As Rick writes below, state Sen. Jim Forrester, R-Gaston, passed away around noon today. Our condolences to his family.

Liberals aren’t being so classy on Twitter. “It wouldn’t be very Christian of me to speculate that God is punishing Sen. Forrester for being a liar and a bigot,” one wrote. Another: “Anti-gay state Sen. Jim Forrester dies … Good riddance, bigot.”

I don’t mean to portray such odious sentiments hours after a man passed away as the sole domain of the political left. I remember equally odious statements from anonymous conservatives online after Ted Kennedy passed away from brain cancer in 2009. But there is something odd about a cohort that campaigns on anti-hate expressing such hatred shortly after another human being’s passing.

Showing true class, Rep. Marcus Brandon, a Democrat from Guilford County and the only openly gay member of the General Assembly, tweeted: “Sorry to hear about the loss of Sen. Forrester. Thank you for your 20 years of service to our state, my prayers are with the family.”