GOODLATTE: Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight to honor the memory of my constituent and my friend, the late Rev. Jerry Falwell.Oh, and he also called the Civil Rights Movement the "Civil Wrongs Movement" and supported Apartheid! What a great guy!GOODE: I rise tonight to pay homage to Dr. Jerry Falwell....
GOODLATTE: He lived his life trying to strengthen the moral fabric of our great nation.
CANTOR: ... and a great leader in America's conservative movement.
GOODLATTE: Jerry lived his life guided by a strong set of values and an unshakable moral compass.
CANTOR: ... a true patriot ...
GOODE: His mission remained the same: to train young champions for Christ.
GOODLATTE: The list of Jerry Falwell's many ministries and accomplishments is nearly endless.
GOODLATTE: And I join the nation in mourning this great spiritual leader.
I'm glad Eric Cantor will only be "representing" me for another month. Ugh!
I read an editorial in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently that made the point that Falwell's efforts at pulling the country to the right on social issues has generally backfired. People are now more accepting as normal the very things Falwell hated and preached against. You have to wonder if he would have been more successful if he wasn't seen as such a polarizing figure (and if he hadn't said such outrageous things all the time).
While I'm sure there are things that Falwell can be genuinely congratulated for, his contribution to the public discourse is not one of them, and these reps should be laughed out of town for their remarks praising him.
But, Falwell has passed away, and we should not dance on his grave. That's just rude. But we can call these reps out for what they say they are supporting. And that we definitely need to do!
Matusleo
Ut Prosim
These guys are trash and shame the rest of Virginia.
"Buy shiny stuff, worship celebrity, and leave the driving to us"