"I Did Not Attend the Funeral, But I Sent a Nice Letter Saying I Approved of It."
This quotation is often attributed to Mark Twain, although I've never been able to find it in any of his writings. He was prolific, to be sure, so maybe it's buried somewhere. It came to mind when I saw the reaction of some world leaders to the public funeral of Fidel Castro.
Others believe it to be adapted from something said in jest by Ebenezer Rockwood Hoar, who was Attorney General of the United States in the late-19th century. No one is really sure.
If a reader should know, drop a line, will you?