# Fred Phelps banned from entering UK **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 19, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542 "2009-02-19T13:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/1 "2009-02-19T13:12:06Z")
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk\_news/england/hampshire/7898972.stm?lss](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/hampshire/7898972.stm?lss) I find the timing of this one interesting. Is it a case of the Home Secretary going “quick find another use of this power that isn’t Muslim related” Or is it just that the press are now interested in this law, so it’s use gets more widepsread reporting since the Banning of the Dutch MP? ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/2 "2009-02-19T13:16:29Z")
Meh. WBC get the publicity they want and save the price of airfare. The Home Secretary looks ecumenical in her banning of undesirable people. And the British public don’t have to deal with Fred and co. It’s win-win-win. ---
**Author:** ![askeptic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eb9ed0/32.png) [@askeptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/askeptic)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/3 "2009-02-19T13:17:12Z")
Nevermind ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/4 "2009-02-19T13:18:52Z")
I revised the thread title to show the article is about the lunatic preacher, not the swimmer. It’s kind of refreshing to see an article about the WBC that doesn’t sensationalize their trollish antics. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/5 "2009-02-19T13:19:09Z")
Might want to add “Fred” to the title - I had a brief thought the Phelps in question might be Michael. ETA: Marley23 is one step ahead of me. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/6 "2009-02-19T13:49:54Z")
The name of the person who banned them is Jacqui Smith. My first thought was “Way to go, Charlie.” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/7 "2009-02-19T13:52:55Z")
Dammit. We were going to make him stay there. ---
**Author:** ![footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9f8e36/32.png) [@footballisplayedwithyourfeet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/footballisplayedwithyourfeet)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/8 "2009-02-19T14:02:32Z")
In all honesty i find this just as nonsensical as the banning of the dutch MP and others. What problems could Fred possibly have caused for the public order? If he was going to do one of his crazy protests (doesn’t he usually leave this to his followers?) You can alwys arest him for actually causing a disturbance. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/9 "2009-02-19T14:55:27Z")
Meh. These jackholes regularly announce that they’re going to stage this protest and that protest – if it’s not close to home, they rarely show. There was no way they were going to fly to England for this…they threatened it, got banned, and thus got the publicity they want. Just more tinder for their “we’re so persecuted for our righteous beliefs” fire. Personally, I’d love to see the clan on a plane. How hard would it be to bait them into causing a disturbance that’d have federal air marshalls all over their asses? ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/10 "2009-02-19T15:18:24Z")
> [@Hal\_Briston](#): > > Personally, I’d love to see the clan on a plane. How hard would it be to bait them into causing a disturbance that’d have federal air marshalls all over their asses? Harder than you’d think, I expect. Otherwise they would have been baited into doing something actually illegal at a protest already. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/11 "2009-02-19T17:33:43Z")
> [@](#): > > "In merry old England they plan to further enrage the living God by putting on the farce known commonly as The Laramie Project. > > “We will picket them, and see if they actually believe those lies they tell about how tolerant and accepting Brits are.” You heard him! Are you just going to stand there and take that, England? Them’s fighting words! (Actually I’m not even sure how one should respond to “mistaking your wife for a hat”-level craziness like that.) I thought that the Westboro Baptists’ deal was condemning the sins of America. What, we’re not good enough for you anymore, Phelps? Maybe you should go ahead and marry Britain, if you love it so much. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/12 "2009-02-19T17:47:16Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Harder than you’d think, I expect. Otherwise they would have been baited into doing something actually illegal at a protest already. I dunno…if you walk by them and mumble “Buncha godjockey dillholes” to them on the street, they’ll likely yell their nonsense at you as you walk away. That same display wouldn’t go over very well on a plane, though. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2009, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/13 "2009-02-19T18:00:42Z")
From the OP’s link: \*"So they [the authorities] might have their work cut out for them. “Unless they intend to begin checking the bare backsides of every person coming into that country to find that tattoo that says ‘Property of WBC’ - they will have no way of identifying who is from WBC.” \* I’m not sure I’d be willing to bet she was joking… ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/14 "2009-02-20T00:06:41Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Harder than you’d think, I expect. Otherwise they would have been baited into doing something actually illegal at a protest already. Indeed. Most of them are lawyers or business people with advanced degrees. A common mistake people make is assuming that these guys are just another hate group with the collective IQ of a shit milkshake, but it’s simply not the case. Before he was disbarred, ol’ Phred himself was a civil rights lawyer (He apparently has an award conferred by the NAACP hanging somewhere in the compound. I know this because he mentions it often.). He is eloquent, intelligent, and driven, and so are his children. Crazy and stupid are two different things, and a large part of their income is donated by people who have lost lawsuits, because they underestimated this opponent. Never, but never underestimate an enemy this dangerous. As far as Britain banning them, I’m fine with it. It’s their country and their rules, and I don’t blame them for enforcing them to keep these psychos out. I still say that any rule we pass on them is unconstitutional, but that doesn’t apply to the UK. ---
**Author:** ![MagicEyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@MagicEyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MagicEyes)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/15 "2009-02-20T01:55:49Z")
Well, if the UK can ban him, I think we should be allowed to ban him in the US. It would be cool if he got banned from every country and had to be sent out into space on the next rocket ship to the moon. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/16 "2009-02-20T01:58:48Z")
I read “Michael Phelps banned from entering UK”. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/17 "2009-02-20T02:14:20Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > Well, if the UK can ban him, I think we should be allowed to ban him in the US. It would be cool if he got banned from every country and had to be sent out into space on the next rocket ship to the moon. Oh right, because we really want to give the eleventy eyed bug monsters living under the moon’s surface a reason to invade earth and plant their kitty-sized larvae in our eyeballs out of pure hatred! You’ve got to _think_, man!! :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/18 "2009-02-20T02:30:58Z")
God hates eleventy eyed bug monster fags. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/19 "2009-02-20T05:02:29Z")
> [@MagicEyes](#): > > Well, if the UK can ban him, I think we should be allowed to ban him in the US. It would be cool if he got banned from every country and had to be sent out into space on the next rocket ship to the moon. Then we’ll have to hurry up, and proactively ban him from the moon. How about Pluto, since it’s not even a planet anymore? ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542/20 "2009-02-20T05:07:56Z")
I just heard thirty seconds before seeing this thread that members of the WBC are planning on doing some sort of protest against Australia for the fact that we “paid for our sins” through the recent bushfires. I really hope they do come here, and get some sort of physical payout. Not that I’m wishing death on anyone … maybe just a few broken bones. And knowing the typically violent and moronic Australian vigilante response to this sort of thing, I think I might be in luck. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fred-phelps-banned-from-entering-uk/486542.md?page=2)