Shinzo Abe, the longest serving Japanese prime minister, has died from a gunshot wound to the back.
He was giving a speech on behalf of his political party.
Abe had not been defeated at the polls but had resigned a few years ago for health reasons.
Still, he remained involved in politics.
A strong ally of the West, he had advocated for Japan having American nuclear weapons based on their soil as a deterrent to the menacing behaviors of China, Russia and North Korea.
It fills me with sadness to see a man of such stature die at the hands of a little man,
small in every respect, who didn’t even have the courage to face Mr Abe.
But guns let you do that.
They let men think they are bigger than they are, and so cover their flaws.
It happens everywhere.
Here in America, not a few days go by without another act of a man killing innocent people.
Shinzo Abe clearly understood the power of Japan as the world’s third largest economy,
and sought to use its prestige and influence wisely.
Today, the free world mourns his death.
His assassination will call for a review of Japanese security practices.
It makes no sense, for a man of such prestige and relevance, to go unprotected allowing the perpetrator to approach him calmly from the back.
The memory of Shinzo Abe will stand as a reminder of a politician’s pursuit of excellence,
a too often ignored objective.
He will inspire other courageous men and women, both in Japan and the rest of the world,
to follow his example, to see the field of politics as a unique endeavor, one calling to those who wish to dedicate their lives to influencing the course of human events, which, when done well, necessitates enormous strength of character, to allow for the confronting of dissenting views and persevering in establishing a dialogue, forever in the hope, that it will helps us work together.
Shinzo Abe had such gifts and shared them freely.
Thank you Mr Abe.
And may Japan soon give the world more like you
Oscar Valdes, medium.com, anchor.fm, buzzsprout, apple and google podcasts.
