Deaths always give us a time to reflect on a person’s accomplishments, achievements and beliefs with some respect and some hindsight. This could not be truer with the passing of the Reverend Jerry Falwell. However, I am not sure I can participate in the normal ritual of forgetting the bad and honoring the “good” deeds that is usually seen when someone famous dies. While I feel for families when there is a loss of a loved one - as far as I am concerned, Falwell and his fundamentalist allies have done little for this country aside from spreading hateful speech, lack of understanding and fanatical teachings.
Most notable are Falwell’s rants on homosexuality. His speech surrounding this lifestyle was utterly disturbing as he stated things like:
“AIDS is not just God’s punishment for homosexuals; it is God’s punishment for the society that tolerates homosexuals”
Falwell unabashedly continued in the later years of his life to blame catastrophic events such as Katrina and 9/11 on this same group in society. So, while I am a believer in free speech, the question can only be asked – why was anyone listening to this kind of speech?
In all honesty I am not sure how to answer this question and maybe some of you know better but it seems to me that as the world shrinks and as resources like the internet give us full access to the ideas out there, we are drawn to listen to extreme and controversial ideas like moths to a flame. For instance, why is it that Falwell’s partner in crime Reverend Pat Robinson is given his own television show on daytime network television? Consequently on the liberal side – why do we allow “liberals” to be classified by the rants of Mike Gravel. It is mind boggle-ing. It is almost as if to be noticed as a commentator on social issues, you better think of something so outrageous that people cant help but notice – (Ann Coulter has made a killing off of this logic).
While we can place some blame one these people and classify them as “crazy” or “nutty”, some of the blame clearly lies with us as consumers of media. So – what do we do to stop these people on both sides from claiming the names of liberals and conservatives when more appropriately they should be called radicals? To make the issue plain and simple – just like you would do with an annoying kid in elementary throwing pencils at you to get your attention – we have to just ignore them.
Hopefully the passing of an era…
By Lily Adams on May 16th, 2007 ·
Tags: Celebrities · Politics · General
4 responses so far ↓
1 Maddie Lear // May 16, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I don’t think it’s a matter of ignoring anyone. Jerry Falwell did spread hate, and when I heard he died I didn’t know what to think. I had written a letter to him, (as I posted,) and wasn’t sure wat to feel. When someone dies it is true that you can feel bad for their family and appreciate their existence. Even if he did spread hate, he also spread understanding. Understanding of this world was becoming. I don’t think you need to ignore anything like what you were talking about, just I guess know that this is not what you are or what you want to be. Try not to make the mistake he had made by judging people like that and spreading hate. Goodbye Mr. Jerry Falwell.
2 Jamia // May 17, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I hope the death of Falwell will impact some people who are living like him, reminding them of their very humanity and mortality, forcing them to question their homophobic, racist, and xenophobic ways.
Life is too short to spend it spreading hate.
3 Lily Adams // May 17, 2007 at 5:38 pm
I guess I am confused as to what Maddie means - although I am interested. What sort of understanding do you think Mr. Falwell spread to this world or this country? I am not saying that his speech should be banned but I do think that we give him power by indulging in ideas that are so hateful. What is the merit in speech that is directed to discriminate and damage a specific group - not to mention, not factually based (see the recent story on Don Imus as another white male who seems obsessed with being controversial and it got him into real trouble). What sort of society are we if we listen to these ideas? Certainly not a more understanding one.
4 Maddie Lear // May 17, 2007 at 7:26 pm
I think that he gave us an understanding of what America could truly become. I think that by “indulging” in what he is saying, or looking him up, or paying attention doesn’t neccesarily make you agree with him, just see what the “other side” is saying, or more or less screaming. I am not saying that he was not a hateful person, I am saying that by learning more about him or feeling bad for him does not mean that you agree with him, more seeing both sides of an argument, even if our side is completely obviously the more peaceful one.
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