Falwell Croaks: "Falwell... And truly dead."

[Lancer]

Why are we celebrating right now when there's still lots of work to be done in reversing the damage? Falwell may have been a central figure, but there are still plenty of people out there who believe every little thing he said and are perfectly willing to "carry the torch" for his brand of lunacy. Besided, that nutter Phelps is still at large.

[Singular Quartet]

Not to reign in the hate parade (I'm not just marching, I'm waving a fucking banner) Another point of view:

Now, I know it would be entirely fair to celebrate the fact that he's gone, but... golden rule, you know? Even if I didn't like the man's politics and beliefs (and Christ knows I loathed them), it seems vulturelike to gloat over his death.

So, instead, I offer this, from a 1999 United Church news column by Andy Lang about the first meeting Falwell ever took with a gay religious group, as proof that nobody is completely bad. (Except Hitler.)

Reconciliation ... with Jerry Falwell? That's not a simple proposition, particularly since Falwell has not backed an inch from his conviction that homosexuality is a sin. But over the weekend, Falwell apologized (on national television) for misrepresenting the gay and lesbian community in his public statements. He promised to work with us to oppose violence against homosexuals.

"This is grace," Mel said. "We've got to give him a chance. He's got to get to know us."

That's why the weekend was a breakthrough—not because there was any chance Falwell would reverse his opinions about homosexuality, but because he and 200 other fundamentalists sat down with 200 members of our community and began to learn about us. For most of his delegation, it was their first meeting with "out" gays and lesbians. Some had to fight their own prejudice—an almost physical feeling of revulsion—to walk into a room filled with lesbians and gays. They came a long way from a very distant place to meet us, and that was at least the beginning of grace.

EDIT TO ADD:

I feel the need to clarify myself a bit.

I simply can't bring myself to feel happy or satisfied that Falwell is dead. This is not out of any dismay over his death, mind you, but it is important to remember (as dansolomon pointed out in conservatism) that the institutions Falwell created, the followers he amassed by his chosen method of preaching, will continue. Of this there can be no doubt. All that has happened is that a man has died.

And now that he is dead, there is, even for those of us who disagreed vehemently with his beliefs, the opportunity to mourn, because never again will we have the chance to change his mind. The greatest gift you can give an enemy is enlightenment - and, in his actions, I like to believe there was at least the possibility that Falwell could have been a greater man than he was. His failure, and ours in turn, is nothing to cheer.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

SQ, that's fucking beautiful. I said a little prayer when I heard Falwell was in trouble to heal and mend his ways.

However, I did say 'meh' when he kicked the bucket. Good riddance and good bye, Falwell.

[Shinn Langley Soryu]

God hath struck down the great heretic for his blasphemy. Now if only He would do the same to Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, and their fellow infidels.

Phelps, Robertson, and their loathsome ilk are so set in their hateful, despicable ways that there is no hope for them to change their minds and mend their ways. Their punishment will come in due time, but we'll see how soon it arrives.

[CaptJodan]

God hath struck down the great heretic for his blasphemy. Now if only He would do the same to Fred Phelps, Pat Robertson, and their fellow infidels.

While such acts would please many of us here (including myself), the fact is that their followers and other crazies will take this as a sign that the end is near and that all those blessed by God are getting into heaven before the Rapture shows up. No matter how bad it gets, it's always good news to those who believe. Something like this just affirms to those who believe that they were good men that were so blessed, they got to die before all the pain and suffering came.

[Dalton]

The greatest problem to our society that Falwell and his contemporaries present is a roadblock on the way to a truly global society. By vehemently and unwaveringly promoting a return to a more traditional and fundamentalist value system, they are literally trying to anchor a generation that they feel has gone wildly out of control.

I don't celebrate the death of the man, but a link in the chain holding us back has been broken. I wish it had been by other means, but that's just the way life goes. If he had been enlightened, he could have helped generate a dialogue that would have gone a long way towards eliminating hate, fear and discrimination.

[mr friendly guy]

Am I a bad man for doing a little dance when I read this thread?
.

No you are not. I would do a dance as well.... if I knew how to. So I will just settle for cheering that the wanker is gone.

[Drooling Iguana]

More food for the worms. Boy are they gonna have a good sized banquet.

Wouldn't that be cannibalism?

Why are we celebrating right now when there's still lots of work to be done in reversing the damage? Falwell may have been a central figure, but there are still plenty of people out there who believe every little thing he said and are perfectly willing to "carry the torch" for his brand of lunacy. Besided, that nutter Phelps is still at large.

Just because Coruscant is still in Imperial hands doesn't mean you can't boogie down with the Ewoks for a bit.

[Superman]

Ha! Howard Stern is ripping on Falwell like crazy. Good shit.

[Lord Zentei]

The world is a slightly better place now.

Indeed.

And here I thought this was going to be a bad day, only to log in and see this thread.

[Molyneux]

Ah, well, let us at least speak what positive things we can of the dead:
At least he was not Phelps. He actively disagreed with that schmuck's ideas, and regarded him as a loony.

[Lord Zentei]

Ah... thus he died... Nom the Unwise... lord of the hate, the foe of men.

That sounds like a quote -- but where is it from?

[Gandalf]

Ah... thus he died... Nom the Unwise... lord of the hate, the foe of men.

That sounds like a quote -- but where is it from?

Blind Guardian's Nom The Wise track on Nightfall in Middle Earth.

Though they may very well be quoting something in the Silmarillion.

[Cao Cao]

Ah, well, let us at least speak what positive things we can of the dead:
At least he was not Phelps. He actively disagreed with that schmuck's ideas, and regarded him as a loony.

The thing about lunatics is that they disagree with everyone. Even fellow lunatics.

[Elfdart]

Phelps isn't a flyspeck compared to Falwell's Augean Stables full of shit when it comes to pure evil. Phelps is just an attention whore with no influence outside his family of inbred, reatrded cultists. Falwell had a great deal of political clout and used it, making things that much worse for this country and other parts of the world.

[Ariphaos]

A better man might feel sad about this, but all this 'forgive and forget, he's gone, his memory is to be honored' crap is unnerving. It's like justifying the bigot's actions in death, it's all suddenly 'okay' now, and people act surprised when someone decides to walk in his (or his friends') footsteps, wondering why this sort of insanity continues from generation to generation. Ignoble, unrepentant death does not deserve respect.

Since I am not the better man, I registered piss on Falwell's grave, I'm sure I'll have a decent use for it.

[Cao Cao]

If you preach hate and bigotry, don't expect normal people to cry for you.
He chose his path in life, and that path was a rotten one. I feel no guilt in dancing over his grave.

[wautd]

Phelps isn't a flyspeck compared to Falwell's Augean Stables full of shit when it comes to pure evil. Phelps is just an attention whore with no influence outside his family of inbred, reatrded cultists. Falwell had a great deal of political clout and used it, making things that much worse for this country and other parts of the world.

Agreed. A guy with the political power like Falwell is far more dangerous than Phelps will ever be

[Lord Pounder]

I just wish Larry Flint was able to climb out of his wheelchair and dance on the bastards grave.

[Kuja]

It was a rainy day when I clicked on this thread, but I swear on my own name that as I read further and further, the sun broke through the clouds and things outside brightened considerably.

[Patrick Degan]

I just wish Larry Flint was able to climb out of his wheelchair and dance on the bastards grave.

He can roll over it and leave deeper tracks.

[Spyder]

Ah, well, let us at least speak what positive things we can of the dead:
At least he was not Phelps. He actively disagreed with that schmuck's ideas, and regarded him as a loony.

He would have converted a reasonable out of oxygen to carbon dioxide over the course of his life span, I suppose some plants might have liked that...maybe.

[Elfdart]

War whore Christopher Hitchens has apparently regained his senses -just a little. He lets Falwell, Reed and Sean Insanity have it with both barrels:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=doKkOSMaTk4

The very last comment made soup shoot out of my nose!

[General Zod]

Ah, well, let us at least speak what positive things we can of the dead:
At least he was not Phelps. He actively disagreed with that schmuck's ideas, and regarded him as a loony.

Positive things. . .positive things. . . .uhm, his body will eventually be providing nourishment for many worms and insects in the near future, thus ensuring them to continue prospering?

[Elfdart]

Hitchens killed me with this one:

Give Falwell an enema and you could bury him in a matchbox.