Freddy Phelps is comin' to Town...

[BiggJawn]

They're burying another casuality in Il Douche's "Freedumb March" today, and just guess who's coming to the funeral?

Yup, Westboro Fundy Cult.

The Lafayette, IN police have set aside an area for them to try and satisfy their pathological need for attention...

Stay WELL back on the sidewalk, Fred, Hoosiers are notoriously bad drivers....

[DanCa]

1. Phelps is a cancer .

A rotting disease. One of these days I am going to run into Phelps and his ilk and it scares me of what I might do to him. Riddle me this riddle me that who's afraid of my baseball bat.

[LynneSin]

7. I'm sorry - that's just insultive to cancer

I mean, I'd rather have a raging case of cancer then to put up with this asshole!

[Contrary1]

13. Believe me, you wouldn't rather have cancer.

I wish I had known about this ahead of time. Lafayette is about
an hour drive from me...and I found out last week I had glaucoma.

[HughBeaumont]

15. Use a mattock handle.

After all, this is what he would beat his children repeatedly with. Records state that he gave his sons up to 200 blows with this thing.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I hope Phelps' "free speech zone" is

about two miles from the cemetery, on a road not used by the mourners. This group deserves to be ignored.

[Canuckistanian]

25. No witnesses, either. n/t

[Gato Moteado]

3. ah fred phelps, the freeper preacher.

hope his karma catches up with him soon.

[hlthe2b]

4. I wonder what they'd do if a few fire volunteers turned the hoses

on them? :evilgrin:

[tool_of_the_people]

5. Fred Phelps. The man whose God...

hates everything - except for him and his homies.

[Vinnie From Indy]

6. You have to wonder where does this gut get the money to travel

all over America to protest.

[tool_of_the_people]

8. From the collection basket...

I'd bet money. All of those 10% tithes.

[LostinVA]

9. His Church is basically his family

ALL LAWYERS.

[jmowreader]

12. From his OWN FAMILY? You're kidding, right?

Phelps has videos of his sermons on his website. In them you can see the sanctuary of his...well, whatever you call the headquarters building for a religious cult, which is what Westboro Baptist Church is.

The sanctuary of WBC is about the same size as the living room of a medium-size singlewide mobile home.

This is fitting because WBC is not a large group--almost everyone who goes there is a member of Fred Phelps' extended family.

What Fred really doesn't understand is that if he'd simply relocate his brood to Alabama or Georgia, he'd have a large congregation. Not all Southerners subscribe to Fred Phelps' school of thought; however, there are many who do. Fred has adherents. Unfortunately for Fred, almost none of them live in Topeka.

[Marie26]

17. Yet his "church" is still

considered tax-exempt.:eyes:

[jmowreader]

30. I think the IRS is afraid to rule on Phelps' church

You're talking about a giant can of worms there.

WBC isn't a church. It's a hate group.

Consider, though: if the IRS had to rule on Phelps' tax-exempt status, they'd almost have to go after the Christian Coalition, American Family Association and whatever Falwell's calling the Moral Majority these days. They aren't churches either--they are very highly tuned political lobbying machines designed to put fundamentalist Republicans in office no matter how incompetent they really are.

Westboro Baptist Church doesn't have many friends. I don't think there are many Christians who would be sad to see it go--and if you were to pull WBC's 501(c)3 exemption it would dissolve in a heartbeat. But Pat Robertson and Donald Wildmon have lots of friends; they also have the proven ability to bury Congress in blast faxes and letters. Congress has the ability to remove the director of internal revenue, slash the IRS's budget or even to dissolve the agency. (And the Repukes in Congress have been pining for the opportunity to do exactly those things; the IRS going after these lobbying groups in churches' clothing would be that opportunity.)

WBC is safe so long as we have Repukes in office who are willing to subvert America for the benefit of the religious right.

[Marie26]

31. Probably true

And it's probably not coincidence that all of Phelps' children are trained LAWYERS. The IRS probably figured it isn't worth the effort & trouble. I agree that the IRS is probably scared of the power of the bigger Christian groups. There's not much we can do about it - but I'll still be annoyed by it.

[RamboLiberal]

10. I was really ticked yesterday - news service on local radio

KDKA Pittsburgh which I believe was CNN provided attributed a bill going through South Dakota legislature to ban these protests was because "antiwar protestors" had picketed two recent funerals.

Of course if was Phelp's wacky bunch. But instead the radio report made it seem like liberal protestors! G'rrrrr

Info on the bill.

http://www.yankton.net/stories/012806/community_20060128011.shtml

A legislative bill prohibiting pickets at South Dakota funerals, such as occurred at the memorial service for two members of the Yankton-based Charlie Battery, has flown through its first hearing and should hit the Senate floor early next week.
SB156 -- whose sponsors include the three Yankton County legislators -- was unanimously passed Friday by the state Senate Judiciary Committee. If passed by the full Legislature and signed by Gov. Mike Rounds, the bill becomes law immediately.

The bill was spurred by protests in recent months at funerals in Huron, Rapid City and Yankton for servicemen who died in Iraq.

The bill would make it illegal to picket from one hour before until one hour after funeral services. Violators could be jailed for 30 days. Families could also seek damages from protesters found guilty of picketing. Each day of picketing would constitute a separate offense.

One instance spurring the legislation was last month's picketing of the Yankton memorial service for Sgt. First Class Richard Schild, 40, of Tabor and Staff Sgt. Dan Cuka, 27, of Yankton. The protesters from Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas were countered by a larger crowd of area residents supporting the soldiers and their families.

[Yollam]

11. I like Fred Phelps...

...he makes them (fundies) look bad and us look good.

Only the lunatic fringe buy into his crap. It's the fundies that couch their hate in pseudoscience and logical or progressive-sounding platitudes that scare me.

[mdmc]

14. I don't like that dude, but

he sure makes the GOP look bad.

[BrotherBuzz]

19. He's a Democrat

:shrug:

[mdmc]

22. I never knew that!

He came to New Paltz, NY and got booed back to his cave... I remember all the local GOP talking heads trying to distance themself from him (the dems never had to)...

I guess he make conservative bigots look bad, and the GOP fits that bill!

[Marie26]

16. Sometimes I think all the outrage

actually helps him. Isn't that what they're looking for - publicity? Maybe if the media ignores them, they'll go away.

[MadHound]

18. So, you know where the exact spot that Phelps and his crew

Are going to be "protesting" on? If so, then my suggestion is geese, lots and lots of geese. Pin the geese up on this area, and feed them well, very well. And then let nature take its course. Preety soon said area will stink to high heaven, and be slick as all get out. Let's see how well Phelps can keep it going then:evilgrin:

[chat_noir]

20. Fred Phelps Timeline

1929
Fred Waldron Phelps is born on Nov. 13 in Meridian, Miss.

1947
Phelps enrolls in but never graduates from Bob Jones University, a highly conservative religious school known for banning interracial dating (a policy changed only in 2000) and for attacking Catholicism.

Ordained as a Baptist preacher at age 17, he spends the summer trying to convert Mormons.


1952
After Phelps' California street ministry against dirty jokes and sexual petting is profiled by Time magazine, Fred and Marge Phelps meet and are married. Over the next 16 years, they will have 13 children.


1954
The Phelpses arrive in Topeka on May 4, the same day that the U.S. Supreme Court issues its historic Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka ruling, finding that "separate but equal" public schools are unconstitutional.


1955
On Nov. 27, the first service is held at Phelps' new Westboro Baptist Church (WBC).

But most of his congregation leaves the church after a series of internal conflicts, and Phelps is forced to support himself by selling vacuum cleaners and baby carriages door to door.


1964
Phelps earns a law degree from Washburn University in Topeka, but has trouble joining the state bar when no judges are willing to vouch for his "good character," the normal procedure under Kansas law. Phelps overcomes this obstacle by providing recommendations from others.

Before the end of his legal career in 1989, Phelps will file some 400 suits, mostly in federal court. Estranged son Nathan Phelps will claim later that part of his father's strategy is to file frivolous lawsuits in the hope that his targets will settle to avoid the costs of defense.

1969
Until the mid-1970s, the Phelps family's main income reportedly comes from using the children to sell candy door to door for several hours each day. The children are also required to run several miles a day.

Also this year, the Kansas Supreme Court temporarily suspends Phelps' law license on three counts of professional misconduct. But it denies a request by the state board of law examiners to have Phelps disbarred permanently.


1972
Phelps files suit against lawyers, county commissioners and a judge in Topeka, alleging illegal acts by a "political machine" in Topeka. The defense answer says Phelps' suit was motivated by an earlier, now sealed, child abuse case against Phelps.

This same year, WBC is sued by two companies for failure to pay for the candy resold by the Phelps children.

The church is ordered to pay a reported $5,760 in one case; it settles for $1,650 in the other.


1974
Phelps files a $50-million class action suit against Sears after a local outlet is several days late delivering a television set. Litigation continues for six years and is eventually settled with Sears paying Phelps $126 ý about $60 less than Phelps' son originally paid for the TV, which he never receives.

more...

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=184

[cboy4]

21. Considering the adults are all psychologically disturbed

and the children have been brainwashed, it's no wonder this "family" keeps protesting gay and soldier funerals when they're not busy having sex with each other to create new racists.

Our outrage and counter-protests sadly do absolutely nothing but encourage them. I mean absolutely nothing. They get off on it. They hope for counter-protests and news coverage. It's their methamphetamine....their drug fix.

I understand it would be very, very tough to remain silent if they protested outside a funeral you were attending, but if people just ignored them, they might go away.

[Ganja Ninja]

23. One of these days someone will gun down Phelps and a few of

his followers. The irony is he'll be considered a criminal for doing so.

[Contrary1]

24. Update on Freddie & the Freaks:

Phelps' band of nitwits showed up for the funeral. So did a group of about 60 Indiana folks, largely made up of veterans who call themselves "The Patriot Guard Riders". The majority of them arrived on bikes. Many appeared to be, shall I say; well-nourished.

Anyway, the Patriot Guard Riders positioned themselves directly in front of the loonies, and unfurled large flags. No violence. No words. They just stood at attention.

The whack jobs left even before the services started. Mission accomplished. As the hearse left the church, the Patriot Guard Riders, still standing at attention, saluted.

http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=4430616

[BrotherBuzz]

26. Way cool!

Mahatma Gandhi smiles.

[SmokingJacket]

27. How about if everyone just ignored the asshole?

He clearly gets off on our rage.

Personally, I'm going to ignore him till he's dead, then throw a big ass party.

[Gatchaman]

28. Is this guy still around?

I really figured that some would take him out when he started desecrating the funeral services of soldiers. Or at least "convince" him of the error of his ways.

[JerseygirlCT]

29. Exactly

The best thing we can do is completely ignore him. Completely. He's not important. He's a bug. He's bug poop. He doesn't matter.

But oh how he wants to matter! Every bit of attention feeds the monster.

Ignore him, please!