You guys are scaring me.

[kimmerspixelated]

Jeepers! What's with all the Happy Dancing going around just cause Falwell's dead? Sure, he sucked bigtime. But to be so friggin elated over it is kinda creepy... As far as those who can't wait for the others to die so you can continue to dance, frankly, I'd rather see them in prison! Bushco needs to suffer! Dying is too easy.

[dave_p]

1. It's what he'd have wanted

It's the frustrations of six years (or more for many of us) finding an outlet. But even more, it's a reflection of what people like him have done to our world. He wanted a world of partisan extremes and religious animosity, he got it.

[corkhead]

7. WORD!

[hfojvt]

26. he wanted partisan extremes and religious animosity?

Or was he just an activist like us, trying to promote policies that he thought were beneficial? According to Obama, we at DU are partisan extremists, and some of that is shown by the way we hate our enemies, or turn our opponents into enemies. Falwell presumably believed pretty strongly in the goodness of his own religion and tried to promote it. In that respect is he that different from Sam Harris or Darryl Dawkins? They paint those who disagree with them with some fairly harsh epithets as well.

[EFerrari]

33. I've never heard a Democratic partisan asking God to kill people.

There is no comparison.

[Kurovski]

75. Thank you, ma'am.

It's really pretty simple.

[EFerrari]

79. Yes, it is.

:hug:

[July]

38. 1) Who is Darryl Dawkins?

2) Yes, he wanted partisan extremes, etc. His statements, in which he often claimed to know what "God" meant when bad events affected the U.S., were extreme and fostered extremism. His arrogance was only matched by his superior ability to con the sincere but perhaps unsophisticated believer, to his own financial benefit.

What he was not was "an activist like us."

[dave_p]

40. I hear ya, BUT ...

We promote our ideas as political discourse, we take our defeats as political setbacks and we argue our case as politics: we don't dress it up as the word of God, claim protected religious status, prey on the least-educated & most vulnerable and imply that nonconformity with our views will condemn them to hell. We and many of our opponents do honest politics.

Falwell didn't: he perverted and demeaned public discourse, sought to suppress diversity & expression, and capitalized on persecution of those living their lives without harm to others.

I understand your case that we and he share contentious postures: but we do it honestly and in a way that expands the arena of exchange rather than seeking to abolish it.

[Frank Cannon]

67. Partisan extremes + religious animosity = $$$$$$$$$

Jerry was all about the Almighty Dollar. Make no mistake about it. He made lots and lots and lots and lots of jack over decades of fomenting his bull$hit, always having his hand outstretched for more green from the true believers.

If you think there was anything even remotely pious to him, then you're a fool.

[RetroLounge]

83. are Sam Harris or Darryl Dawkins on Fox / MSNBC / CNN?

24/7 spewing their filth?

Nope. He's dead. I'm glad.

RL

[MistressOverdone]

2. It is creepy

and disturbing. But not surprising. Humans tend to be ghoulish, I guess. And DU is NOTHING if not human.

[sam sarrha]

3. i definitely agree with you.... so PARTY ON..!!! it isn't an end.. it's a glorious beginning

[Mr. Ected]

4. Falwell Was Intolerant of All Principles DU'ers Hold Sacred

Did the Jews cry when Hitler died?

[kimmerspixelated]

8. Yeah, but I always thought we were bigger than

some of the kind of tirades I've seen here today.

[Mr. Ected]

20. Maybe It's Uncharacteristically Classless of Us

But we're only human.

[EFerrari]

35. What is classless about being relieved that such an evil is gone?

We're not being sensitive to the family that enabled that evil for all these years?

:shrug:

[Mr. Ected]

41. Class Has Nothing To Do With Righteousness

It's the ability to rise above the decrepit nature of our foes.

[EFerrari]

43. I'll stick to reality, thanks. An evil man no longer has the power

to influence the people to hatred.

For that, I am grateful.

[Mr. Ected]

47. His Passing Will Simply Allow the Torch To Be Passed

And a new generation will take up the mantle of hate, bigotry and intolerance.

Falwell was an icon, but his lunatic views are shared by tens of millions of Americans. Sad, but true.

They are the enemies of a progressive. And they did not die today.

[EFerrari]

48. And it is up to us to deprive the haters of their obscene saints. n/t

[Mr. Ected]

51. Sadly, We Can't Deprive the Lunatic Fringe of Their One Tangible Asset

Lunacy.

[Kurovski]

76. Working for mental health parity

in this nation would go a far way to help with that.

No snark whatsoever is intended in this post.

Generations of mental health problems go un-addressed in this country due to poverty.

[EFerrari]

84. And, Voila! May is Mental Health Month. :Link to parity initiative:

http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/may/

:yourock:

[EFerrari]

80. But we can make it more difficult for the corporate media

to inundate us with baloney as they did when St. Ronnie went to his just (I hope) reward by putting out facts, by contesting bullsh!t.

[corkhead]

16. Did the Munchkins of Munchinland cry when the Witch of the North met with her untimely demise?

I think not!

[Mr. Ected]

23. As Coroner I Must Aver

I thoroughly examined her

And she's not only merely dead

But really most sincerely dead.

[Clark2008]

72. We represent the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild, the Lollipop Guild.

And, in the name of the Lollipop Guild...


...we wish to welcome you to Munchkin Land!

[me b zola]

54. lol, I swear when I heard the news that he was dead...

...the song from that scene played in my head, "Ding dong the witch is dead, the wicked witch...down where the goblins go, below below below..."

[ScreamingMeemie]

5. Let's start with gays deserving AIDS, Feminists just being failures as wives,

alcoholics being as numerous as blacks, 9-11 being caused by all those New York Sodomites, and end up with Martin Luther King being a phoney who was prone to violence because he had "ties to the leftwing"...

No, there is no respect from this normally respectful woman for this man on this day. He hurt a lot of people with his vicious words, encouraged and fanned the flames of hatred and his voice silenced is a great gift to many.

[uppityperson]

12. There is an intermediate choice between respect and gravedancing

Why sink to the level of these viciously nasty assholes? Doesn't mean you have to give any respect. Just take the middle road.

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. I have yet to set foot upon a gravestone, but I sure as well will have my

say. I haven't sunk to any level. I merely hate the man and am glad he is gone. You see, my uncle died of AIDS, in a time when everyone, even Democrats would have shunned him. Yes I am glad his voice is gone. There is no shame in being glad for that. Only "God" can judge him, but I sure as well will have my say. My children live in a kinder world now.

[uppityperson]

22. exactly.

[ScreamingMeemie]

24. ...and Fitzmas and any others who don't like my joy and click

the x.

[uppityperson]

27. Difference between respecting someone and gravedancing is where I chose to be.

I do NOT respect him, will NOT respect anyone just because they die. BUT I also will not grave dance. There is a wide area between, that is where I am. Too many people cannot see that third choice. Off DU for the day. Checked in because I wanted to see what anyone was posting about the "gas boycott".

[ScreamingMeemie]

29. I honestly don't see much gravedancing. I see a lot of people

glad that he is dead. I'm one of them. Free Speech granted him the right to say what was on his mind, many here are now exercising the option to say what's on theirs. We'll just disagree on this one.

[uppityperson]

31. "Piss on him, eat asparagus so it will stink more..."

those were the first I hid. I'm glad he is dead too.

[Warpy]

32. There's nothing in the middle of the road

but yellow stripes and dead armadillos.----John Hightower

I'm not going to be a hypocrite. The man was an enemy. I'm glad he's finally gone.

I can summon sympathy for his family, only.

[uppityperson]

62. I agree with what you wrote here.

That is what I am saying. Doesn't mean you have to give respect, doesn't mean you can't be happy. Just don't be nasty. I too am glad he is gone.

[frylock]

58. why sink to the level of these viciously nasty assholes?

my question is WHY NOT? Who gets hurt? Falwell's family? The family that enabled that fuckstain for decades? The family that certainly reaped the monetary benefits of their shitheel patriarch's hatred and intolerance? Thank you, no. Today I CELEBRATE!

[uppityperson]

64. Celebrate, yes.

But there are more choices than compassion or nasty. Pick another choice is what I am saying. Don't be compassionate or sorry. Don't be nasty. Be glad, celebrate that this evil vicious person is dead, but you do not have to be nasty to celebrate.

[kimmerspixelated]

15. I never said we should respect Falwell.

I just think the kind of crazy excitement on all these posts is really scary.

[ScreamingMeemie]

21. I think you need to post that then in the threads you find distasteful

instead of blanket statements. Or use hide thread. I will have my say. I am grateful he is gone. Let there be no more preaching of hatred in the guise of Christianity.

[CreekDog]

73. There were a handful of those threads!

The overreaction at DU was worth of a separate thread to criticize that overreaction.

[July]

39. What Mrs. Grumpy said. nt

[bigwillq]

82. Good post, Mrs. G.

:hi: :hug: :loveya:

[corkhead]

6. This aint nuthin. Wait till Crashcart or Limpballs bites the big one....

Lots of pent up frustration in action.

[Rosemary2205]

65. LOL :) nt

[Kurovski]

77. Kissinger.

The Vietnam generation will work out any feelings they may have on that one.

[seabeyond]

9. when we do it, we have reasons. when they do it.... oh the horror

we become exactly what falwell was, and what we hate... yet here we are behaving exactly the same

[TankLV]

13. Glad you finally GET IT...

(I know you don't, but the sarcasm is intended for you and your ilk anyway...)

[seabeyond]

25. this is what hate does. now you turn on others, now it is "your ilk", now

sarcasm is intended for others that dont play your game. now you attack a whole other group.

hate feeds.

i ca be the kindest person. i can be totally pure, giving all the things we are angry about with falwell. yet now... you attack me and my ilk. not cause you know anything about me, but because your mindset is in hate.

[July]

46. It would be hard to become what Falwell was.

The harshness of some of his judgments on others is very painful to me, and part of the reason I have no respect for him. Another part of it is the fact that he scammed a lot of people who were sincere in their beliefs (even though I disagree in fundamental ways with those beliefs).

I feel that the world is better off without people who prey on others, who fool others, who scam others. Lacking a belief in an afterlife, I feel that what people like Falwell do in this life is very important in our determinations about him or them. My conclusion is that Falwell harmed others. I'm not sorry he can't offer his perverted views in a national forum, as he's done for over twenty years.

His family and friends will mourn whatever there was to love about the man, as is right. I have no reason to mourn him, and, in fact, am glad his personal influence is over with. I will feel the same way when Cheney dies, and when GW Asshole dies. Some people harm the body politic, and can only be mourned by those nearest to them.

[seabeyond]

53. i couldn't agree with you post more. you are right on, with all you say

i dont feel the need to give false platitudes of the mans virtues. i also dont feel the need to lower myself to hate of the man and a joy at his death. it may not be on the same scale of falwell, but hate is just that, whether for falwell or as falwell felt about so many people, from gays to women to liberals to any other religion to non believers.

it is the same darkness that feeds the ugliness within us. falwell had it. and those that are celebrating and promoting hate are experiencing the same right this moment.

your post was a reference to his behavior and actions. it was not disrespectful nor full of ugliness. it is a reflection of falwell. i can totally respect that. i cannot respect a person behaving in the same manner, excusing it for whatever reason, anymore than i do with falwell. consistency

[July]

57. Don't get me wrong; as I said, I don't have ANY respect for Falwell's point of view.

I think he brought something ugly into the national conversation. I'm not going to miss him, and I am glad he cannot continue to influence others who -- for whatever their reasons -- took him as a sage advisor. I really don't see happiness that he is not influencing others any more as an "ugliness" on a par with what he dished out, so perhaps you give me too much credit.

I lost a brother to AIDS, and I will never forget or forgive Falwell's ignorant, nationally broadcast remarks about AIDS. I judge him by his actions and find him woefully lacking, so I am more in sympathy with those who are glad he is gone than with those who want to show some kind of respect for the dead.

I only acknowledge that he, like most people, was most likely important to his family and at least a few others, and I know the pain of loss and sympathize with them. Personally, I won't miss him for a second.

[seabeyond]

69. i have my own stories with the falwells of the world have in the 6 years

have caused damage and pain and hurt to people i love, too. i understand the phenomenon that happened in the last decade but especially since 2000. i have two young boys that have been hurt by what falwell created in this nation. i can understand the anger and the hate and the fear that people like these create in those attacked. i am in no way justifying the behavior and have spent the majority of my time, in my world fighting this very attitude at risk to myself and my family and is not something i would back away from or be passive torward. i go after aggressively, even angry sometimes but ALWAYS with love. because otherwise would be to feed it. i dot want that for anyone. and in a very selfish way, i dont want it for my kids. and always, go toward it, confronting it, challenging it, i have had good results. if nothing else, a mutual understanding, the otherwise at least seeing a different perspective, because they can hear the love. i simply find it productive, and hate non productive in my ultimate goal.

[TankLV]

10. GET. OVER. IT!...

It is LONG overdue and WAY deserved...

Don't read them if you don't like it...

WE're RIGHT to be JOYFUL and GLEEFUL at his croaking!

Anybody have any quotes on what he said about Matther Sheppard?!

[KG]

11. fuck falwell

[driver8]

17. Amen, KG...Amen.

You won't see any fake tears falling from my eyes...

What did this fucker ever do to deserve our respect?

[Name removed]

66. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Lobster Martini]

14. Agree about the happy dancing, but gave up

I have never used the ignore list and hide thread functions before, but the 60-some dancing on Falwells's grave threads--I get the point, thanks, didn't like Falwell--are in poor taste. I give up. When DU is finished eating his corpse, I'll come back.

[kimmerspixelated]

19. Don't blame you a bit.

[Swamp Rat]

28. "Blow them all away in the name of the Lord."

[slackmaster]

30. Falwell is like your neighborhood crack dealer, or a high official in Al Qaeda

When one dies or gets taken out, there is always another one waiting in the wings to take his place.

[MLFerrell]

34. Wouldn't you celebrate if * kicked the bucket?

Or better yet, wouldn't you break out the champagne if Darth Cheney went kaput?

Think carefully before you respond.

[BlooInBloo]

36. (shrug) Turn the channel if it bugs you.

[tech3149]

37. Happy dance? no

I'm just envisioning the shock on his face when he's presented with the gates of hell.

[martymar64]

68. He 's already there

Jerry, meet Satan.

No go to the room on the left for your suit of flames.

[Malikshah]

42. Hmmm. So many Mrs. Lovejoys around these days....

Folks-- get over your "I'm scared" threads. If you haven't been scared, then you don't even begin to understand what the likes of Falwell and Reagan have done to the world that some of us live in.

[seabeyond]

45. no... even bigger, we do understand. pretty short sighted to assume

a person not doing a happy dance and acting a fool over another's death doesn't understand the depth of hatred, ugliness, and division these people have created and caused in this nation. maybe it is the understanding, the true understanding of seeing it develop and happen that allows us to see this behavior only promotes it more. escalates it more. creates more hate.

and maybe we are so repulsed by it that it doesn't matter which side it is coming from.

[Malikshah]

52. Uh--not doing the happy dance here. Also, not starting thread after endless thread

wringing my hands and screaming "won't anyone think of the children"

This self-righteous treachly balderdash is tiresome.

I'm glad some people's shit doesn't stink. It's called humanity--it's good, bad, and ugly, and it's all we have.

People need to get off their pearl-clutching pedestals and move away from the mobs.

[seabeyond]

56. count the threads overjoyed in the death, and those asking for a bit

of maturity in posting, civility.

if you want to go after ALL the threads that dare to express the discomfort with the hqappy dance threads, than surely in fair and balance that you seem to feel you posess you would address the happy dance threads.

i am not much into the scared comment. but then i can agree with a jest of a post without agreeing with all words. but you attack... aggressive stance on anothers view is suggesting the out of control glee is fine, ... but then all others must shut up for you own sanity.

what does that suggest to you

[Malikshah]

71. Seen more of the latter than the former.

[Moochy]

60. Yes, those hated by the haters are the cause of the hate!

Man I hate being right. Hate !!! hate hate. :sarcasm:

[WindRavenX]

59. I sometimes think people just don't get it.

Do the people who are tsk tsking understand what it's like to be the target of his hate-filled legacy?

My community has been terrorized by this fat fuck for decades--we are finally rid of one of the most obnoxious and hate filled gas bags on the planet.

He enabled and created mainstream acceptance for hatred against the GLBTQ community.

Fuck. HIM.

[Malikshah]

70. Unless they have had to look behind them if they mistakenly

call their partner "Babe," Honey, etc. for fear of attack

Unless they have seen story after story of the GLBT folks being denied basic civil rights, being attacked, beaten, and killed.

Unless they have been the victims of Falwellian terror...it appears some cannot empathize

[Dukkha]

44. Rot in Hell Falwell, and say hi to Reagan when you get there.

You'll find him hanging with Saddam reminiscing on the gold ol' days.

[warren pease]

49. And I'm supposed to practice restraint over the death of a despicable fascist, bigot, hate monger..

homophobe, liar, religious fraud, wingnut culture warrior, anti-choice misogynist and world-class hypocrite who built his personal fortune by scamming "donations" from the dumbest of the dumb and the most desperate among us -- proclaiming all the while his direct line to some vengeful, blood-drenched faux-god who demands only hatred and intolerance from his subjects, and has no use for silly crap like the New Testament teachings of mercy and tolerance.

Piss on him and his blighted grave. May there be a particularly warm corner of hell where he and his kind will suffer horribly, and without respite, for all eternity.

As Bob Dylan famously sang in "Masters of War":

I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead.

He befouled the ground he stood on, and he poisons the ground he's buried in with his oozing toxic putrefaction.

I mourn his passing as I would mourn the passing of a plague of cholera.


Welcome to eternal misery, Jerry boy. You've certainly earned it.


wp

[Moochy]

50. Boo!

Concern Trolls for teh win!

[Wiley50]

55. And You're Scarring Me. Gonna need Plastic Surgury

Can I put it on YOUR Credit Card?

[ellisonz]

61. *dances*

[JuniperLea]

63. I'd have done the same when Hitler died...

Had I been around.

One should always rejoyce when something evil dies!

[slowry]

74. Worse IMO

I don't even care how happy anyone is, or not... the thing that drives me nuts is that so many people feel they need to individually start 5 threads on it. Seriously, why not just keep it to like 10 or 20 threads? Why 400?

[zulchzulu]

78. Falwell and his legacy deserve whatever is said about him

I equate his passing with the banning of DDT.

His venemous, poisonous mind was a far cry from the teachings of Jesus... and you can bet he is nowhere where he thought he was heading.

His poisonous hate will no longer hail its lowly delusions anymore. The World is a much better place now that he's dead.

[scrinmaster]

81. Refresh my memory,

what was the DU reaction when they hung Saddam Hussein?

[youthere]

85. Well, I'm not exactly "happy dancing" but I can promise there'll be no rending of garments either.