Fischer’s Legacy…

Jan 19, 2008

Posted by Perry

Chess Master Bobby Fischer passed away from kidney failure on Thursday – he was 64.

Fischer is most known for his World Chess Championship victory over his Russian rival Boris Spassky in Reykjavik, Iceland in 1972. He held this title until 1975 when he relinquished it due to his refusal to defend it against Anatoly Karpov.

Fischer is also known for something more than his brilliance at Chess – his views on race and politics.

Fischer had praised the attacks on Sept. 11th, saying “America should be wiped out”, and calling Jews “Lying, thieving bastards”. Yet to some – Bobby Fischer is a hero – why?

Not only is it disturbing to me that someone who clearly was racist should be hailed by some because of his victories in essentially a “board game”, but also that there was little outcry against him for his outlandish statements.

Look – political discord is fine, it’s ok to question your government and policies, but NO country deserves to be attacked the way we were on that fateful day. Thousands of innocent people did NOT deserve to die at the hands of terrorists. Fischer’s comments of Jews was not only highly inflammatory and ignorant – but showed that the lessons of World War 2 are being forgotten.

In the end – Bobby Fischer’s legacy is one of not triumph, but of bigotry and hatred. Good riddance to bad rubbish imo…….