F***, Carlin's Dead!

George Carlin died yesterday at the age of 71. The lump in my throat is still there while I'm typing this. I couldn't stay away from writing in my blog today about him.

Growing up, I don't recall having many heros in my life. My Uncle Dusty was a father figure for me when mine wasn't being one. John Entwistle of The Who was and will always be my bass hero. But I don't think it was until my late 20's or early 30's that Carlin grew into a hero for me.

My first exposure to Carlin was the 1980's HBO special, "Carlin at Carnege". I laughed my ass off, and didn't mind the fact that HBO kept playing it over and over again. I still do his quote from that show to this day.

"HOW DO YOU KNOOOOW YOU DON'T LIKE IT, IF YOU HAVEN'T - EVEN - TRIED?!!??!"

"Hello, boys! I've got... PUSSYFOOT!!!"

It was the first time I had heard someone poke fun at cats and dogs, the funny sounds your stomach makes and bad drivers.

It was about that time and later that I started drifting away from Christianity, to Agnosticism, and finally to Atheism over several years.

Then just a few years ago, I watched new HBO specials Carlin was doing that spoke heavily about his political and religious views. It was at this moment that I realized that I wasn't alone in my own views of politics and religion. It was, frankly, a huge relief that I wasn't just crazy! That these feelings I had as a non-believer were shared by other people, including George Carlin!

Not only that, but he was dishing this out to MILLIONS of people! On cable! To people who paid money to see him! On his albums! He was reaching a populous of people that I may never hope to achieve to reach myself, and throwing out the hard truth that no one wants to hear. No one wants to hear that there is no god, that your children aren't that special, that our government is fucking us all, that we're all pretty insignificant in the big picture, and that the "Save the Earth" movement should really be called, "Save the Humans".

I have a few friends who are Republican and religious, with whom I've shared my thoughts and feelings about politics and religion. And I know what they're thinking - that I'm a total Atheistic Liberal whackjob. I know, because I used to believe in god and frown upon Atheists, and wonder how they could do such a thing, as to go against god and against nature. Those ungrateful bastards!!! Believe me, I know! I know!

So try to imagine the feeling of validity I felt when I started hearing Carlin speak to the masses about the incredible indoctrination of bullshit that is religion. Carlin, is believed to be, across the board, to be the most legendary and talented stand up comic there has ever been in history. So even if you don't agree with his views on religion and politics, people do merit his words with at least some authority because of his popularity and status. If I say something people don't like, they can dismiss me. If Carlin says something they don't like, they just smile and move on to the next topic to talk about and avoid the arguement.

Carlin was my hero, in the fact that he was able to speak the words I would love to speak to the masses. And deliver the words in a humorous agressive way that allowed almost everyone to listen and accept what he had to say, and not be dismissed as a whackjob, like some people in my life think I am.

Simple fact is, I love George Carlin for his accomplishments, and taking a stand against the government and against the god delusion. Carlin spent his last days speaking the truth. People called it dark. Maybe Carlin felt like he could take all the liberty he wanted in preaching his own views on politics and religion. But to me, he did the most important thing that anyone in his position could. And that was to deliver the unfiltered truth to the masses, with no sugar added. That's getting harder and harder to find these days. For as much as people love Obama, McCain, Clinton, and the other presidential candidates, you won't hear them talk about the 100% truth, because it would be political suicide for them. Do you think that nobody holding a public office is an Atheist? They all know that if they admit to it, they'll be committing political suicide on themselves. Yet probably more people on Earth know about Carlin than they do the speaker of the house, and Carlin delivered the goods without suffering the reprisals.

We can only dream about another person filling Carlin's shoes.

Here's to you, George...