This is the final act of my Angels in America discussion with Evan Stern from the Certain Thoughts Substack. Tony Kushner’s Roy Cohn has a lot in common with politicians whose animating philosophy is the pursuit of power. The late Lindsey Graham is a sobering example, despite the curious tributes to him by Democrats who should know better. Of course, as Belize says about the dead Cohn: “He was a terrible person. He died a hard death. So maybe . . . A queen can forgive her vanquished foe. It isn’t easy, it doesn’t count if it’s easy, it’s the hardest thing. Forgiveness. Which is maybe where love and justice finally meet. Peace, at least.”
Yet, forgiveness is not the same as forgetting. The latter is an insult to the injured. After Louis and Ethel Rosenberg’s ghost deliver a Kaddish over Cohn’s body, they say with justified disgust, “You son of a bitch.” I would’ve supported any Graham tribute that ended similarly.
Hope you enjoy my conversation with Evan. Don’t forget to like, share, and all the goodies.
