He's Dead, Jim

Finally, Arafat has shuffled off this mortal coil. But, I come to bury him, not praise him as some feel the need to do. That this man, whose single greatest contribution to humanity was the expansion of modern terrorism to include civilians, especially children, should be honored as a head of state, and a freedom fighter, is to besmirch those who have gone before him. I could write more, but this piece by Jeff Jacoby says it better than I could. Though I will end with one last Shakespeare reference:
"Nothing in his life became him like the leaving of it." Macbeth Act 1; scene 4

***Update*** I love how in some of the articles written about Yasser Arafat today are lines like "his dream of a Palestinian nation left unfulfilled." while failing to mention that he walked away from a a 2000 deal that would given the Palestinians nearly everything they had asked for, including a recognized Palestinian state. So I think that calling him "the Father of the Palestinian Nation" would be premature at best, and a lie at worst, considering he aborted the chance to really make history. And yet, he got a Nobel Peace Prize, Jacques Chirac calls him a man of "courage and conviction" and gives him a French Honor Guard for his coffin. Even while members of his Fatah organization are saying things like "Let the doors to hell open and burn the Jews to dust." And that's probably the reason why Arafat never agreed to the 2000 dea, but the greatest benefit of his death is that we have hope again. Hope for peace.