Seeing the good in different types of people is not impossible; in fact, there are those who claim that they can see the good in everyone. But even Hitler? That might be a dicey proposition, but that's what R&B veteran Erykah Badu claims she's able to to do.
In an Interview with Vulture, she was asked about her excursion to Israel and the local press linking her to supposed anti-Semitic remarks made by Louis Farrakhan, her response was nothing if not candid. "I'm not an anti-Semitic person," she said. "I don’t even know what anti-Semitic was before I was called it. I’m a humanist. I see good in everybody. I saw something good in Hitler." With the interviewer doing a double-take and giving her a chance to reword the response, Badu doubled-down.
"Hitler was a wonderful painter," she added. When the interviewer again objected, she tried to explain herself more clearly. "He had a terrible childhood. That means that when I’m looking at my daughter, Mars. I could imagine her being in someone else’s home and being treated so poorly, and what that could spawn. I see things like that. I guess it’s just the Pisces in me." It was pointed out to Badu that her position on Hitler might come across as hollow empathy, but she didn't seem to care.
"Maybe so. It doesn’t test my limits — I can see this clearly," she remarked. "I don’t care if the whole group says something, I’m going to be honest. I know I don’t have the most popular opinion sometimes."
Do you think Badu's comments were out of line or no? Let your voice be heard.