Jerry Falwell is unexpectedly dead.
Honestly, I find myself troubled and conflicted about my reaction to the news. On the one hand, he was a man who incited death and division (literally, if you consider his comments on 60 minutes), hatred toward one’s neighbors (locally and nationally), religious zealotry in secular matters, and the institutionalization of his own heinous ideas (Liberty University).
He judged those he had no right to judge, and caused others to do the same.
On the other hand, he was a human being, and he’s dead. And jumping up and down about it is frighteningly close to his own bigotry.
I’m uncomfortable about it, all around. The world, in my opinion, may be better off without him, but I’m sure his family would not agree.
EDIT: But I love this image.
Agreed.
Is there not a point where the message overtakes the man, and you transcend your own fragile humanity to become a media figure in the purest sense of the word? Sure there was a human vessel for the creature, but did Jerry Falwell truly exist when the cameras were turned off?
The twitterings have all been jumping for joy, I however am like you…no, not bald just conflicted.
you mirror my thoughts pretty closely.
My thoughts exactly. You just beat me to it.
:-p
Like so much I’m experiencing today, I just feel, well “null” regarding this news. It’s really had no impact on me at all.
My own personal opinion of Falwell was that, after his significant political clout in the 1980s, he was much less influential than the press made him out to be. Sort of a manufactured boogie-man for those on the liberal side of the political spectrum.
WOW–you people are all so compassionate and open-minded. I, on the other hand, am pleased that the bastard can now begin burning in hell for all eternity.
:) Perhaps I’d feel that way if I believed in hell, heh. Since I don’t generally think there’s any more justice after life than there is on earth, it doesn’t really change things for me.
I agree.
And since there will always be another nut job to replace him, I doubt that much is going to change. New face, same spiel.
BTW, I love your Fantastic Planet avatar!
Tanks! No one recognizes it :)
His family wouldn’t agree? So what, they won’t have a reprehensible person around to teach hatred to the great grandkids? You feel bad about that?
I feel bad when I hear about JUST ABOUT ANYONE dying. THIS guy? The guy who blamed Sept 11 on (among others) homosexuals and feminists? Screw him. It should have been more painful.
Totally agree. I’m of the “I’d happily piss upon his grave” opinion. The seeds of intolerance that he planted during his heyday gave rise to shit like Focus on the Family and their ilk; we’ll be dealing with his hateful legacy for years to come. I’m pretty much okay with not being crushed by the news of his passing.
His brand of stupidity should be punishable by prolonged and torturous death…happily, in the Christian belief structure (he’s not Christian, he’s nutcase who founded his own cult) he’ll have an eternity to make up for that.
I hope Scott doesn’t mind, as this is all in fun, but I’ve made a little satire/parody of his post:
Honestly, I find myself troubled and conflicted about my reaction to the news. On the one hand, at least he’s dead. That in and of itself is good news.
On the other hand, he lived well into his 70’s, far too long to be spreading his brand of bile IMHO. Additionally, from all accounts he appears to have merely dropped dead. No cancer, no drowning, no freak rollercoaster accidents, no Cheney hunting mishaps. It sounds like he didn’t know true fear or pain or doubt at the end, and this seems far too merciful a passing for the complete and utter prick and bastard that this man was.
I’m uncomfortable about it, all around. I think this proves that there is neither karma nor a god. Or if there IS a god, he probably agrees with Falwell, has brought him home to heaven, and is far too evil to ever consider worshipping.
I clearly said “The world, in my opinion, may be better off without him” – why people persist in reacting as if I said otherwise is beyond me.
ZOMG, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU, SCOTT?!?!?!? u luv Falwell, u go 2 hell + u die!
I should, y’know, I hear it’s a homo paradise down there! I’m sure with a little adjustment and some time getting used to the color pink, it could turn into a right-fine place.
The reason I am reacting otherwise is because of your caveats:
Honestly, I find myself troubled and conflicted about my reaction to the news.
On the other hand, he was a human being, and he’s dead. And jumping up and down about it is frighteningly close to his own bigotry.
I’m uncomfortable about it, all around. The world, in my opinion, may be better off without him, but I’m sure his family would not agree.
I am saying that your inner conflict is misplaced. It isn’t bigotry to be glad that an evil person is dead. Ding dong the witch is dead and all that. And I don’t particularly care if the flying monkeys are all broken up about it.
Mmm, I guess I have to revise calling -him- a bigot for wishing bad things to happen to gays and secularists, then.
No, the definition still holds. Bigotry is hatred against a group of people. Not a specific person. I have no grudge against Christians as a group.
Similarly, while I might wish bad things for the man, I certainly wouldn’t want anyone else to harm him based on my dislike. Unlike what he probably would have said about people harming gays or doctors who perform abortions.
Let’s break this down a little:
We have Group A and Group B.
Group A thinks that the members of Group B are morally reprehensible. Group A has a choice of how they want to express that. Choice A1: They can leave Group B alone. Choice A2: They can attempt to cause harm to Group B. They choose #2.
Group B has no real opinion one way or the other about Group A until they realize that Group A has made Choice A2 and are actively attempting to harm them. At this point, Group B has a choice. Choice B1: Not take it personally. Choice B2: Get angry at Group A.
I’m going to Godwin myself now, but is it reasonable to call Jews who hate Nazis a bunch of bigots?
I would say no. (Note: Ariock takes the tough stand against naziism!) There has to be a primacy of offense. Whoever STARTS it doesn’t get to claim that they are being persecuted for their beliefs. ok? The requirement for live and let live is that they leave other people alone. Once they cross that line, they lose their immunity.
Yeah, I’m going to have to go with the “not feeling bad about feeling good” side on this one. Hell, I can barely pretend to give a crap when good people die. I’m certainly not going to pretend that this shithead deserves tears.
I think you’re confusing the difference between ideas and the people who have them. I certainly dislike everything he truly represents, but the dude is dead.
It’s times like these that I think, contrary to my belief 90% of the time, that our media really IS desensitizing us to death. I’ve been to two funerals, and seen one body between them, and I’ve never seen death in person, never watched the light go out of someone’s eyes.
However, I do think that once you’re dead, you’re dead – that’s it, game over. I’m certainly not shedding a tear, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have some respect for a man’s passing.
Nope. Not confused. I actually really and truly couldn’t care less that the dude is dead.
Personally, I’m more familiar with death than I would like to be. I found my own father dead in the bathroom. I listened to the death rattle in my grandfather’s lungs on the night that he passed away. I’ve seen death pretty close up.
So if I don’t even shed a tear at my own father’s passing, just how much empathy do you think I’m going to have for this guy? Answer: None.
kill ’em all and let god sort ’em out.