When Thomas Beckett, his former chancellor, now Archbishop of Canterbury, would not yield to King Henry II’s claims of total authority, he flew into a rage and said in the presence of his loyal barons: “What a set of idle cowards who allow me to be mocked by a low-born cleric.”
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The knights, fully comprehending their lord’s meaning, departed for Canterbury and slew the Archbishop. All of Europe was horrified by this wanton deed. They understood that Beckett had died in defense of the principle that there is a higher authority than the king.
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I appreciate this memorial about my father by @ggrenwald above any I have read today--for his comprehensive review of his bio & history, for his attention to themes generally overlooked about his post-Vietnam life, but particularly for deep appreciation of his human qualities.🙏
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Here's my @RollingStone article on Daniel Ellsberg, the heroic Pentagon Papers leaker who died today at 92:
"We’re Told Never to Meet Our Childhood Heroes. Knowing Daniel Ellsberg Proved That Wrong"
rollingstone.com/politics/polit
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