WHAT DID HITCH MEAN FOR YOU?

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MODERATOR'S NOTE:

Guys, let's keep this thread as it was intended– a thread about what Hitch meant to people. That doesn't mean that we can't say that some of the things that he said and wrote were wrong in our personal view. But let's keep it free of discussions about where Hitch is, in heaven or in hell, or why indeed an atheist would feel sorrow at the loss of another human being (As well as free of replies to those kinds of posts because they will be removed). Those questions can obviously be hashed out elsewhere in the forum of course!

Thanks!

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What Christopher Hitchens meant to me cannot really be described in words. He was such an amazing human being and I cannot believe he is really gone. Over the past few months he had even exchanged emails me with me on a couple of occasions. He was truly a hero.

Christopher Hitchens was a man of courage and honor. Hitch always spoke his mind and took the fight to religious bigotry and was unapologetic about it. In addition, he was not a cultural relativist or an Islamic apologist like is the case with many atheists. He called Islamic ideology for what it truly was: totalitarianism and oppression. In addition, he was a great friend for freedom and democracy and although he was a leftist all his life, he stood and supported the Iraqi people for their quest for freedom - particularly the great Kurdish people. And as an Iranian, he was a great friend of the Iranian people and it is a shame that he was not able to see a free Iran in his lifetime. Most importantly: he was genuine and one of the most insightful and intelligent human beings I have ever heard whom possessed great insight and a realistic foresight of world problems.

I will write more on him later but he was truly a hero of mine and I don't have any other heroes. He was someone that inspired me in ways that cannot be expressed. For the rest of my life, I will try to live with his ideals and inspiration as much as I can. To be honest, right now has become one of the gloomiest and darkest days, and my heart feels empty.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on December 16, 2011 at 12:47am

More than anything, I loved hearing him speak. His voice was always very soothing to me, and his words so well selected that I've come to reflect more deeply on how I select my own.

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Permalink Reply by Sassan K. on December 16, 2011 at 12:53am

I LOVE your description Nelson. And thank you Heather.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on December 16, 2011 at 1:01am

His command of the language was something to which it was worthy to aspire -> for he never terminated a sentence with a preposition.

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Permalink Reply by erik112358 on December 16, 2011 at 12:40pm

yay for making language more clunky for no reason!

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Permalink Reply by Jewelz on December 17, 2011 at 2:31am

This is the sort of bloody nonsense up with which I will not put.

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on December 16, 2011 at 1:08am

Thanks for this, Greg.

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Permalink Reply by Morgan Matthew on December 16, 2011 at 1:20am

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Permalink Reply by Heather Spoonheim on December 16, 2011 at 1:29am

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Permalink Reply by Sean O'Keefe on December 16, 2011 at 1:40am

I met Christopher Hitchens at Hay in 2008 and we spoke briefly about Carl Sagan. His intellect seemed to extend like a magnetic field from his mind. He was a touchstone for me. His words are gold in our pockets. I will miss him enormously.

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Permalink Reply by Alejandro M on December 16, 2011 at 1:42am

He was the most outspoken of the "Four Horsemen". Thanks to him and to Dawkins I came to terms with being an atheist (before I considered myself an agnostic, having left the Catholic Church).

He will be remembered.

I won't pray for him...

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Permalink Reply by Dustin on December 16, 2011 at 1:43am

I am actually trying to hold back tears. I have watched probably every single debate he has been in, some more than once. I haven't read all his books yet, but he changed my life for the better with his words.

Truly is a time to reflect on how great a man he was - and how great his videos and books will be for decades, if not centuries, to come.