It is a hallmark of an advanced society that we rarely speak ill of the deceased.
Major public figures can be an exception and all of our lives eventually recede into the historical record where more frank evaluations can and should occur. But in the immediate aftermath of a loss, we rightly pay deference to the feelings of a bereaved family and friends. We don’t dwell on the mistakes we all make in life but instead concentrate on the good. This is especially true when someone dies young and in very distressing circumstances.
Those conditions would apply to the Chicago police Officer Ella French, who was fatally shot in the line of duty in August when a man she and her partner had pulled over in West Englewood opened fire. All decent Chicagoans mourned her loss.
