IS DEATH ALWAYS SAD? On May 15, 2007, long-time gay rights foe Jerry Falwell was found dead on the floor of his office at Liberty University.

Jerry and George, together again at last

A bygone era: Jerry Falwell, left, with Alabama Gov. George Wallace, right, about 1986 or 1987. Photo Credit: Alabama Department of Archives and History.

On May 15, 2007, long-time gay rights foe Jerry Falwell was found dead on the floor of his office at Liberty University. Falwell had made a career of gay baiting from his tirade against Tinky Winky, an allegedly gay Teletubby in 1999, to blaming 9-11 on God’s wrath stemming from a mixture of gays and “abortionists.”

¨As information concerning Falwell’s demise percolated to the level of national news a few commentators wasted no time celebrating. Christopher Hitchens wrote his infamous commentary, “Faith Based Fraud,” in Vanity Fair and ran the gamut of television news programs. Bill Maher dedicated the final three minutes of his New Rules segment to Falwell (who had been an occasional guest on Maher’s previous show) to the new rule “death isn’t always sad.” Even Fred Phelps chimed in claiming Falwell was burning in hell.

Phelps notwithstanding the celebrants, who extended into the general public, were pleased that someone who had been a politically powerful voice for regression had finally met his end. Still others, perhaps the more conscionable among us, were shocked by the notion of delighting in the death of another human being. Yet this idea is so deeply embedded in our lives that we tend to miss it...¨ there is more, HERE

Thanks to QNotes, sidebar
Thanks to Alabama Department of Photo Archives
Thanks to Jason Yonce defeatedcreek@yahoo.com
Published: October 16, 2012 in Guest Commentary

EQUALITY:  Here and or in the great beyond?