http://www.cjonline.com/stories/031608/loc_258306797.shtml
The link is to an article appearing today in our Topeka Capital-Journal. I think I may break out my anti-Fred regalia where it’s been stored, and go check it out. I can make it on time if I cut short a few minutes my 2nd and 3rd grade Sunday School class.
Just what is “anti-Fred regalia”? 
You’ve got me thinking water buffalo hats, à la Fred Flinstone…
at any rate, have fun!
I hope the picket signs say something like “America Loves Fred Phelps”, “You’re so funny”, or “Keep it coming you lovable nutter!”
Doesn’t he want people to get angry about him? I feel like the best way to protest against him would be to be happy and loving.
It’s almost like feeding the troll on a message board.
When it was announced that the WBC would be protesting at the funeral of a murder victim up this way, some of her high school classmates went out with signs that said “God loves everybody”. They didn’t get hateful against ol’ Fred, they just countered his claims and supported the girl’s parents.
He wants people to pay attention to him. Any reaction is fine with him.
Ah, that’s just the t-shirts I’ve accumulated over time that refer to Fred.
GOD DOESN’T HATE ANYONE, BUT HE AIN’T TOO FOND OF FRED
or
GOD’S LOVE SPEAKS LOUDEST
or
HATE-NOT IN OUR TOWN (The HATE was on an octagonal sign, with a slash)
or
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITHOUT FRED
This last one was my first. I was part of a rather loosely organized group, in 1992, that organized two rallies at Gage Park, against the hatred and bigotry the WBC was spouting. It’s a really vivid pink color.
And keeping my hair cut is part of the image. Fred used to yell at us counter picketers and call us “crop headed whores” 
I could haul along my photo albums, as I don’t have my own sign anymore. Haven’t done active picketing in years, but maybe this would be a good time to start up again.
Shirley Phelps-Rogers is apparently aware of the statutes that prohibit picketing an announced religious event.
They’ve scheduled a longer church service that day
You guys be careful…they’re all a bunch of lawyers, and I’d hate to see anyone arrested because of a technicality.
Yeah, good point. I guess ignoring him is just not as satisfying as doing something that’s active.
Yes, that’s the feeling I get. I watched a documentary about these nut jobs on Showtime. It became obvious to me that the more you yelled at these guys the more the felt validated.
If people really want these guys to go away, the best thing to do is ignore them completely.
Everytime I see someone say this I have to remind myself that they may not have been around the WBC much. So SHAKES, please don’t think I’m running you down, I sure am not trying to.
I live in Topeka. My own church is picketed every couple of weeks by them. I was in school with some of Fred’s kids. I counterpicketed against them in the early 90’s, when this whole mess started.
Fred and Co. are different than most trolls. They don’t go away if ignored, they just ratchet up the action more, until you can’t ignore them. They have actually physically attacked people, and can be dangerous. The rector of St. David’s witnessed one of their women letting her kid pee into the church flower beds near the sidewalk. I heard vile, obscene epithets being hurled at churchgoers many times.
I honestly don’t know what the solution is. I used to think they’d give it up after a while, declaring “victory”, but they’ve kept it up. I’m not even sure anymore if the death of Fred would end the hate.
I should pray for them, but it’s hard. But if I believe that Saul of Tarsus(kind of the Fred of his day) could become St. Paul, I have to believe there’s hope for Fred too. Although I’d be mightily surprised if he showed up blinded at my door and told me the Lord had said I was supposed to help take care of him.
Whatever, I think I want to go to this thing, partly to see what happens.
I’d go with this one - made me giggle, and makes a good theological point at the same time!
Have fun.
I though I was the only one who’d seen that! (BTW - the biker they interviewed, Gunner, is one of my best friends and a hell of a good guy).
So, Baker, did you go to the Million Fag March? How did it go?
I was wondering about this too! I saw an article on Yahoo about it and was hoping Baker would give us an update.
Please tell us you got some very disgruntled Phred pictures!!
I’m sorry to say I wasn’t able to go. There was a weekend reception in the library where I work as a baker in the cafe, and I had to be at work right after church(and I went to the earlier service) to do some finishing work to the rolls and pastry I had to make.
I’m as keen against Phred as any, but if you were the boss and had an employee say, “Sorry, I can’t finish those 20 dozen cookies, gotta go protest” what would you think? Stupid customers and their late orders, grumble, grumble.
Hangs head in shame. I’m such a materialist these days.
But here are some links about the march. It was actually held at Gage Park, the site of Phred and Co.’s first pickets back in 1992. Holding it outside his church would have ticked off the neighbors, as the streets around the church aren’t too wide, and parking would have been a horror. Estimates of attendance from the paper and all three TV stations range from four to five hundred. I was pleased that the TV stations didn’t give face time to a Westboro response.
From the paper, Monday, March 31st
http://cjonline.com/stories/033108/loc_263445277.shtml
About a new funeral picketing law signed by our governor
http://www.ksnt.com/home/ticker/17264679.html
And check out this thread