This Sunday, Greeks will go to the polls for their first referendum in over 40 years. The ballot asks voters to accept or reject a draft of the terms offered by Greece’s lenders on June 25 to continue lending to the heavily indebted country. The referendum was announced somewhat abruptly last Friday by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras after he left the negotiations in Brussels without warning a few days before the current bailout program was set to expire on June 30. In a televised address, Tsirpas urged voters to select No and reject the proposal.
According to news reports, Beau Biden — son of Vice President Joe Biden — died tonight from complications of brain cancer. He was 46.
Somewhat predictably, news outlets reporting on his death spoke of his “battle” with cancer — a common metaphor.
I’ve never had cancer myself, but I have helped family members being treated for it. Until tonight, I never gave it much thought, but the “battle” analogy never sat well with me whenever I heard it. …
Simon Davis
Writes column about death and the morbid for @VICE. Bylines: @TheAtlantic, @Gawker, @VICE_GR.
