President Trump, his wife Melania and Vice President Pence all offered their words of condolences and sadness over the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna. Along with seven others, the Bryants died in a horrible helicopter crash in California's Santa Monica mountains.

Each took their time to carefully offer words of sympathy to the Bryants' family, but even this wasn't a path free from hatred, harassment and verbal molestation by the left.




A recent poll showed a growing concern of increasing civil violence. A loss like this cannot hide where thousands have misplaced priority.

When a president – conservative or liberal, controversial or beloved – offers a family words of condolences and attempts to give them the knowledge and comfort that their loss was felt in the highest of offices in our land, just let them. Shut up about it and allow them to absorb whatever comfort those words may or may not give them, without your ugly hearts stealing that from them.

I am well aware that Kobe had serious concerns about President Trump. I'm also under the belief that he would have appreciated an effort even by the same man holding office as president, along with his wife, to attempt to lead the nation in graceful words, grieving his loss. Perhaps even more so, knowing he wasn't necessarily welcomed by the circles closest to Mr. Bryant under most circumstances.

I'm very sorry for the pain that Kobe Bryant's family and for the families of Coach John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Sarah and Chelsea Payton and the pilot Ara Zobayan are going through. Let them rest in peace and loosen your clenched fists and close your foul mouths, if only for their sake.

You on the militant left who do these kinds of things, you know we've seen and heard this before. President George W. Bush appeared at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, the widow of the slain Dr. Martin Luther King. He was there to pay respects and was shown little. She was buried in February 2006 with over 14,000 in attendance. From former President Carter to Rev. Joseph Lowery, the eulogies displayed a nastiness toward Bush as the opportunity to humiliate him in person stole the day from what should have been celebrating and honoring the life of the iconic Mrs. King. It was a disgrace and it has returned.

When you re-tighten your fists and return to knocking the MAGA hats off of old men, calling all Trump voters "evil racist Nazis" or ambush conservatives with human feces, bats, mace and the like, think about what it is that you've become and ask yourself why you are any better than those in the crosshairs of your rage.

Ken Pittman is the host of The Ken Pittman Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon. Contact him at ken.pittman@townsquaremedia.com. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

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