May 16, 2007
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FAREWELL FALLWELL
The blogosphere is awash with posts about the demise of everyone’s favorite crazy Nazi uncle; Jerry Falwell.
I think Transvestite Rabbit summed up everything that could be said about Jerry by simply letting the man speak for himself. Go check it out.
Rather than commenting on the fact that Jerry apparently lacked the mental mechanism to filter anything that came out of his mouth (or was too mean or arrogant to care) I thought I would share a Jerry Falwell related story.
One of my best friends used to be an English professor at Lynchburg College (not to be confused with Liberty University that is also in Lynchburg.)
It seems that Liberty had some difficulty over the years sustaining a core curriculum strong enough to maintain accreditation. They would send students over to Lynchburg College to pick up classes and many of those students found themselves in my friend’s Freshman English Comp class.
He affectionately referred to them as “Jerry’s Kids.”
He also loved messing with their heads, but that’s another story.
The goal of every Freshman Comp class is to attempt to teach students to put more than a couple of sentences together in a coherent form. That’s a tall order and my friend began to compile a list of the silliest pieces of writing he received from Jerry’s Kids in their maiden essays for his class. Among my favorites:
“Scents are created when smell molecules are combined with air.” Technically correct I suppose, but it still makes me giggle.
And “Everything is what the world is like.” That’s really deep. Does that mean we are all living in some sort of parallel universe?
My friend eventually got the hell out of Lynchburg but now teaches at a college in Montana where I’m sure he encounters a whole different sub-set of extremists. It doesn’t matter though; he went there for the fly fishing.
So…farewell Falwell, and here’s hoping that your legacy of hate and intolerance masquerading as Christian conviction dies along with you…
…but knowing it won’t.
Comments (24)
in a way, falwell and his ilk were/are no different from the muslim extremists, aka terrorists. i wonder if falwell is dancing with his harem of virgins right now . . . and if they are male or female . . .
well said.
t
That last sentence perfectly sums up my feelings.
A few years ago, a girl from my son’s school received a soccer scholarship to Liberty University. She played soccer and ultimately wound up breaking her ankle. They immediately revoked her scholarship. So much for Christian values there.
Kathi
The deepness of “Everything is what the world is like” makes my head spin! LOL!
Oh, Mark, admit it. You have been weeping ever since the news was announced. I don’t know if the tears were joy or sorrow, since Ding Dong as TR said, but there is one less infinitely mockable voice to bring sarcastic joy to all the clever pundits.
And yes, I’ve had an electric lawn mower for 7 years now, and no, sadly, you are not the young male person in question (although you really truly don’t look a day over 53. I mean 52. This is young to a 73 year old like Jerry, although I’m not sure how attractive HE would find you). (-:
To borrow a line from one of my favorite musicals “A Chorus Line”
….AND I FELT NOTHING!….
pretty much sums up my mood on hearing the news…..except to add, that I hope indeed the hatefulness will die with him.
So long Jerry, and watch out for the three-headed dog guarding the gate.
My daughter (whose best friend is a gay male) keeps getting propaganda from Liberty. She calls it “hate mail.”
AMEN!!!! Could not have said it any better!!!
Nope, that legacy ain’t goin’ nowhere.
RYC: You don’t even know what “work” is. You only know what it looks like.
A bigot with a brass halo..
speaking of hate and intolerance……………
I’m standing on my chair, applauding. And it’s a bitch to bend over and type this way.
I’m betting that ol’ Jerry has had a big attitude adjustment by now…..
Some of the things he said made me cringe. Sadly a lot of people will only remember the dumb and hurtful things he said and equate that with ALL Christians.
Hey, I was gone, but I’m back!!! Did ya’ miss me?!
Nah, we still have Ann Coulter.
Your last sentence says it so well. People like Falwell give Christianity a bad name.
Everyone’s death is always sad for someone. However, I thank you for making me laugh out loud!!
It will be hard, but I guess we could all look to Jimmy Swaggart for leadership now that our other moral compass has passed. I’m sure he is rearranging heaven to throw out the undesirables right this minute.
I think the creative writing professor was…………….you.
You might be surprised to learn that I am a stalwart fan of Jim and Tammy. Oh, I know and all that, but still, I love them, so sue me. Falwell was evil and he lied and screwed them, period. It shakes one’s confidence in, um, the Church, um, Christianity, and um, well, eternity. Perhaps it’s a good thing that God, rather than man, is in control.
PTL.
I did smile….are we organizing a party on his grave any time soon?
The “line” always works on me… I’ve always been a sucker for a smooth line!