Let's Stop Dancing On Jerry Falwell's Grave

As many of my colleague HuffPo bloggers have written today, Jerry Falwell said and believed some mean things. The Ciintons were murderers, God did not hear prayers from Jews, our nation's embrace of evil, Satanic ways prompted the same God to be AWOL on 9/11, etc.

I was and am not a fan of Rev. Falwell's either. But the truth is that unlike so many other clergy, he said what he believed and nurtured an admiring congregation by living and advocating as he believed.

The fact that what Falwell believed and espoused was 100% polar opposite from what we think may have tied our brains in knots and made us feel rage. He sure had that affect on me.

But I am not dancing on his grave tonight.

For to do so would stoop down to his level, and also leave we liberals open to charges that we lack humanity.

Let the man be buried, and his loving family mourn.

Then, rather than rag on his memory, go forward in the guidance of our better angels.

Use our hearts, minds, and our communications skills to maybe get some of his flock to moderate their tone a bit, while teaching-not haranguing- those who may have been tempted by Rev. Falwell's words to know that there is a kinder, gentler, and quite likely more mindful way to walk through this world he left behind today.