OPINION:

After the information of nation singer Toby Keith‘s premature demise on Tuesday, tens of millions of accolades and considerate remembrances got here pouring in.

However among the many inflow of favorable honors have been a slew of really deplorable reactions, with some critics turning to mockery and even relishing Mr. Keith‘s demise.

I ought to not be shocked or perturbed by the indifferent and heartless ways in which some react to the troubles of others in our morally confused tradition. In any case, the rejoicing in ideological opponents’ deaths has develop into probably the most preposterous and flat-out evil fixtures in our self-obsessed society.

Akin to a last “received ya,” these despicable efforts to demean somebody when she or he is not current to supply a protection are really depraved, exposing simply how low persons are prepared to descend to attain just a few likes and shares on social media.

It’s particularly regrettable contemplating Mr. Keith spent the previous two years residing with abdomen most cancers, a harrowing and painful illness most wouldn’t want upon their worst adversaries. But a few of Mr. Keith‘s rivals appeared content material to brag about his demise, or no less than deal with decades-old points from his previous.

BlazeMedia’s Dave Urbanski reported about a few of these feedback, highlighting social media messages that appeared outright “gleeful about his passing.” What motivated the hate, you ask?

A few of this diabolical nonsense was reportedly sparked by a spat twenty years in the past between Mr. Keith and the Chicks (previously Dixie Chicks), who traded barbs over political variations surrounding the Iraq Conflict and then-President George W. Bush.

Years later, some obvious die-hard Chicks followers are nonetheless burning with rage at Mr. Keith — a lot in order that they’ve checked their humanity on the door, calling him names and hoping the day of his demise was the “greatest day ever” for the Chicks.

One particular person even tweeted that the Chicks have been one way or the other “validated” after Mr. Keith‘s demise. Even a cursory take a look at a number of the social media messages is sufficient to trigger nausea and lament, which is why I’m declining to share the total textual content of those atrocious feedback.

Two painful ironies are embedded within the abyss of those vengeful critics’ hatred and vitriol. First, their reactions say way more about them than they do about Mr. Keith. Past that, it was Mr. Keith who halted his feud with the Chicks again in 2003, stating on the time that there are extra vital issues in life than to publicly stew over absurdities.

For Mr. Keith, a small little one’s most cancers battle snapped him out of his anger with the Chicks and right into a mission aimed toward serving to these in want. What these dunking on Mr. Keith over a decades-old rift don’t understand is that the nation music star was a champion for kids with most cancers years earlier than he discovered himself battling the exact same illness.

“You already know, a greatest buddy of mine, the man that began the primary band I used to be ever in, he misplaced a 2-year-old daughter to most cancers — this was simply a few weeks in the past,” Mr. Keith said in 2003. “A couple of days after I discovered she didn’t have lengthy to reside, I noticed an image on the duvet of Nation Weekly with an image of me and [the Chicks’] Natalie [Maines] and it mentioned, ‘Battle to the Demise’ or one thing. It appeared so insignificant. I mentioned, ‘Sufficient is sufficient.’”

Mr. Keith expanded on this story in a 2019 interview with Golf Digest, explaining that he was giving his cash to St. Jude‘s Kids’s Analysis Hospital to assist combat pediatric most cancers within the early 2000s. When his buddy’s toddler was recognized with the illness, Mr. Keith “referred to as in a favor,” and the hospital helped the household. The singer mentioned his buddy’s spouse later recounted how variety St. Jude‘s was once they arrived.

“[She] mentioned later she didn’t have something along with her once they arrived,” Mr. Keith said. “St. Jude‘s advised her, ‘Right here’s your room, right here’s some Walmart playing cards, right here’s some meals 24/7.’ They didn’t cost her a penny.”

That kindness caught with Mr. Keith and led him on a mission to create one thing in Oklahoma Metropolis that might assist households going through most cancers. He launched the Toby Keith Basis to help youngsters who’ve most cancers. Then, in 2014, he created the OK Kids Korral to supply a spot to remain for households going through pediatric most cancers remedy at a close-by Oklahoma youngsters’s hospital.

It was his buddy’s tragic expertise dropping his daughter — and the kindness of St. Jude‘s towards that household — that sparked the concept for these efforts. And it grew to become a fixture of the singer’s life and work.

“Children with most cancers and their households come right here at no cost,” he said of OK Children Korral. “We feed them, shuttle them, no matter it takes.”

And but the keyboard warriors spewing vile nonsense on social media about Mr. Keith one way or the other missed the memo. These critics’ hearts have develop into so frigid towards a fellow human being that they’re unmoved and untouched by Mr. Keith‘s ache and struggling and clearly unaware of the lengths he went to to assist others.

We should cease exhibiting the worst of humanity by relishing in and near-celebrating opponents’ deaths. Delighting in such misfortune is among the surefire indicators we’ve descended into what Jesus so prophetically warned about. Whereas talking about indicators of the tip of days, Christ mentioned: “And since iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax chilly” (Matthew 24:12).

We should do higher.