Jerry Falwell died today, and scientists announced the discovery of an enormous amount of dark matter in space. Coincidence? Far be it from me to eulogize Falwell, who formed the “Moral Majority” that laid the groundwork for evangelical control of politics, and who said of the 9/11 attacks: “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America…I point the finger in their face and say ‘You helped this happen.’ ” Other weird stuff Falwell said, from Wikipedia:

Labor unions should study and read the Bible instead of asking for more money. When people get right with God, they are better workers.”Regarding public schools, “I hope to see the day when, as in the early days of our country, we don’t have public schools. The churches will have taken them over again and Christians will be running them.” (America Can Be Saved!, Sword of the Lord Publishers, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 1979, p. 52-53.)

Here’s a letter written to Falwell on April 30 by some sixth-graders who were studying Buddhism; I found it on Huffington Post.