Like everyone else, I find Fred Phelp’s actions disturbing and disgusting. Again and again, they delight in finding joy in the most tragic of situations. There’s no end in sight to their madness- their actions bring about the the reaction that they are going for; they want people to fight them and to be driven to violence.
I am convinced that there is only one way to stop this picketing business. That way is to develop a counter- message of something equally unrelated to the deaths of these people. For instance, developing a “God hates chlorophyll”, a “God hates gravity” or a “God hates zinc” campaign could do a world of good. Simply substitute all of the Phelps’s messages referring to homosexual behavior with “chlorophyll” or “zinc” and create similar signs.
Then, round up hundreds of volunteers in each community they are targeting- far outnumbering the original Phelps supporters. These volunteers would overwhelm the small Phelps numbers, and instead of countering Phelps’ message (which again, is what he wants to happen), their message is distracted from by other completely ridiculous messages. Furthermore, while the Phelps family is completely insane and will obviously try to goad people into arguing with them, they are faced with goading people who hold signs opposing chlorophyll- not them.
Instead of receiving the attention they so crave for their despicable beliefs, the ridiculous nature of the Phelp’s family claims is highlighted- and hopefully the result will be that they and their position is viewed as so incredibly insane, that it’s something people merely laugh at, rather than engage. I really think some sort of grassroots movement could counter this behavior- showing that while we accept constitutionally they are able to act in such a way, that doesn’t mean we need to passively accept it and continue to give them the attention they want!
I think he’s very aware. I just don’t think he cares. Religion’s only the excuse. Like others have said, it’s all about sadism and keeping control over his family.
Fred and his immediate offspring who have stayed in his “church” are truly loathsome, pathetic excuses for human beings and maybe half a step up from the Sawney Bean clan.
'Cause God hates pills, too. Look around at how many God-shouters hate and fear modern medicine… Must be God telling them that Medicine sucks. Take a pill, and God now hates you, personally. That’s why so few of us can hear God - those Godless doctors gave you God-hate pills when you were young, and now you’re fucked.
Couldn’t resist posting this. As I said before, you guys seem to be getting more disasters than we are. If Phred is correct about their cause then Canada should have been obliterated by now.
I was in the same grades in junior high with his oldest daughter Kathy. Margie, the next daughter, was in the next lower grade, but I never met her. Grades didn’t mix much.
I remember Kathy wanted to cut and style her hair, but Fred said short hair was unBiblical, so she had to keep it long and straight. Once, at a school Christmas concert, she was introduced to my mother, and later on told me she thought my mother was pretty. I knew Kathy to talk to in school, but not to hang out with, because the kids were not allowed to socialize, being kept busy selling candy after school, to help support Dad’s church. What I knew of her, she was nice, only wanting to be accepted.
Kathy is one of two daughters not now accepted in her family. She married, but I believe was divorced, and got into some legal trouble, something about bad checks. One of her youngest sisters, Dortha, left the family when she got the chance. Dortha changed her surname, so that she wouldn’t be as easily associated with the family.
I’m getting a flashback to Sissy Spacek in Carrie. Those poor children and grandchildren…they never had a chance, did they? I wonder once ol’ Phelps dies if his family will throw a party and recant all his beliefs, or if they’ve been too indoctrinated to ever come back.
A very good question, and one which I’ve often asked myself. A few of my observations:
The brains behind the operation seems to be Shirley Phelps-Roper. I’ve seen her on TV, she’s crazy, and she ain’t never coming back. I do believe that hate is the only thing still keeping her going. As far as brains and organizational skills go, she’s head and shoulders above anyone else in that shit pit, which is interesting, because . . .
. . . being part of an ostensibly Primitive Baptist sect, the elders are firmly against women running the church. Whoever is going to take over, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a man, which is going to suck for them, because all of the men come off as total brain-addled morons in addition to being crazy as hell.
I do have hope for Phelps’ grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I believe there’s a nursing student in there somewhere, who doesn’t come off as batshit insane, at least compared with the rest. Phelps’ children are probably too far gone as is his grandson who manages the site, but when Phelps goes, a lot of that glue is going to go too. I don’t think they’re all going to make it; you’re going to see some institution cases there, but I’m sure the smarter ones who have potential to find something beyond the church have a shot at breaking free. Time will tell.
Don’t count out Margie Phelps. By my observation she’s smarter than some of the others. She’s Fred’s fourth child, the next behind Kathy. She’s written reports on some of their activities that are, or at least were, available on the website. She was titled “Marigie Phelps, Priviliged Prophetess of the Lord High God, in these Last of the Last Days.”
I think Shirley is too crazy acting. Margie, on the other hand, acts more restrained, and is meaner. She’s also the oldest of the daughters that are still associated with the family.
Hmmm, good point, but that still leaves the problem of who takes over and runs the church when Fred dies. Can they really keep that level of organization and hate without him? And would the men accept a woman as the power behind the throne even if one of the were officially in charge? I’m not asking these questions rhetorically. I’m genuinely fascinated with them in a sick sad kind of way.
From what I read in “Addicted to Hate”, Fred originally wanted Mark to take over the “church”, but then Mark broke from the cult. Nate was the family scapegoat, the one who was abused basically more than the others-naturally, he too fled.
As for not letting Kathy cut her hair, I believe the site mentioned above also told of Fred shaving his wife’s head for “not being submissive”, or whatever. One of her sons came home, finding her bald and sobbing. She sounds so defeated, just so, I dunno, “lifeless” in the article.
If anyone here would like to learn more about the Phelps clan, I recommend the video The Most Hated Family in America. I am not sure about the copyright status of this video, so I am not linking to it directly, but one can find the hour-long film in its entirety on Google video.
I think the video is fascinating. It features a British filmmaker who chooses to live with the Phelps family for a couple of weeks and tries to understand their perspective.
I haven’t seen The Most Hated Family in America, but it’s mentioned, although not by name, in this newspaper article.
The article itself is about a documentary I have seen, titled Fall From Grace. A student film maker, from the University of Kansas, made it as a school project. It blew me away, and is the best show I’ve seen on the WBC.
I highly recommend it if you ever get a chance to see it. It was shown in Texas at a film/music festival, in San Antonio I think, as well as at various venues around Lawrence and Topeka.
IIRC, this is what happened to them when they protested the University of Maryland my freshman year because our First Year book was The Laramie Project . They came to campus for Parents’ weekend (the same weekend the play was being shown), and were given a very specific area to protest in (which happens to be campus policy for all protests). The campus just allowed them to protest by the theater, while there was a football game going on Luckily, they stayed in their designated area and didn’t get arrested, or they would have gotten a lot more publicity.
Luckily, they stayed in their designated area and didn’t get arrested, or they would have gotten a lot more publicity.
