# High school graduation-I felt bad for these two kids **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 20, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494 "2012-05-20T05:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/1 "2012-05-20T05:35:07Z")
Today I attended the high school graduation of my nephew. He’s a fine young man, and a lot of family was gathered to see him, as was the family of many other graduates. As graduates received their diplomas families would whoop or cheer a little, not too disruptive but fun. But two young people, cousins I think of each other, had not a single peep for them. Their family was outside the auditorium, not inside, picketing the school. Yep, it was THAT family, the Phelps clan of the Westboro Baptist Church. I hope at least the other graduates didn’t hold it against them, it’s not like they started the whole picketing gig. I might add they both had little asterisks by their names in the graduation program, indicating they were in the top 20% of their class. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/2 "2012-05-20T05:39:54Z")
At least they didn’t get booed. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/3 "2012-05-20T05:42:38Z")
Well…kids aren’t dumb. Certainly SOMEONE of the graduating class would have cheered for them if they were friends. But yeah…I’d feel badly for them too, regardless. Why on earth were the Phelps freaks picketing outside a school their family actively attended and apparantly did well in? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/4 "2012-05-20T05:59:15Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Well…kids aren’t dumb. Certainly SOMEONE of the graduating class would have cheered for them if they were friends. But yeah…I’d feel badly for them too, regardless. > > Why on earth were the Phelps freaks picketing outside a school their family actively attended and apparantly did well in? Because public school is free, that’s where they go. But it’s still sinful it seems. And it gets loads of attention, which is their goal. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/5 "2012-05-20T06:09:02Z")
Good heavens; you mean they just go around picketing anything? No particular reason? For the record, I kind of hate you a little now: because of this, I googled for their picketing schedule, to see what the reason might have been, and…wow. Just…wow. Their website is the most ignorant, hate-spewing piece of illiterate trash I have _ever_ seen. And I’m not that much of a liberal, more a centrist; they just are that…well, the word “evil” springs to mind, ironically. Assholes. Anyway, 'grats; I’ve managed to avoid lemonparty and girls/cup, but you \ made me throw up a little in my mouth without even trying. I think you win an award. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/6 "2012-05-20T06:10:46Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > Good heavens; you mean they just go around picketing anything? No particular reason? Pretty much. It’s mostly an attention thing whoring thing. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/7 "2012-05-20T07:45:27Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Pretty much. It’s mostly an attention thing whoring thing. Actually, they seem to do a lot of it nowadays where they don’t even show up! They announce that they are going to picket someone somewhere, get tons of publicity, counter-protestors organize, police plan their response, etc., then Westboro doesn’t bother to show up. They get nearly as much publicity locally, and hey, no cost to them – airline tickets are expensive. ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/8 "2012-05-20T11:31:12Z")
I feel bad for the kids being born into a family with a shitty brainwashing dictator at the head of it. But at some point they cross the line from kid to adult, and at their age they’re probably protesting with The Family, too. I can’t wait for the patriarch to pass away, as I’m curious to see if anyone will defect. ---
**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:** [May 20, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/9 "2012-05-20T14:09:27Z")
Probably have their law school picked out. Continue the family business. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/10 "2012-05-20T14:52:54Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Pretty much. It’s mostly an attention thing whoring thing. No, it’s not. It’s a business. Phelps’s thing is to be as offensive as humanly possible without spending a huge amount of money or doing anything illegal, and pushing people into assaulting him or his minions so he can sue them, and get a bunch of money. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/11 "2012-05-20T16:51:48Z")
> [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > Actually, they seem to do a lot of it nowadays where they don’t even show up! > > They announce that they are going to picket someone somewhere, get tons of publicity, counter-protestors organize, police plan their response, etc., then Westboro doesn’t bother to show up. They get nearly as much publicity locally, and hey, no cost to them – airline tickets are expensive. They’ve also graduated to [Photoshopping themselves protesting](http://theblemish.com/2012/02/the-westboro-baptist-church-discovers-photoshop/) in lieu of actually showing up. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/12 "2012-05-20T17:01:03Z")
Haha, nice. I know this isn’t the Pit, but…what assholes they are. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/13 "2012-05-20T19:54:11Z")
Oh Jenaroph, I’m going to save that link you provided and pass it on to some people. I live right here in Topeka and this is one of their absurdities I’ve missed. I wonder it the news stations have seen it. Kind of casts doubts on how many pickets they say they’ve done over the years. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Man_With_The_Golden_Gun)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/14 "2012-05-20T19:55:38Z")
> [@Baker](#): > > Oh Jenaroph, I’m going to save that link you provided and pass it on to some people. I live right here in Topeka and this is one of their absurdities I’ve missed. I wonder it the news stations have seen it. > > Kind of casts doubts on how many pickets they say they’ve done over the years. Does anyone know when the last time WBC actually showed up for a planned picket that wasn’t in Kansas was? Or even outside Topeka? ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/15 "2012-05-20T20:18:11Z")
Now I’m wondering, if someone wrote or emailed them that question, if they would respond. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/16 "2012-05-21T00:41:52Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > I feel bad for the kids being born into a family with a shitty brainwashing dictator at the head of it. But at some point they cross the line from kid to adult, and at their age they’re probably protesting with The Family, too. I can’t wait for the patriarch to pass away, as I’m curious to see if anyone will defect. Some of the kids have broken away; they have been ‘shunned’ by the rest of the family. Those kids also reported that they were beaten & physically abused, too, by their father when younger. The leader Fred Phelps himself doesn’t appear much any more as spokesperson for the church (he’s 84 years old, after all). His daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper seems to be the heir apparent – she is the public face of the church most often lately. (How they reconcile that with the bible verse “Women, be submissive…” I don’t know.) ---
**Author:** ![septimus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/septimus/32/410_2.png) [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/17 "2012-05-21T09:04:23Z")
I’m so out of touch, I had to Google “Phelps Westboro.” [godhatesfags.com](http://godhatesfags.com) showed up … is that the Haters’ site, or a parody of it? I was intrigued enough to click and get a list of things God hates. One was > [@](#): > > “The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.” (I’ll leave it to Dopers to think of a good punchline for this.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/18 "2012-05-21T13:08:03Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > No, it’s not. It’s a business. Phelps’s thing is to be as offensive as humanly possible without spending a huge amount of money or doing anything illegal, and pushing people into assaulting him or his minions so he can sue them, and get a bunch of money. Are they wealthy or something? Does it work? Outside Louis Theroux’s documentaries on them, I’m kind of clueless(and content to be so). As far as I know, Fred Phelps used to be a Christian pastor, but has…descended into hate-madness and his family went with him or something? And they make money off it? I only mention insanity because Louis Theroux theorized that perhaps Fred Phelps has a some kind of mental illness. Or he’s just a horrible person. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/19 "2012-05-21T13:15:58Z")
> [@Taomist](#): > > And I’m not that much of a liberal, more a centrist; they just are that…well, the word “evil” springs to mind, ironically. The Westboro Baptist Church: Doing more for gay rights than any organization in existence. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2012, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494/20 "2012-05-21T13:54:17Z")
I’m amazed at the number of people on this board unfamiliar with the Phelpses - we talk about them _all the time_. That’s really weird. > [@The\_Man\_With\_The\_Golden\_Gun](#): > > Does anyone know when the last time WBC actually showed up for a planned picket that wasn’t in Kansas was? Or even outside Topeka? I saw them at the 2010 NCAA Final Four and the Super Bowl this year. They get around. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/high-school-graduation-i-felt-bad-for-these-two-kids/622494.md?page=2)