The teacher was known for his inflammatory statements and actions. "Do not think I have come to bring peace to the earth," he said. "I have not come to bring peace, but a sword," he once said—a statement that set the blogging world aflame. He was called irresponsible, and some accused him of inciting violence. Revolution was in the air, and talk of swords could be the spark that started the brushfire. Others called the teacher a hypocrite. Wasn't this the same person who urged us all, if we are slapped, to turn the other cheek?
But the teacher did not back down. In a fiery speech, he condemned the ruling class, saying, "You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear outwardly beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness."
Leading pundits lamented the decline in cultural discourse. "Civility is at an all-time low," observed a columnist in the Paper of Record. "It was not long ago we could argue about policy during work hours, then go enjoy a steak dinner together that evening. It was business, not personal. But this death imagery? It's dangerous."
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