40 thoughts on “Sad news”

  2. Trish, Rutherford will be forever missed by me. I’m crushed for you. I regret not visiting him in Battle Creek. I’m so sorry.

  3. Yes, we will all miss him very much. We had heated debates but I think we were still friends. I’m sorry for the loss to your family.

  6. Not that it will be the same, but I’m going to make a blog where we can all still hang out. I can post blog content here, but it doesn’t feel right.

  7. Thank you, Huck. I want to tell you something. We’ve had many heated battles. But if something were to happen to you, you would be missed as well.

    By me.

    I am glad you are doing that. I would hate to entirely lose contact with any of you. And out of respect for Rutherford, I believe in my heart of hearts since it was Rutherford that brought us all together is some strange, twisted way, he would be honored that we kept his memory alive.

  8. I am truly sorry, Trish. I got the distinct impression that Rutherford was very proud of his family.

    If there is something I can do or we can do for you or your daughter, you can probably find my personals in R’s contacts – Tigre and Rabbit too. I would like to do something in memory of Rutherford.

  9. I just came here by force of habit without it sinking in that Rutherford won’t be commenting.

    Man…I am going to miss him. Some people have the morning paper. I had the Rutherford Lawson blog. A newspaper I could yell at and it would yell at me back.

    Sure the relationship was on the cheap surface adversarial but it was more real than most of my relationships despite being on the internet.

    The way we interacted was closer to the way my brothers and I express ourselves.

    He was so proud of his daughter. And just like he gave us freedom of thought here…from the many things he said about her…it’s obvious he has an intelligent daughter with a free mind. What a great legacy he left behind.

  10. What a loss! I had hoped we’d all have a chance to meet and visit personally. I am really going to miss him. Sad day.

  12. I don’t have any words to make it better, because there are none I hope he knew how much he has meant to us and you already know the love and pride he felt for you.

    Our almost four year old grand daughter has been discussing death with me since her dead dog taught her the concept, While trying to make sense of it she decided that Heaven must be like opening a door to another room.

    I would miss everyone here, and I hope the blog continues.

    If the blog resumes, Trish, would you consider joining in?

  13. I’m not going to continue this blog. People who come here come to “see” Rutherford and read his perspectives. The change I would bring as the main blogger, as opposed to a guest blogger, just wouldn’t be right. Plus, my powers here are limited, so even if I wanted to continue here, it would present a lot of problems.

    I’m making a new place for us to hang out and it will keep Rutherford’s memory alive. In keeping with Rutherford’s bar theme, I’m calling it “Opinion On Tap: A Place For Rutherford’s Refugees“

  14. See, I don’t even know how to fix the above comment or why it even needs fixing.

    The address is opinionontap dot wordpress dot com

  16. What about the part of this blog that says “tip the bartender”? Is that essentially a go fund me page already set up?

  17. It is a PayPal account that he set up a long time ago. I msged his wife via his FB account to make sure it is something she has access to. I’ll pass along any response she gives.

  18. It’s surreal to come in here and realize I am reading the last days of a man now passed that has played a uniquely large role in my life for the better part of a decade. Unfortunately, I was gone the last week too.

    Rutherford used to joke about when we first met, me calling him Rutherturd and “wishing him dead,” the latter I have no idea. I met all of you because of Rutherford and a guy named Chen that bowed out quickly after it became apparent Obama was going to be a bad joke and couldn’t take the heat like Rutherford. I probably said something about spinning off into the cosmos, or something else to Rutherford. Believe me when I tell you I damn sure never wished him dead – he was the only truly “tolerant” liberal I ever met. Damn, we had some funny give and takes too – Rutherford could have a wicked sense of humor. LOL

    What Mr. Rutherford probably never knew, and no telling what he shared with Mrs. Rutherford, is that I enjoyed the combat even more than he did. This blog became as much a part of me as getting coffee in the morning.

    I am sure going to miss Rutherford.

  21. I am saddened by the passing of Rutherford. He will be sorely missed. He achieved so much in spite of his disabilities. I lift a glass as a final toast to a wonderful person.

  24. I don’t know how many more times I will visit this site. One must let go. I am glad i did today and got to read what you took the effort to find and post,Emily.

    This is my final video to salute Rutherford and the rest of us.

  27. I reread this morning. I read this at the time he wrote it. You are right. It was how he felt. He talked about the people on here as I did anyone I saw day to day. -Trish

  29. I know what a hard road you are on, and I hope your new life will improve with time. Could you or other relatives vent on the new version of Rutherford’s blog sometime?

  30. Trish and Ken, still thinking about our boy and hoping ya’ll are making through this unimaginably difficult time. We all think of him every day, and though he would’ve thought it silly, prayers go up for all of you — just in case he was wrong about this too.

  31. It’s been a while since I’ve visited, and I’m devastated by this news. I so enjoyed R’s commentary and debates, his willingness to engage in civil discourse. We need more, not less, R’s in the world, and especially in America right now.

    My deepest condolences to Trish and family. Words can’t do much, but you should proud of the man that he was.

    The internet just got a little darker…

  32. internet sans Rutherford aint the same. And did he ever set a good example. Rutherford the Great. Brave keeper of the Interent Trolls like me.

  37. Another year past. Hope there’s political humor wherever you are, R. There’s plenty to laugh about here.

  40. I still miss him. I think he’d love this Elon Musk/Twitter soap opera 🙂

    Oh, he’d be conflicted. But he’d know internally it is great. An Elon in his own way. Force of nature.

    5 years. Miss the S.O.B.

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