Given the current climate in America, separating the art from the artist is a daily exercise in mental gymnastics as the populace grapples with the idea that those they admire might not share their ideals.
Which brings us to Curt Schilling's candidacy for the Baseball Hall of Fame.
One of the great pitchers of the 1990s and 2000s, Schilling won 216 games in his career and is among the all-time best postseason pitchers in the history of the game.
Since his retirement though, he has become a lightning rod in the public arena.
Many voters have invoked the Hall of Fame's "character clause," consciously or otherwise.