“I think we have a responsibility to our students – who paid to be here, who want to be here, who love it here – to give them the ability to be with their friends, to continue their studies, enjoy the room and board they’ve already paid for and to not interrupt their college life.”
– Jerry Falwell, Jr., on why he kept Liberty University open, despite the COVID-19 crisis.
As some 5,000 students returned from spring break, Falwell defied the national trend of closing campuses and ordered faculty to return to their offices, even as classes moved to online forums. Within a week, COVID-19 began showing up among some Liberty students. In some way, I really don’t have much sympathy for anyone at Liberty. It’s founder, the late Jerry Falwell, Sr., was one of the worst bigots this country ever produced. After the 9/11 catastrophe, for example, he blamed the usual cadre of un-wantables: feminists, gays, environmentalists, etc. He was also among the gang of right-wing assholes who declared that AIDS came directly from the “Hand of God.” At one time, many years ago, Liberty would not allow interracial “dating” and access to handicapped individuals. They may have changed their stance on those matters, but their early 1900s, Neanderthal-style reputation speaks for their ignorance.
I keep thinking, if people like those at Liberty refuse to accept the dire warnings associated with the COVID-19 scare and end up getting sick and dying, that’s fine with me. The fewer morons among us, the better! As we say in Texas, ‘You can’t fix stupid.’
Chief Writing Wolf 