there. Just look at this revolting collection of spewings: Bill Maher Dances on David Koch's Grave: 'I'm Glad He's Dead and I Hope the End Was Painful' —Daily Beast Is this a person or a pig? Bette Midler lobs profane attack at leading conservative who honored David Koch —Fox News Does this person have a problem? After Life of Incalculable Harm, Billionaire Climate Denialist and Right-Wing Villain David Koch Dead at 79 "Death is an escape hatch for David Koch while the rest of us are left scrambling for the emergency brake before we go over the cliff." —Common Dreams Not satire. Can you say "hysteria"? The Koch Money Was a Primary Vector for the Prion Disease That's Infected the Republican Party —Esquire File under "crackpot," "crank," and "conspiracy theorist." PJMedia's Nicholas Ballasy has curated a choice collection of tweets from no-name leftists on Twitter, with the same kind of grotesque reactions. One of them claims that karma from the Amazon rainforest fire did him in; another is crowing that he's won the lottery. Others are sinking into a goo of obscenities and scatology, which the Left often likes to do, inarticulate in its ravings. Then there are those who say the man is in hell, something that, up until now, the Left has argued for decades doesn't exist. How convenient to have a suddenly invented hell. Fox News reports that other leftists are calling for the death of the other Koch brothers, or yelling about how "hated" he was (by them, obviously, not normal people). Fox characterized the response as "vulgar" and "vicious" and a "toxic cesspool of negativity." Folks, this is the left on display. This is what unhinged, boiling-with-hate creeps look like. Koch was a good man who would have extended his hand to any of them, and apparently, it makes them crazy. Now they're soiling themselves, throwing out the most revolting statements — not about Koch, really, but about themselves. David Koch, RIP. Image credit: Fred D. Thompson via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.