- BitsBlog - https://bitsblog.com -

Aretha Franklin

I did not comment on the passing of the Queen of Soul, the late Aretha Franklin, because I did not view it as political. It seems that Franklin and I are one opinion and her family of another.  The funeral:

[1]

Left to right: Louis Farrakhan, , Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson and President B.J. Clinton

Aretha Franklin’s family reaction.

NEW YORK (AP [2]) — The late Aretha Franklin’s family said Monday that it found an Atlanta pastor’s eulogy delivered at the Queen of Soul’s funeral last week to be offensive and distasteful.

The eulogist, the Rev. Jasper Williams Jr., was criticized for a political address that described children being in a home without a father as “abortion after birth” and said black lives do not matter unless blacks stop killing each other. Franklin’s funeral was on Friday.

“He spoke for 50 minutes and at no time did he properly eulogize her,” said Vaughn Franklin, the late singer’s nephew, who said he was delivering a statement for the family.

Franklin said that his aunt never asked Williams to eulogize her, since she didn’t talk about plans for her own funeral. The family selected Williams because he has spoken at other family memorials in the past, most prominently at the funeral for Franklin’s father, minister and civil rights activist C.L. Franklin, 34 years ago.

The attendees at Franklin’s funeral were overtly political.  Farrakhan is anti-Semite; Sharpton a racial provocateur; Jackson a bastard breeder and Bill Clinton, an unrepentant rapist.  Given the political line-up I don’t buy the family criticizing Reverend Williams for being political.  Given that Williams spoke at Franklin’s father funeral, the choice may will have been a good one.  Williams’ offense may well have been offending the quest of honor.  Good job Reverend.

In my mind, a funeral service should reflect the spirit of the departed.  In other words think of them as still there and act as such.  I believe the Franklin Family failed in this regard.  Aretha deserved better.