Jerry Falwell Still Dead; or, Golly, Now I'm Really on the InterWebs

In celebration of my first anonymous flame exchange (see previous post), I decided to weigh in again on the national discussion around Jerry Falwell's demise yesterday.

Being of a genteel nature, I blanche at feelings of joyfulness around the death of any person. Falwell's death, however, puts a tremendous strain on my sensibility. Nonetheless, in the previous column, I tried to remain as factually accurate as possible. Bigots everywhere must indeed be saddened by "Dr." Falwell's passing, since he was such an effective purveyor of bigotry. Falwell did, after all, give the segregationist governor George Wallace a platform on the nationally broadcast "Old Time Gospel Hour." Falwell did rise to national prominence as a conservative Christian leader while attacking Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and what Falwell termed "the Civil Wrongs Movement."

It is important, too, to shine a bit of light on Falwell's ongoing impact on our national political landscape. Falwell shaped the contemporary Republican party as much as Ronald Reagan did. George W. Bush has publicly expressed strong feelings for Falwell, and the president counted on Falwell's tremendous financial and network support to get him elected, just as Reagan did. This is all a matter of public record and easily available from countless sources.

Here are the first round of comments from the leading Republican candidates for president about Falwell's legacy:

John McCain, who in the 2000 campaign for president listed Falwell among the "agents of intolerance," changed his tune of late (another testament to Falwell's power amongst Republicans). McCain described Falwell yesterday as, " "a man of distinguished accomplishment who devoted his life to serving his faith and country." (McCain was also the commencement speaker at Falwell's Liberty University last year.)

Mitt Romney called Falwell, ""an American who built and led a movement based on strong principles and strong faith."

And Rudy Giuliani, while inspecting the Republican debate site on Tuesday, called Falwell, "a man who set a direction" and someone who was "not afraid to speak his mind."

Note that the three top candidates all used weasel words. On one hand, none of them stated any direct support of Falwell's "principles" or "direction." On the other hand, not one of them spoke ill of the segreationist, gay-baiting, Apartheid-supporting late pastor from Virginia. (See a fine article about some of Falwell's rather scary, bigotted positions and political rise on the Southern Poverty Law Center's Website, here.)

It should be enough, I hope, to point to Falwell's long record of hate and intolerance and ask Republicans, whose party platform was largely built by Falwell's labor, if they wish to continue to support that record now that the bigot is dead. Falwell was a very public, hugely influential conservative. Although I'm sure his death is painful for his family, pointing out the facts of the man's history upon his death and asking President George W. Bush and the Republican candidates if they continue to side with him is not only perfectly fair, but also urgently necessary.