# Christopher Hitchens just died **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 16, 2011, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384 "2011-12-16T05:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/21 "2011-12-16T10:08:59Z")
Just want to check in and… I don’t know. Acknowledge that I enjoyed listening to him immensely. Hopefully, "Me"tube (as he once referred to it) will help keep his words and his position against religion alive. I’ll raise a glass or ten in his honour tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/22 "2011-12-16T10:29:30Z")
Oh man, that’s sad, but as others said not a surprise. I guess we’ll see if Alexander Cockburn can muster a crocodile tear on Hitchens’ behalf… ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/23 "2011-12-16T12:03:25Z")
[R.I.P.](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/christopher-hitchens-dies-62-051006229.html) ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/24 "2011-12-16T12:09:44Z")
I guess I was late. Sorry mods. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/25 "2011-12-16T12:14:32Z")
No problem, I’ll just merge it with the already existing topic. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/26 "2011-12-16T12:17:57Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > I sincerely hope so. Oh, he most certainly is. So shall we all be someday. Chemical decomposition means that we all get mixed together eventually. And, alas, RIP Mr. Hitchens. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/27 "2011-12-16T12:24:00Z")
> [@MyFootsZZZ](#): > > [R.I.P.](http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/christopher-hitchens-dies-62-051006229.html) I think he might have preferred the Jewish phrase, _zichrono libracha_, “of blessed memory” - he may not have believed that his soul would now be at rest, but he certainly had faith in human memory. ---
**Author:** ![MyFootsZZZ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/myfootszzz/32/12580_2.png) [@MyFootsZZZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyFootsZZZ)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/28 "2011-12-16T12:35:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I think he might have preferred the Jewish phrase, _zichrono libracha_, “of blessed memory” - he may not have believed that his soul would now be at rest, but he certainly had faith in human memory. I was thinking about that… I guess you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/29 "2011-12-16T12:44:14Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > The man himself responds “[Fuck that!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_R-SjC3lTWk&feature=related)” Beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/30 "2011-12-16T12:57:37Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Not a surprise, but a shame. It’s a loss for public intellectual discourse and for lovers of good writing. Yep. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/31 "2011-12-16T13:09:02Z")
May God have mercy on his soul. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/32 "2011-12-16T13:24:25Z")
May something that doesn’t exist in have mercy on something he didn’t believe in. I can get behind that. ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/33 "2011-12-16T13:33:25Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > May something that doesn’t exist in have mercy on something he didn’t believe in. I can get behind that. Agreed. Well said, **Shodan**. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/34 "2011-12-16T13:52:23Z")
I strongly disagreed with him on some topics (the Clintons, Iraq), but he was always worth reading–and his expose of that evil bitch Mother Teresa ranks him up there with Thomas Paine and Jacob Riis, in my eyes. I’m sure his many enemies are rubbing their hands gleefully, picturing him in hell—but as Hitch pointed out (to paraphrase Ethel Barrymore), “that’s all there is, there isn’t any more.” ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/35 "2011-12-16T14:23:38Z")
I’m very saddened by his death. He was always a crystal clear voice of honesty. He didn’t say the thing he felt would help him he said what he believed. His voice was an important one. I just finished listening to a collection of essays and book criticism of his and loved it all, even when I totally disagreed with him. The world is a lesser place with Hitch gone. I’ll miss him. ☹ On Jerry Fallwel after he died. “If he could have been given an enema he could have been buried in a matchbox” 😃 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/uchPPbJep8g/hqdefault.jpg "When Hitchens Gets Furious") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uchPPbJep8g) ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/36 "2011-12-16T14:45:26Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > I’m sure his many enemies are rubbing their hands gleefully, picturing him in hell I’m putting my money on Chick Tract style hell with the devil going “HAW HAW!” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/37 "2011-12-16T14:56:37Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > I’m putting my money on Chick Tract style hell with the devil going “HAW HAW!” First he has to get turned away by Blank-Faced, Throne-Sittin’ Jesus. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/38 "2011-12-16T15:12:33Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > I sincerely hope so. > > He certainly had plenty of warning that he was gonna die. I hope he reconsidered. Petty classless, don’t you think? ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/39 "2011-12-16T15:19:13Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Petty classless, don’t you think? What do you expect? There have been plenty of people that have used Hitch’s illness as a platform to proselytize. Using his death as yet another is as unsurprising as it is tasteless. He’ll be missed, but at least we live in an age where his debates and writings are easy to find and share. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384/40 "2011-12-16T15:21:15Z")
I’m sorry he died. I’m glad he and Martin Amis patched it up after that _Koba the Dread_ kerfluffle. That’s the only person whose eulogy I’m especially interested in reading. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christopher-hitchens-just-died/606384.md?page=3)