Speaking Ill of the Dead

As most of you probably know, Jerry Falwell died this week.

Jerry Falwell was a talented leader who did an extremely good job of playing off of the fears and bigotries of many Americans. He was a friend of the openly racist Apartheid government in South Africa, defending the country and opposing divestment. He attacked those who weren't heterosexual and used anti-gay sentiment as a tool of self-promotion.

The scary thing is that he managed to do this with a great deal of humor and personality. He was friendly, charming and used his skills to greatly advance the cause of oppression in this country.

I neither mourn nor praise his death. When we, however, as a people, rise up and fight back against the pseudo-religious anti-human anti-science philosophy that Falwell helped propagate, I will celebrate.