Is being mean cool now?

I know this isn't breaking news, but Jerry Falwell died this week.

In full disclosure, I'm a proud evangelical Christian. My Christianity, however, does not make me a raving fan of Mr. Falwell.

I think that Jerry would often spout out ridiculous statements in the interest of advancing a political motive. I also think that Jerry would then hide behind his Chrisitanity when anyone would challenge some of the stupid things he would say. Jerry, I believe, was also a great evangelist and brought many people to Christ.

TMZ.com posted this the day that Falwell died. Why? Sure Falwell said Tinky-Winky was a gay type character thay would negatively influence our children. Is that a stupid thing to say? Yes. Does Tinky-Winky accurately sum up what Jerry Falwell brought to the table while here on Earth? No. I believe TMZ.com did this because it's "cool" to be mean now. Whether you agree with Jerry Falwell or not, don't you think that a man deserves a little respect moments after he dies?

Our society continues to get more and more coarse with not many people seeming to care. We all latch on to the latest story and suck any humanity right out of it all in the name of being informed. We laugh at someone dying because we don't agree with them, all the while ignoring the fact that there is a family that is grieving the loss of a loved one.

Humor is good. I love to laugh. I love to laugh at my own expense. Question is, have we started down a slippery slope?