In The Time of Your Life
I have been so swamped with rehearsals I haven't had much time to update the "Diary" in the last few days, but I wanted to make sure to touch on something that has been bugging me a great deal.I can't tell you the amount of forums I've visited that have sung "Ding, dong, the witch is dead!" rejoicing over the death of Jerry Fallwell. From gay message boards to adult entertainment forums, it seems to be a resounding sentiment among any group of people who he directly targeted with his verbal attacks throughout his life. Some people seem to be taking so much pleasure in his death and in his family's loss.
"Well, he spread so much hatred!" they say.
To which I want to say, "Well what do you think you're doing?"
How are we any better than he if we're rejoicing in the man's death and the family's suffering? How hypocritical can we possibly be? Now is the time for us, as a community, to offer our love, our support and our condolances; not to stoop to someone else's level merely because they behaved that way in their lifetime. That's like an oxymoron of sorts, isn't it? It's like calling something a "war against terror" when war is terror. It makes no sense and only makes you a hypocrite.
When I saw Barbra Streisand in concert last year, she quoted this beautiful foreward from William Saroyan's play, In the Time of Your Life. Saroyan wrote:
"In the time of your life, live. Seek goodness everywhere and when it is found, bring it out of its hiding place and let it be free and unashamed. Discover in all things, that which shines and is beyond corruption. Be the inferior of no man or of any man be superior. Remember that every man is a variation of yourself. In the time of your life, live so that in that wonderous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite delight and mystery of it."
Just more words to live by.
Song of the Week: "The Time of Your Life (Saroyan Foreward)/A Cockeyed Optimist"
Barbra Streisand - Streisand Live in Concert 2006
posted by Jason Sechrest at 8:13 PM
7 Comments:
Jason,
I share your sentiment. I hesitated to write about Falwell's death at all, but even when I do post an entry about him I didn't rejoice in his death. I tried to talk steer clear of that because that just isn't cool. No matter what he did politically. You are more than welcome to call me out if my post seemed nasty but I tried to inject some humanity into it.
I, for one, certainly agree with you Jason. I felt sorry for Jerry Fallwell when he was alive, because preaching hate and discrimination is sad and I know that it probably hurt a lot of people. I did not judge him then and I will not try and judge him now... because that is just not appropriate. My thoughts and prayers go out to the Fallwell family and it is my sincere hope that most of the gay community feels the same way. People fear what they don't understand... and if a person is not gay, there is no way for them to completely understand. To propagate hate toward Jerry Fallwell and those who loved him is morally and ethically wrong. Yea, yea, I know that morals and ethics are relative terms, but human decency should be universally understood. Thanks for an insigtful read. Jason... you rock brother, thats all there is to it!
~Shane~
I may be using one of the worst example, but should we give our condolances to Hitler or McCarthy or the past evil dictators/controversial figures for their death?
Falwell's word from his mouth is a weapon that hurts and kill people. Where's his condolances or his family's when Falwell commented the Gays and AIDS curse? Did we ever give any criminals or serial killers' family condolances?
I think you know this is pretty much justified why we are in so much of a joy over this, and it just shows how vicious can gay people or Falwell-haters can be, but as much as you wouldlike to see this "cycle of hatred" bring shattered, it'll never happen unfortunately. I really doubted everyone has the ability are willing to be the first to do so.
cheers.
Jason you are so full of shit.
I can only hope the fucker suffered.
Take that kablahblahblah crap and shove it.
Marc - Your post was great! And thanks for commenting here. xo L, J.
Shane - Glad you understand where I'm coming from and it's good to know that other people out there can have empathy instead of hatred. Hatred is going to get us nowhere fast. xo L, J.
Jimmy - Well, I don't know about condolances to Hilter or McCarthy. Maybe to their family. Definitely to their family actually. You can't condemn the whole buch because of one rotten apple. But that's not my point really. My point is that people we might deem "evil" were not born evil. No one comes out of the womb that way, you know? They have a set of individuals around them that shape them and they have events that occur in their lives that make up who they are and what they believe in with all their heart and soul. If we had been born to that atmosphere, we could've become the same person. We have not walked in their shoes. So if you have the option, which I believe we all do, you can either feel empathy and sadness for the hatred that has been placed in the heart of these individuals -- or you can further the cycle of hate by hating them right back. Choosing the former is how you shatter the cycle. Can we shatter it permanently? Will everyone do it? No. But if you want to change the world and if you want to stop hatred and stop war, you can only start with yourself. xo L, J.
7:43 - Well yeah, you're just as entitled to handle it that way as I am to handle it mine. I just don't agree with it, but you know... kick ass and take names, brother. xo L, J.
Jerry Falwell's family WELL supported his hideous views of us, there is no need to let them "grieve properly." No doubt they will try to carry on his disgusting legacy. He was a fraud, a crook and an incredible bigot on so many levels. He is the main person who convinced Reagan to IGNORE AIDS in 1980, and here we are 27 years later, STILL TERRIFIED. He said AIDS was GOD'S PUNISHMENT. Your defense of him is considerably more disgusting than any Anti-Jerry Falwell parties. And finally---and not to be taken lightly--about 5 years ago, Tinky Winky was voted AMERICA'S MOST HATED TOY. WHY? Because Falwell declared him gay. It is a CLEANER world now, that that vile person is GONE. One less EVIL person in our way. It was a joyous day. Get some pride, do your reseach and stick to porn writing, where you seen to have more passion.
11:22 - Well, do you believe in freedom of speech? Because if you do, you have to allow Falwell his opinion and the right to voice it. Doesn't mean you have to agree with it. But he had an opinion. He voiced it. People listened. This is the land of the free and I'd like to keep it that way. The people who are saying, "I disagree with everything he stood for so he deserved to die..." are saying the exact same thing that Falwell said about those AIDS patients. *shrugs* Hate is hate. Doesn't really matter where you direct it, love. I'm not defending Falwell's opinions and beliefs. But I will defend his right to voice them to my grave. Otherwise, I'm just a hypocrite. xo L, J.
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