The Westboro Baptist Church finds a new low
- Thread starter YB85
- Start date
Chad Feldheimer
Well-Known Member
Well it's already a law. Although not enforced very well.
LogGrad98
Well-Known Member
Contributor
20-21 Award Winner
2022 Award Winner
2023 Award Winner
2024 Award Winner
I am a member of Patriot Guard Riders and have participated at funerals in several states, most recently at the funeral of my own brother-in-law who was killed in a motorcycle accident last summer. The Patriot Guard appear mostly at funerals for military folks to mitigate just this kind of protest by the WBC and other nuts. At my brother-in-laws funeral we had a small group that claimed to represent the WBC and when they were trying to yell out their slogans and use a bull-horn we revved our bikes to drown them out. We also act as "guards" and an honorary procession at the entrance to the church or funeral home to prevent protestors from interfering with the family and other mourners. The Patriot Guard does appear at more than military funerals and should have a presence at this funeral or any where protestors would be, and we will usually appear where we are asked to regardless of the military history or religion or whatever of the deceased and their family. It is all about respect and reverance for the family and the deceased.
https://www.patriotguard.org/
https://www.patriotguard.org/
Stickler
Well-Known Member
No, that's not my understanding of the law. I believe you are mistaken, in the sense that your terms are far too broad. Churches can protest. Churches can have agendas.
unluckyseventeen
Well-Known Member
What the holy **** was that? Seriously, not one sentence makes sense.
AtheistPreacher
Well-Known Member
John Scalzi had an interesting link about Fred Phelps and his church of hate in his blog:
https://kanewj.com/wbc/
The basic content of the link is that Fred Phelps is a con man. He doesn't believe the stuff he says... he says it for the purpose of being inflammatory, so that someone else will break a law by taking a swing at him, and then he can sue them and take them to the cleaner's. It's an interesting take on the guy, I'd encourage people to read it. Seems very plausible to me.
Oh, and here's the original Scalzi post where I found the link:
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/01/12/people-we-can-all-agree-are-scumbags/
https://kanewj.com/wbc/
The basic content of the link is that Fred Phelps is a con man. He doesn't believe the stuff he says... he says it for the purpose of being inflammatory, so that someone else will break a law by taking a swing at him, and then he can sue them and take them to the cleaner's. It's an interesting take on the guy, I'd encourage people to read it. Seems very plausible to me.
Oh, and here's the original Scalzi post where I found the link:
https://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/01/12/people-we-can-all-agree-are-scumbags/
I'll be honest here and say that if I am burying a loved one, the sound of Harley's revving their engines would be on my list the second most offensive thing I could hear at the funeral.
It's still better than hearing what those idiots have to say when they are trying to ruin a funeral.
LogGrad98
Well-Known Member
Contributor
20-21 Award Winner
2022 Award Winner
2023 Award Winner
2024 Award Winner
Well is that more offensive or to hear a bunch of people using obscenities to let you know your loved one is burning in hell for raping and killing children in Afghanistan, and that was the nicest thing they were saying. Also that is not a normal part of what the the PGR do; I have only seen that done once before at a funeral (although there are videos on youtube showing them doing it at picketing sites not related to funerals) and that time the daughter of the veteran who had died thanked the PGR for making sure her mother didn't have to hear what they had to say.
If you would rather have the protesters don't worry the Patriot Guard only comes if the family asks them to, so they know what we do and why and welcome it.
wow, for a guy who says he's a journalist (though I guess more of a photographic journalist) that's certainly a rambling and poorly written essay backed up by no real evidence as far as I can tell. Wouldn't there be some sort of public record of all these lawsuits Phelps has filed, particularly if he or his group have been awarded damages? I mean, the con man title seems to fit, but I'm not sure about the rest of that post.
Boondocksaint27
Active Member
I remember reading an article on msn that Phelp's children, namely his daughter, are attorneys who often threaten lawsuits. When the rumor of them picketing the funeral I mentioned before was coming around the PD, there were a few who were saying we should just ban them from the cemetary, which was quickly shut down by the threat of a lawsuit. In the instance I was involved in the PGR or VFW MC did not rev their engines, they simply stood as an honor guard with large US flags to block lines of sight.
Having read that article AP posted I can certainly see how Phelps is nothing more then a sue-happy con man.