The way of imagination

     Have you ever been to a funeral where those in attendance struggled to find anything positive to say about the deceased?   How awkward that would be!   How embarrassing for the family!   I believe that this situation happens a lot more often than we may think.   What happens at the funeral of a convicted criminal?   Do the family members even show up, or is the shame too great?   What about people – south of the border, let’s say – who receive the death penalty?   Does anyone commemorate their passing or strive to find something redemptive in their life-story, something to hang onto that might relieve some of the pain of those who lost a loved one in such horrifying circumstances?   What if the person had been falsely accused and wrongly convicted, resulting in a death sentence and the accompanying stigma, character-assassination and shame that would, presumably, forever haunt their family?      The rehabi...