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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 09:51 AM
Original message
Phelps protests tornado victim's funeral
Church protests storm victim's funeral
BY TIM POTTER
The Wichita Eagle

HAVILAND - Sarah Keller thought it was outrageous that someone would aim a protest at a church where people were honoring a military veteran who died after being injured by the Greensburg tornado.

<skip>

Keller and the Guard members said they were there to shield the grieving relatives from several protesters who held signs and sang parodies of patriotic tunes.

The protesters were from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka. One sign said: "God's Fury" and showed a churning twister.

<skip>

Minutes later, a man on a riding lawn mower cut a swath near the protesters, and one of the protesters, a woman, yelled: "Officer! Officer! He just spit on me!"

more . . .
http://kansas.com/news/story/73301.html
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Orsino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 09:56 AM
Response to Original message
1. Freedom of speech is a pain. n/t
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Gormy Cuss Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:10 AM
Response to Reply #1
6. Yeah it is. I marvel at the fact that none of Phelps clan gets pummeled at these events.
I guess most people have more common decency than the Phelps clan.
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Orsino Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:25 AM
Response to Reply #6
9. Yep.
They seem to be walking un-advertisements for their church. No new members beyond their own whelps.

They can't recruit, so they have to reproduce. :hide:
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rasputin1952 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:09 AM
Response to Reply #9
17. Inbreeding can do terrible things to the gene pool...
:(
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:54 AM
Response to Reply #6
10. I marvel that they haven't been SHOT.
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leftyladyfrommo Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:03 AM
Response to Original message
2. Good ole Fred.
I think they just show up wherever they will get the most press coverage. They are such media whores.
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:06 AM
Response to Reply #2
4. LOL Check out the comments!
I can't believe this group travels across the state to disrespect funerals of people that served our country. I am a Christian and I am not suppose to hate or wish bad things on people but I sure am going to talk to my friend who dabbles in witchcraft and all those horrible people that are disrespecting the good people will have some bad happen to them because it is not right for people like the Fred Phelps group to be so ugly. Hurry up and sign that law so those people can stay on their toilets where they belong!!!!!!!
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yardwork Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:18 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. Fundamental misunderstanding of Wiccan!
If her friend "who dabbles in witchcraft" is a Wiccan or Pagan, they are highly unlikely to agree to putting a hex on Phelps. We don't go around putting hexes on people. Some of us believe that anything we do comes back to us three-fold. Others believe it's bad karma to wish harm on another. Most of us just recognize that it's not a good idea.

I always pray for the truth to come out, but I never wish harm on another. I don't know any Wiccans or Pagans who would.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:56 AM
Response to Reply #7
12. A binding spell would suffice, don't you think? And not turn back on
the one who cast it?
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yardwork Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 01:52 PM
Response to Reply #12
26. LOL! Beyond the pages of Harry Potter, I've never heard of a binding spell.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun May-20-07 12:47 AM
Response to Reply #26
30. I've never read any Harry Potter. I HAVE, however, read a good many
Wiccan how-to's, particularly those by Scott Cunningham.

A binding spell is to prevent someone from doing harm. It's a GOOD thing to do, rather than a spell to hurt them.
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kestrel91316 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:55 AM
Response to Reply #4
11. OMG, Christian wants witch to put bad ju-ju on Phelps. Now I've heard it all.
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Lurking Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:05 AM
Response to Original message
3. When Phelps finally keels over dead
who wants to join me in a road trip?
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:07 AM
Response to Reply #3
5. I am only an hour away
Meetup at my house!
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Lurking Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:57 AM
Response to Reply #5
13. Awesome.
How's the BBQ there? :toast:
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:15 AM
Response to Reply #13
20. We're famous for it
:toast:
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Lurking Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:20 AM
Response to Reply #20
22. I'd heard a rumor to that effect!
:9
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MuseRider Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:04 AM
Response to Reply #3
14. You can stay with me!
I live just 5 miles outside of Topeka and I am certain many DUers that can make the trip will need a place to stay. Bring sleeping bags and we will do it up right!
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Lurking Dem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:06 AM
Response to Reply #14
16. MF will probably outlive me!
I've noticed a correlation between gall and life expectancy. *sigh*

But if it should come to pass......
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proud2BlibKansan Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:25 AM
Response to Reply #14
23. Party at Muse's!!
The minute Phelps kicks the dust, I am on my way!

:toast:
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terrya Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:05 AM
Response to Reply #3
15. I'll go.
And if you think the celebrating of Falwell was something, wait until this fucker dies. And I'll be the first to drink up.
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rasputin1952 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:15 AM
Response to Reply #3
21. I'm in NE, no problem, I just nee a little time to make...
arrangements, ands scrouge gas...:D
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FVZA_Colonel Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 02:07 PM
Response to Reply #3
27. Oh, I am so there.
Edited on Sat May-19-07 02:07 PM by FVZA_Colonel
I dearly want to fuck up this man's funeral some how.
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davsand Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 10:18 AM
Response to Original message
8. Phred is a walking target and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
Phred and his merry band are gonna piss off the wrong person one day--it is just inevitable.

On one hand, I'm one of the folks that feels that ANY speech that pisses me off is probably most in need of defense. On the other hand, this crew is just freaking nuts. I'm not sure how I'll feel about it if some irate family member responds with violence one day to one of Phred's little protests.

I can only hope that no innocent gets caught in the crossfire when it happens.




Laura
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geomon666 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:39 AM
Response to Reply #8
24. You're absolutely right.
He's going to show up at the wrong funeral one day and someone is going to put about 80 bullets into him, but I think that's what he wants.
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davsand Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 12:38 PM
Response to Reply #24
25. The LAST thing we need is for that f**k to be martyred.
If he's looking for martyr status he's headed down the right path, I think.

I also think that him being given martyr status will drive an even bigger wedge into the divide that already exists between the "God Squad" (my personal term for the fundy wingnuts) and the rest of this country.

I am not one to predict civil wars or gloom and doom, but it doesn't take much imagination to see a really ugly scenario shaping up where you have the religious wingnuts -V- the rest of the nation. You have guys like Phelps and several others that have taken the evangelism to a whole new--very ugly--level. It goes on EVERY day in the country.

Literally, my nine (soon to be ten) year old came in the house earlier this week talking about one of her playmates in the neighborhood who asked her if she subscribes to the theory of evolution or divine creation. According to her, her response was that she hadn't made her mind up about the issue and that she was wondering if maybe God had played a role in directing and guiding evolution. (Blew me away that she'd synthesized it to that point. This is not a topic we devote a lot of time to in family dissuasions.)

His response to her answer was, "I can't play with you any more because I am a Christian." She told him she is also a Christian and that maybe he ought to go home for the day. (Again, my kid blows me away sometimes.) She came in the house crying a little bit and all pissed off at him for sitting in judgment, but then went back out and played with him later after dinner when he came to the door looking for her.

He's a good little kid, and I know his family is pretty involved in one of the local evangelical churches. He doesn't celebrate Halloween at all and his church believes you can re-grow lost limbs if your faith is strong enough. I don't have problems with the kid at all, but I DO think he's parroting something he's been told at home or has heard at his church. This is the kind of thinking that has created that divide.

All I can do is teach my own kid to think critically and act with kindness in the face of this kind of stuff. Even doing THAT, however, is difficult in the face of the level of hurtfulness, stupidity and anger that Phelps and his traveling zoo give birth to.

All I can say with any certainty is that I am a Pagan and not one bit of this crap they spew rings true for me.



Laura
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Charlie Brown Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 02:15 PM
Response to Reply #8
28. "Fred" is rarely among his usurpers anymore
He sends his idiot relatives and disciples to hurt people who are grieving, and doesn't care a single ounce if any harm comes to his followers in the process, as long as they make the news.

Like all fanatics, he relies on other people to put themselves at risk for his dogma. Sadly, I think the Westboro "movement" will outlive him.
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Quixote1818 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:12 AM
Response to Original message
18. There is no one who hurts the Christian religion more than Phelps
He may cause much of the state of Kansas to begin to get a bad taste in their mouth for fundamentalist Christianity. Phelps is likely causing a lot of reasonable people to move away from the radical components of Christianity and adopting something much more liberal.


Keep up the good work Phelps! You are helping our side enormously!
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question everything Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 11:13 AM
Response to Original message
19. And no "destructive anger" there
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spoony Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat May-19-07 02:17 PM
Response to Reply #19
29. Give it up already.
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greguganus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-21-07 11:19 AM
Response to Original message
31. Phelps knows how to pick his protests. You will never see him...
...protest a gang member's or biker's funeral.
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