From reader GrumpyOldFart in a comment thread:
As I write this, a black President is speaking at the funeral for a Senator famous for his ties to the KKK. I, who have never been eligible for any of the adjectives used above, feel certain that each of them have firmly believed most of their lives that they were doing the best they could for this improvement of their country and the betterment of their fellow man. This even though not only were the differences between the two quite stark, but I have rarely agreed with either of them.
And in a multitude of ways both foreseen and unforeseen, we are both better and worse off for their efforts.
My how the worlds turns…