One of the more infuriating things one comes across in life is hypocrisy. Most specifically, people who say one thing and do another.
Perhaps the most infuriating hypocrisy is the type you find in politics and, sadly, religion. People who talk about honesty and are the last people in the world you should trust with your money. People who talk about living a pious, religious life and, well…
In these past few days one Jerry Falwell Jr., son of the late, notorious Jerry Falwell, he of the so-called “Moral Majority”, has been in a wee bit of trouble for these very things.
He took over his father’s Liberty University and is a (who would’a guessed) strong supporter of “President” Donald Trump and talks about all the things that get religious conservatives’ blood pumping. How liberals are evil and sin so very much. How you have to follow the bible. How homosexuality/lesbianism is evil. How low taxes are wonderful and social services are bad.
You know the drill.
Thing is, Mr. Falwell Jr. is starting to feel pressure. People once in his circles (or perhaps still are, I dunno), are starting to whisper about his own… hypocrisy.
The latest salvo against him involves a trip he made to The Wall Club in Miami in 2014. Photos surfaced of him within the club and he vehemently denied being there on that date and with his son. He went so far as to publish an article in Politico stating that the photograph showing him in the club was “Photoshopped”. He is pissed because a religious conservative such as himself would never stoop so low as to go to a heathen, Bacchanal club such as that one. Never, never, NEVER…
Well…
The problem with making such vehement denials and by implication accusing those who presented the photograph that showed you in this *ahem* position is that they may take umbrage at being called liars who Photoshop someone into their photographs to tear a “good man” down.
In fact, they may take such umbrage at this accusation that they decide to go back to their files from that day back in 2014 and see if maybe, just maybe, they have even more pictures which show our good “Christian” moralist in this club that he swears he would never set foot in and anyone accusing him of doing such a thing are liars with Photoshop skills.
…and maybe when searching through those pictures, they happen to find few more more showing Mr. Moral Majority right there, exactly in the club he swears he would never be in. And maybe, just maybe, when they do find these additional pictures they post them online for everyone to see…
Rebuke to Jerry Falwell Jr.’s comments to Politico’s “Someone’s gotta tell the truth”
Here’s the thing: There is no law against absolute moralists like Jerry Falwell Jr. and his son going to a popular Miami club. There is nothing wrong with him being there and drinking a little and (perhaps) dancing a little and having a fun time.
It’s not like these photos show him groping an underage boy or doing a line of cocaine or reaching for money to pay a well known prostitute as she’s unzipping his pants.
All we see here is Mr. Falwell Jr. and his son in a popular club alongside many other partiers. No big deal, right?
Sadly, for people like Jerry Falwell Jr., even showing up at such a “heathen” establishment runs counter to his strict, moralistic facade.
And, based on the photographs, it is a facade.
Had Mr. Falwell simply come out and said: “Yeah, back then I went to a club in Miami with my son and it was glitsy and loud and I didn’t really like it all that much and wouldn’t go there again” you wouldn’t have this mini-blow up.
He would likely be lying. He doesn’t look like he’s having a bad time at the club and what exactly did he expect to find there?
But it might have saved him this fresh embarrassment.