Now missing the top of the page by one post would be another thing altogether. 
You all may not remember but I live in the city that the Westboro Baptist Church calls home.
Since Fred died the picketing has gone down somewhat, but never gone completely away. Today I saw an unusual sight, a whole slew of them outside another church. This was definitely the varsity team for the WBC.
The church was a second site for a non-denominational church called El Shaddai Ministries. They are a diverse group, linguistically and ethnically.
I don’t know what they did to get the WBC on them(breathe, maybe?) But it gives me a warm feeling to know that they must be doing some good, to have provoked the ire of Phred’s kin.
The building they are in is a large church complex given up by a congregation that disbanded. Now there’s always something going on there. It’s within just a few blocks of where I live, so I see it every day.
When I lived in Missouri a few years back, a hometown soldier lost his life while serving in Afghanistan. A biker group came and stood around the church to prevent those Westboro nuts from showing up. I was simultaneously saddened that any group of people would do something so heartless to the bereaved family of a fallen soldier, and proud that others would step in and protect the family and the mourners. Cupcakes did you see any of the bikers there? They were all carrying American flags, and were very organized when I saw them.
sunny, I don’t live all that far from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. There are several very active chapters of Patriot Guard Riders. They coordinate the rides for KIA soldiers from the base when their bodies are returned.
During the women’s march last year, they showed up in Nashville. I snapped a photo of two lesbian friends giving each other a kiss in front of them.
FLY EAGLES ,FLY!
Sorry, Ruble.*
Cupcakes, simply existing is grounds for a WBC picket.
*Technically this is a lie.
Now comes the tough part; picking who to pick in the Protestant/Lutheran football pool. I want to see the Eagles because I hate the way the Pats pad the odds through nefarious means. But the Pats do pack muskets and powder. Decisions decisions.
Luckily at 61+% for the year I am firmly in a middle pew and can’t screw up my standing too much.
This wasn’t a funeral, just a Sunday morning service, so no bikers. The WBC came to my church again about a month ago, but it had been ages since we’d seen them.
They particularly favor churches on streets that have a lot of traffic on Sunday morning. Heck, my church is on 8th street. They used to hit Assumption Catholic at the early mass, move on down to my Episcopal church, then to Trinity Lutheran at 10:00 AM. After that they could move one block south to St. John’s Lutheran, and move on block further west to Holy Name Catholic.
They’ve picketed the one synagogue in town, but stay two block away on the main street, because Beth Sholom is not prominent on a main drag.