Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone executive who served as CEO of the firm’s real estate income trust, was among four people killed Monday when a gunman opened fire in a Midtown Manhattan office building that houses Blackstone’s global headquarters.
Wesley LePatner, a Blackstone executive who served as CEO of the firm’s real estate income trust, was among four people killed Monday when a gunman opened fire in a Midtown Manhattan office building that houses Blackstone’s global headquarters.
My rule of thumb for judging public figures has been since 2015 and my personal experience. I was a dumb ass college kid that grew up South of Atlanta. That time is when I realized that Israel was an apartheid state similar to South Africa. If some idiot redneck like me can come to that conclusion then; well, I judge harshly anyone with more privilege and wealth that couldn’t come to that same obvious conclusion. I was able to understand it as a kid with little more than basic Christian morals and a bit of Atheism for perspective.
This is not to say I don’t accept public figures or average joes that change their minds later. I do. And will still be accepting of people that realize this in the future.
But, Ozzy was doing concerts and promoting Zionist talking points in 2018. I will judge that the way I will. Off my standard. Because this idiot redneck (me) that grew up in evangelical indoctrination (Christian Zionism) was able to do the right math and understand what Israel was.
I have absolutely learned much more since 2015. But I will not respect any public figure that decides to make a point to defend an apartheid state. I lose all respect for them. This is my litmus test and I won’t respect anyone in any opinion politically or morally until they pass it.
And unfortunately for Ozzy he died being a piece of shit Zionist.
You can disagree. I can respect that. But just giving some personal perspective of where I’m coming from.
Definitely find it reasonable to use it as a political and personal litmus test; I generally do the same. Perhaps Ozzy was more of a genuine Zionist than I expected - I am too young to care about him and Black Sabbath too much - but he just appeared to me like a drugged up old lad who had no clue what was going on around him. I saw him at Copenhell some years back and I’m convinced that he had no idea who or where he was, so I guess I just mostly view him like that