Herman Cain

I became worried when I heard that former presidential candidate Herman Cain was diagnosed with COVID-19. An African American male in his seventies, Cain was solidly in the high risk category. I feared that he would become seriously ill.

Nine days before being diagnosed, Mr. Cain attended the president’s indoor campaign rally in Tulsa, where he sat in close proximity to other attendees. None of them wore masks.

I didn’t share Mr. Cain’s political views, but I feel the gravity of his passing. It’s tragic, like 154,000 other recent American tragedies in the wake of this dreadful disease. Every victim was a person with a family and loved ones and connections to their community. Every one was taken too soon.

This week, four former presidents eulogized Representative and civil rights icon John Lewis. They spoke about how much his leadership had inspired them and how his courage and bloody sacrifice shaped the laws of this country and the freedoms afforded to its citizens. They spoke about how much his life had touched theirs.

I think that it would be a nice gesture for Mr. Trump to speak at Mr. Cain’s funeral, to eulogize him and honor his sacrifice, the sacrifice of risking his health to show public support for the candidate of his choice. I just don’t see that happening for a long list of glaringly uncomplimentary reasons.