Dead Presidents Merchandise Make Lovely Gifts
Answers are slowly coming in about the plane crash that killed several members of Poland's government, including president Lech Kaczynski. So far none include the KGB's involvement, nor is there a steadfast reason why some Polish citizens are capitalizing during a mournful time in their country's history.
It's an ominous headline; "Reaping Profits From Poland’s Tragedy," says the New York Times. Sounds pretty awful, doesn't it? It's an unwritten rule that whenever a president dies, nobody should make any money whatsoever. Close up shop, wear black, and just sit in silence, perhaps hugging a loved one and quietly sob until dusk.
But it's actually not as bad as it sounds. They're simply selling merchandise that pertains to, perhaps even honor, the late President Kaczynski. There was one instance where the domain Lech-Kaczynski.eu was being peddled on an online auction for an exorbitant amount. That's probably a little excessive, but when people are selling low-end products — and other good-natured Polish nationals are buying them — there's no shame in that. It's kinda neat.
I fumbled through CafePress, the Wikipedia of tees, and sure enough found some merchandise available here in the United States remembering Kaczynski. It's a simply terrible thing for Polish people to express themselves during a time of mourning, and then make money.
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