Refresher course in liberalism

[motocicleta]

Liberals are in favor of personal liberty; "(in a political context) favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform : a liberal democratic state." As in the freedom to do what one pleases, unless it is harmful to others.

So if you do not like my glee at the death of the spawn of Satan, Falwell, that is fine - to each her own. If you are desirous that I stop expressing my glee - again, that is fine. To each his own. However, if you try to pressure me and mine to shut up because we are expressing our joy that the old evil is gone - that is not liberal, understanding, or openminded. That is conservative.

Please consider which side of the spectrum you are on before posting on DU that I should shut up about anything, much less the death of an evil, evil person. I believe there are other websites for conservatives to enjoy.

[tom_paine]

1. K & R

:kick: & :toast:

[More Than A Feeling]

2. OT: Great sig, great CD!

Sorry to be off-topic, but I love that song!

[motocicleta]

20. Sons and Daughters slays me.

I cannot listen to it without tearing, but in a great way.

[magellan]

3. Hear, hear!

[MLFerrell]

4. You, madam, have garnered a recommendation.

[StarryNite]

5. Well said! Well said!

:applause:

[spoony]

6. Hatred is harmful

That's why there are rules against hate speech here. Whilst the target of this hate is dead and cannot be hurt, the hate itself creates a negative and harmful atmosphere, something people allegedly found bad about Falwell but are more than gleeful to propagate.

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

9. No

Jerry Falwell was hateful, people on this board are venting anger. Let me guess: straight, white, male, religious? Since you weren't a target of this man's hatred I guess you can dismiss it and feel superior to others who were hurt by this bastard's words and actions. Kindly place this "superiority" where light can't reach.

[spoony]

10. As the target of yours, however

I still do not respond with hatred. It's called being a grown up.

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

13. Get off your fucking horse.

A very bad man has died, a man that made a fortune off of vilifying an entire segment of the population. He had the ear of Ronald Regan (another miserable piece of human shit) during the AIDS epidemic. He influenced national policy on many issues, was opposed to civil rights, supported apartheid, and made hate and bigotry fashionable. GLBT members of this forum, who have been on the receiving end of this man's vile puke want to vent their righteous anger. How FUCKING dare you, or anyone else deny them this opportunity. This is a long time coming and these people will be heard. If you don't like it I suggest you find another forum to be a "grown up" on.

I'm sick and tired of people trying to stifle this healthy expression of anger.

[spoony]

14. I'm not going anywhere, and I'm not stopping.

So if YOU don't like it you can either put me on ignore or continue to argue. It won't change anything.

Let me show you a post I just saw:

"My only regret is that his death was not more painful and drawn out."

If you think this is a "healthy expression of anger," then you must have thought Cho's rampage was just a little venting, eh?

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

15. I wish his death was more painful,

there I said it. For what he advocated, a painful death is what this gluttonies pig deserved. I take it you've never known an AIDS patient? It's times like these I wish there was an afterlife. Knowing this horrible man was frying in the very hell his fucked up religion believes in would go a little way in making up for the hell on earth he helped create for many innocent people. I find it funny people like you are so quick to shield people like Jerry Falwell and Ronald Reagan from any criticism. I for one am not going grave dancing, I didn't when Reagan died either. I will however, take this time to remember and grieve for the people these two monsters had no empathy for. AIDS patients, GLBT who to this day strive for equal rights, poor people, and the homeless. These are the people who deserve our thoughts and empathy. Ronnie and Jerry lived full lives, most people, especially the ones they shit on didn't have that opportunity.

If your going to stay I suggest growing a thicker skin, and not crying when a member of this LIBERAL message board attack one of your sacred cows.

[spoony]

16. Well at least you admit it.

Though your insistence that you aren't grave dancing is, to put it lightly, laughable. I have few sacred cows, Falwell isn't one of them, but I do find the frothing assumptions about me interesting.

[Moses2SandyKoufax]

18. Could have fooled me.

I see you on every thread jumping to his defense, scolding DUers for expressing a contrary opinion.

No, I'm not grave dancing. It pisses me off that a bunch of smug assholes have taken it upon themselves to tell certain members what opinions of Jerry Falwell's death they're entitled to. Kind of like the Imus fiasco where white (surprise, surprise) posters tried to tell others what they could, and couldn't find offensive.

[pampango]

23. Good that you are not dancing on his grave.

I hope (though it is a futile hope) that the freepers will show equal restraint when a liberal icon dies.

[BoneDaddy]

22. I think you may have missed the point

There is a differnce between being glad that a very influential man's hate has come to an end and glorifying in some macabre celebration of hate for him.

I for one share that awareness and joy that he can no longer continue his legacy of hate.

If we hate him, he has won.

[hiaasenrocks]

7. I think some people just got confused.

The posts expressing guilt, compassion and regret over the death of Hussein and Zarqawi misled some people into thinking DU was a place where death was lamented.

It'll all shake out, I'm sure...

[Kurovski]

17. Spoken like a right-wing columnist I used to read.

How ya doin'?

I'm having trouble finding the threads you speak of. Please let us know where we can find them.

K&R.

[Bluerthanblue]

8. would your liberal paradigm not

include the freedom for others to state their views about people reacting to someones death, without being told to shut up and go find another site???

Or does freedom only belong to "me" when it agrees with "you"?

A big tent has many people in it- and needs to be big so that people have room to bump into each other and still remain under it's shelter.

I'm not asking anyone to leave- Do I have to join you, to be allowed to speak freely?
Thats a pretty narrow 'liberal' isn't it??

peace,
blu

[spoony]

12. No, no, anyone dissenting is a freeper WASP

I'm sure at some point someone's going to just go off the deep end and call me a child molester, I've seen every other nonsensical insult today. You probably have too!

[motocicleta]

19. I did not ask, nor did I intend, for you to shut up and go to another site

I merely wished those embarrassed by DU to consider the pros and cons of living in a liberal society. Sometimes you have to live with ugliness to defend your own right to being ugly.

Peace,
Matt

[mcctatas]

11. Well put...

I was beginning to feel a little ghoulish, but fuck that. I am sorry that he will no longer be around for his loved ones, and even for his fellow Christianists, but truth be told, I am more grateful that he will no longer be around to spew the kind of hateful rhetoric that divides families, alienates huge segments of our populace, and encourages irrational hatred in people who honestly believe he had a hotline to God! If there is a heaven, I hope he's there because I'm sure the people in charge would love to ask him just what the hell he was thinking!

[BoneDaddy]

21. I don't think you need to shut up

I just think it shows a lack of class to behave like Falwell while criticizing him. Seems awfulling inconsistent. Am I happy that Falwell no longer can continue to influence Americans with his brand of hate? Sure.

Do I want to roll around in glee, celebrating his death with a level of hate that is similar to his own dark thinking? No.

I think it is a matter of showing some class.