A postscript to "what happened to me"

[Belacqua]

The person you slandered can't do that. Yet, instead of realising your fault in this, you decided to double down with a foolish comparision.

When it comes to insults, as they say, sticks and stones can break my bones, words, never will.

It wasn't slander because what I said is true.

Would you be offended by insults against Osama bin Ladin, even though he's not here to defend himself? I think you wouldn't. 

So what I said is true: we feel comfortable insulting people we don't approve of, and apply a different standard to people we do approve of. 

What surprises me is that people are so adamant that it is good to insult the living -- who may be hurt -- and not the dead -- who can't be.