Departures

Two individuals of note have passed away.

The first was Jack Kevorkian, the cynical and ghoulish Michigan pathologist who turned his penchant for assisting in suicides into a cause celebre back in the 1990s, died at the age of 83 from natural causes, which is more than his “patients” could say.

The second is, to me, far more notable, even though less well-known. Joel Rosenberg, a noted fiction writer, 2nd Amendment expert, firearms trainer and the dictionary definition of a mensch, passed away yesterday following complications from a heart attack. I got a chance to meet Joel through the Minnesota Organization of Bloggers and was richer for the experience. Joel was a tireless advocate for freedom. He was also the kind of guy who would drop everything to help you out in a pinch.

Joel was fearless in pursuing what he believed, which led him to run afoul of the Minneapolis Police Department when he tested the limits of banning guns on city property. At the time of his death, he was facing criminal charges that were spurious at best, and he had run up some pretty significant legal bills as a result. Joel had a legal defense fund and likely incurred some pretty big medical bills in his last days, so I'd encourage anyone who values liberty and the many contributions Joel made to consider a donation to his legal defense fund. While he is no longer facing legal jeopardy, those he left behind could use your help. You can help through this link.