But I always thought..

It’s a norm, not a constitutional rule.  History often changes its mind. BUT, that assumes there was a mind first to change

Early naming almost always:

• Signals insecurity, not confidence

• Correlates with personality-driven governance

• Forces later erasure or embarrassment

• Weakens institutional credibility

Posthumous naming:

• Filters emotion

• Allows reassessment

• Protects institutions from reversal

That’s not ideology — it’s risk management.

Bottom line

The “wait until after death” norm exists because:

• History is cruel to premature certainty

• Power distorts perception

• Institutions outlast people