# Proof that Westboro Baptist Church are trolls **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 21, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541 "2012-02-21T18:06:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/41 "2012-02-23T07:29:05Z")
> [@Lucretia](#): > > If that’s true, it’s almost certainly a personal view, and not _peer pressure_ in the USAF environment. I’ve been USAF enlisted, dependent wife, and am currently a USAF officer, and quite frankly, it’s one of the more gay-friendly environments you’re going to find, either military or civilian, and has been ever since I first joined, 25+ years ago. I would agree there. Officers might be a different thing (haven’t spoken with that many of them), but among enlisted men in the US military there seems to be a strong culture of not giving fucks about most anything ; or at least of projecting that image within the group. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/42 "2012-02-23T09:04:40Z")
The Phelps clan said they were coming to Norway to protest at the funerals of Utøya victims. They announced this _after_ most of the funerals were over. Immigration agents were aware of the announcement and were watching for anyone from the WBC - not to stop them, just to warn the police - and none came. So they have definitely threatened to show up and not done so before. Would have been interesting if they did show up, though, and somebody did lose his or her temper and hit them. I can bet there would have been absolutely no witnesses, no, officer, honestly, I did not see a thing… ---
**Author:** ![Condescending\_Robot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a183cd/32.png) [@Condescending\_Robot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Condescending_Robot)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/43 "2012-02-23T10:52:07Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#): > > Does he really think that liberals are the ones protesting at soldiers’ funerals? He’s never heard of Westboro Baptist? Soldiers aren’t the brightest light bulbs in the sleeve, and they tend to subscribe to the general political ideology of “liberals” being responsible for all the bad things in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/44 "2012-02-23T15:03:58Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > The Phelps clan said they were coming to Norway to protest at the funerals of Utøya victims. They announced this _after_ most of the funerals were over. Immigration agents were aware of the announcement and were watching for anyone from the WBC - not to stop them, just to warn the police - and none came. So they have definitely threatened to show up and not done so before. > > Would have been interesting if they did show up, though, and somebody did lose his or her temper and hit them. I can bet there would have been absolutely no witnesses, no, officer, honestly, I did not see a thing… Heh, I’d think the Oslo Police department would just quietly release an updated bodycount from the massacre with a I-dare-you-to-call-me-on-this poker face. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/45 "2012-02-23T15:18:40Z")
> [@grude](#): > > [snip] > **It begs the question of if their trolling is simply trying tocause government officials to violate their first amendment rights, so they can then sue. Cha ching!** Bolding mine - …And another light bulb goes off in a dim cavern. Please take your place next to **Indyellen** We’ll give you a star to put on your cap when you realize they that their strategy expands past the government and into the private sector. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/46 "2012-02-23T15:24:15Z")
> [@Condescending\_Robot](#): > > Soldiers aren’t the brightest light bulbs in the sleeve, and they tend to subscribe to the general political ideology of “liberals” being responsible for all the bad things in the world. I thought that it wasn’t liberals they disliked; just assholes that define them with a broad paintbrush. ---
**Author:** ![Indyellen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/indyellen/32/4176_2.png) [@Indyellen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indyellen)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/47 "2012-02-23T17:35:49Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > Bolding mine > > - …And another light bulb goes off in a dim cavern. Please take your place next to **Indyellen** Obviously I should have titled the thread “Let’s all point and laugh at the Westboro Trolls for a badly Photoshopped picture”, since it’s not news to me, but mea culpa. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2012, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/48 "2012-02-23T20:02:32Z")
> [@Indyellen](#): > > Obviously I should have titled the thread “Let’s all point and laugh at the Westboro Trolls for a badly Photoshopped picture”, since it’s not news to me, but mea culpa. :rolleyes: Or left the last line out of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2012, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541/49 "2012-02-24T02:30:41Z")
> [@BubbaDog](#): > > I thought that it wasn’t liberals they disliked; just assholes that define them with a broad paintbrush. Yeah, I think that’s it. I’m going to guess **Condescending Robot** hasn’t actually been around many actual soldiers…as a matter of fact, I know he hasn’t, or he wouldn’t have conflated ‘soldiers’ with ‘airmen’. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/proof-that-westboro-baptist-church-are-trolls/613541.md?page=2)