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Falwell

edited May 2007 in Politics
I hate to rejoice in someone's death, but Jerry Falwell just died. It's one less block on the road to enlightenment.

Here is a quick recap of this man's idiocy, courtesy of Wikipedia:

Falwell was a controversial subject for his theological, political and social beliefs. After the September 11, 2001, attacks Falwell said on the 700 Club, "I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this happen.'" (a sentiment with which Pat Robertson concurred). [2] After heavy criticism, Falwell apologized. [3]. As for homosexuality, Falwell remarked, "AIDS is the wrath of a just God against homosexuals." Falwell's ghostwriter, Mel White, said Falwell remarked about gay protesters, "Thank God for these gay demonstrators. If I didn't have them, I'd have to invent them. They give me all the publicity I need."[25]

During the Civil Rights Movement Falwell was a supporter of racial segregation. He said this about Martin Luther King, "I do question the sincerity of people like the Reverend Martin Luther King..."[citation needed]

Falwell has also said, "Labor unions should study and read the Bible instead of asking for more money. When people get right with God, they are better workers."[26] Regarding public schools, "I hope to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we don't have public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them." (America Can Be Saved!, Sword of the Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 1979, p. 52-53.)[27]

In February 1999, an article in Falwell's National Liberty Journal suggested that a Teletubbies character, Tinky Winky, could be a hidden homosexual symbol, because the character was purple (which the article claimed was a color symbolic of homosexuality), had an inverted triangle on his head and carried a handbag. ( The pink triangle was used as a badge to denote homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps, and has since been adopted as an emblem by gay-rights movements.) Falwell denied any personal involvement with the original article, and made clear he never had any prior knowledge of or concern with the Teletubbies. Falwell's organization said the author of the article was simply repeating what others in the media were already saying about the nature of the character [28]. In the months following this incident, Falwell received a number of Tinky Winky plush dolls via mail, most of which he has given to his grandchildren.[29]

Comments

  • Is it bad that I did a happy dance when I heard this?
  • Is it bad that I did a happy dance when I heard this?
    Do you think it's bad that I did a happy dance? Whatever your answer for me is the answer for you.
  • edited May 2007
    You're absolutely right. I feel so conflicted. I mean, it's crappy to be happy that a person is dead, but . . .

    I hope Regent University and his other crap folds in on itself and implodes, leaving a minty fresh smell all over Lynchburg.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • People on Digg are (surprise, surprise) absolutely rejoicing over his death. I felt kind of guilty about being so happy to see him dead, until I saw this response to accusations that everyone happy to see him dead was a hypocrite:
    The biggest difference between most liberals and this guy is:
    We hate him for what he did.
    He hated people for what they ARE.
    I think that's rather nicely put. The man was a hatemonger, a force for ignorance and fear, and a bigot. The world is better without him. It would be even better had he not bred.
  • People on Digg are (surprise, surprise) absolutely rejoicing over his death. I felt kind of guilty about being so happy to see him dead, until I saw this response to accusations that everyone happy to see him dead was a hypocrite:
    The biggest difference between most liberals and this guy is:
    We hate him for what he did.
    He hated people for what they ARE.
    I think that's rather nicely put. The man was a hatemonger, a force for ignorance and fear, and a bigot. The world is better without him. It would be even better had he not bred.
    I'm going to agree with this viewpoint, it's perfectly fine to rejoice that random chance and age have made the world a better place by removing him from it.

    (Oh, Jason. If it is working, then start writing man! There a long list of the Mother-fuckers still breathing!)
  • If Dobson and Robertson suddenly pass away I'll start going to church again.
  • No, it is not wrong to be happy that another force for hatred in the world died. Is it wrong to be happy that Hitler is dead? Of course it isn't, and Falwell was a modern day Hitler.

    I am not doing a happy dance, but I am hoping that Pat Robertson is close on his heels.
  • Godwin's Law wins again.
  • OK, in that case, I'll go back to doing my happy dance.

    /w00t!
  • I can't bring myself to ever rejoice at a person's death no matter how repugnant they may have been, but it is noteworthy that I felt not the slightest loss to the world in his passing.

    The worst insult I have to give the dead is my indifference to their death.
  • I have to agree with Rym here,

    I'd rather see Hilter see Justice, then be killed, Death is well, a coup out for guilty people. I mean being someone who doesn't believe in God or an afterlife, Death means nothing, no justice, no anything. I'd rather see Assholes see justice then death. Anyhow, Fallwell was clearly insane in the last years of his life and definitely needed to be institutionalized. The problem with people who were "visionaries" (I use this word loosely in his case) at one point or another is that it's hard to figure out when they've fallen off the rocker so to speak, this definitely occurs if you are a follower of his.

    Those comments he made about 9-11 pretty much destroyed all of his political power, so in the end it was a good thing he said such crazy things.
  • My thoughts on this are hard to define. I think it's best to say that I can't celebrate death in the form of happy dances and such, but I am glad that the influence is gone.

    I caught a minute or two of the 700 Club commentary on his death (I was half asleep and the previous TV programming ended). Not surprisingly they portrayed him as a great leader and champion of religion in politics, and conveniently forgot to mention any of the racism, bigotry, memorable quotes, etc.
  • The human race has been exponentially improved now that he is rotting. What filth he was. I honestly someone takes the time to defecate on his tomb.
  • edited May 2007
    The human race has been exponentially improved now that he is rotting. What filth he was. I honestly someone takes the time to defecate on his tomb.
    That's going a bit far, sure he may have held beliefs I find abhorrent, but I can't bring myself to wish pain and suffering on other people simply because of a difference of opinion.

    Anger is simply one of the natural emotional states that arise when one feels threatened, the other obviously being fear. Once a person is dead, and thus no longer a threat, there is no sense in holding on to whatever internal emotional state correlates to that person.

    I'm just really not the grave dancing type, the fact is that Falwell was a person, and that if nothing else (in this case nothing else) warrants some measure of respect and civility IMO.
    Post edited by ironzealot on
  • I generally agree, but I draw the line somewhere. When a person spends their life sowing hatred, bigotry, and ignorance, and never once repents for it, I do not consider them to be a person, and do consider them unworthy of the social nicieties normally reserved for people. As someone else said, it'd be like giving respect to Hitler. I wouldn't support going out of my way to spit/dance/piss on Falwell's grave, but you have to expect that people will react this way when such a vile human being passes.

    Think of it like this: he sowed venomous hatred, and now we're all spitting it back out, so it can die with him. There's no holding on to emotions here; a lot of people are letting it out and moving on.
  • Why the hell has xkcd been so relevant lately?

    image
  • Jerry Falwell did make some good points in his life, but those good points would get lost in all the stupid things he would say. Like the reason why Florida get so many Hurricanes is because Disney world has gay day. I think that going a little to far to the right if you ask me. The same thing can be said about Ann Coulter.
  • Jerry Falwell did make some good points in his life, but those good points would get lost in all the stupid things he would say. Like the reason why Florida get so many Hurricanes is because Disney world has gay day. I think that going a little to far to the right if you ask me. The same thing can be said about Ann Coulter.
    What good points are you speaking of? I can't seem to think of any...
  • edited June 2007
    Trying to bring family values to the for front. Giving the GOP a sense of direction in the earlier 1980’s with the family value votes in the United States. Of course, having a presidential candidate back then like Ronald Reagan didn’t hurt his cause.
    Post edited by Apreche on
  • I must say, I have never payed any attention to this guy when he was alive. I didn't even know he existed. Yeah, I'm just that up on the news. But I believe that everyone has the right to their own beliefs. Just because I think that he is wrong, doesn't mean that he didn't have a right to do as he did or think as he did. A lot of it must have come from the way he was raised as a child. The sins of the father are passed to the son. (I really like twisting Bible verses. I might believe in God and Jesus but that doesn't mean I believe in the Bible.) So whatever was so deeply ingrained in his belief system was what he was acting on. So I don't not like him. I just really hate what he did. But that is because of my beliefs. Beliefs that everyone has a right to no matter to what extreme they take them. I feel that I have repeated myself many times through out this whole post. But anyway, that's what I think.
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