Horns -and Picket Signs- High

I can still remember the first time I heard Ronnie James Dio sing.  It was the song Rainbow in the Dark, with its thundering and unforgettable opening riff and Dio wailing and growling, imparting a sense of foreboding and despair, all with impeccable vibrato, and Vivian Campbell blowing me away with a guitar lead that cut like razorblades.  Dio's vocals seemed bigger than life, and I was drawn into the song, longing to hear more.  To the metal music fan, Ronnie James Dio set the standard for all other vocalist to aspire to.  His music was full of magic, mystery  and monsters, and was  imparted to the listener with beauty and soul, and when called for, with brutality.

On May 16th, he lost his battle with stomach cancer, leaving behind his wife and son, and a musical legacy like no other.  His legacy also includes two charitable organizations; Children of the Night, dedicated to rescuing children from prostitution, and Stand Up and Shout, raising money for cancer research.  A titan in metal and in life, he will be missed.  Horns High.

A public memorial service was held for Dio May 30th. Attending were Dio's family, friends, fans, and sadly, picketers from the Westboro Baptist Church.  Westboro Baptist Church is a cult like, hate mongering pseudo Christian church that crusades to spread the hate filled idiocy of it's leader, Fred Phelps.  They are the group that picket the funerals of our fallen heroes that have lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, because they say the US government supports and encourages homosexuality.  If you are trying to figure the correlation between a person's sexuality and our military at war, don't, they can't explain it either.  Phelp's church, primarily populated by his extended family, seem to be on a crusade to impose a demented morality on America, and the homosexual community is their main target.  They carry signs while picketing that say, God Hates Fags and God Hates Fag Enablers, along with God Hates America and several different ones that tell a variety of people they will burn in hell.  I would recommend watching the documentary, Fall From Grace, that reveals the hate and bigotry of Phelps group, along with the evil child abuse this group perpetrates.  It's eye opening.

It would seem Dio was on their radar screen as well.  He was considered by Phelps and his minions to be a Satanist, presumably because Dio is credited with coming up with the "devil horns" sign.  If one was to extend their fore finger and small (pinky) finger, then hold down the two middle fingers with your thumb, you will have the terribly heinous devil horns popular in metal music.  Dio also wrote about magic and wizardry,  monsters and demons.  For this, Westboro picketed his memorial, claiming Dio to be a worshiper of the dark prince.  And though Dio has answered no to the insipid question about worshiping Satan in the past, there are still a few ludicrous twits that can't let go of it, namely Westboro Baptist Church.  Fortunately, there were few picketers, along with an equal number of counter-picketers, and did not interfere with the tribute at all.

What can you say?  I could easily turn this one into a Sunday Morning Mulling, but will refrain.  Yet, this kind of hatred needs to be repulsed by decent people everywhere.  Dio certainly didn't deserve their disdain.  And the black eye to the Christian community is equally unwarranted.  Does religion, with its many facets, harbor bigotry and hatred?  You only have to look to the radical Muslims our brave men and women of the Armed forces battle everyday to get that answer.  It's ironic Phelp's free speech is protected by the very one's he protests.  Ironically, those same warriors battle fundamental and systemic hatred, similar to Phelps' own, in the Middle East.  It makes one think to heed those words sung by the great Ronnie James Dio, stand up and shout.  Indeed.