You lie!

One would be hard-pressed to discover any American who is not aware of Rep. Joe Wilson’s outburst during a joint session of Congress: He yelled at the President of the United States, breached decorum, yelled a lie himself and might go down in history as “You Lie Wilson” for it.

What seemed to be an outraged heckle lacked any wit or forethought. Its zing upon hitting the ears of millions never rang.

Joe Wilson gave a bad name to heckling. Only a few weeks later, the hecklers began to prowl again, armed with free speech and quick wit to combat outrageous claims and fear-filled fumes.

It would not be long before they found a target.

Hundreds of students turned up Sept. 29 and 30 to not only listen but also to respond to Richard Roskovich as he preached the terrors of our modern world.

Our sins ranged from masturbation, to gays, to liberals,  to those who do not support “God Capitalism.” Damn all of them.

While the Mormons and the preachers with the cute little green Bibles and the occasional street preachers have been around campus before, such a preaching tour de force full of hellfire and brimstone (redeemable in the blood of Jesus) provided IU with a unique glimpse into an area of free speech that made some uncomfortable.

The ramblings and occasional wrenching guitar tune gave a name and a face to this man here at IU as he continues his world travels, but more importantly, it empowered those intelligent enough to send clever remarks back his way.

Roskovich: “You can be saved by nothing but the blood of Jesus.”
Crowd member: “How do I take him in? Orally?”

Roskovich: “Let’s take for example, Freddie Mercury.”
Crowd member: “Was he gay?”

Roskovich: “Cannabis can open the mind.”
Crowd member: “I’m high on cannabis right now and I can see you’re a dumbass.”

None of these retorts offer eternal truths or powerful theological statements; they are merely free speech in action – heckling at its best.

They aim to poke fun at the ridiculous nature of something concrete and grounded through outrageous and sarcastic connections. They speak to those watching the exchange and offer both humor and free expression in resistance to the intolerance and hatred.

For a man who works to convince people they need a savior, it must not be difficult to pick out people’s faults from a distance. For a crowd of a few hundred students to look the same man in the face and jab at his reality with their own, it takes and creates some chutzpah and intelligence.

So next time Brother Rich is out wailing and whining with his guitar, have a seat, and don’t be afraid to do a little shouting back. We say powerful preaching can create empowered intellectuals.