Well, well well, look at what funeral Fred Phelps and Co. plan to picket next?

[Sampiro]

@Guinastasia

IIRC, during Mister Rogers’s funeral, a crowd gathered around them and sang songs from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Sorry, no cite at this time. I’ll see what I can do.

That was less to protect Mr. Rogers’ family from the site than to protect the Phelps themselves I’d imagine. Daniel Striped Tiger can be reasonable and King Friday is an impotent old figurehead, but Lady Elaine Fairchild- that old lesbo is like Luca Brazi, nobody could have called her off.

[Lance_Turbo]

@rockle

…their picket schedule is a veritable treasure trove of comedy gold…

My favorite part so far, “We will be in Washington, DC anyway so why NOT picket the Sweden Embassy.”

[Savannah]

@Mr.Excellent

They have the right to demonstrate in whatever cause they wish, in whatever public space they wish, so long as they do not interfere with traffic flows or public safety. That’s what our First Amendment is about - it doesn’t mean a damn thing if it only protects popular speech, or even tolerable speech. It is when people engage in wildly unpopular speech that they need the First Amendment most dearly. And we, in turn, need people to be able to engage in unpopular speech - abolition, women’s rights, the Civil Rights Movement, gay rights, etc, etc were all once wildly unpopular causes, after all. They prevailed in the marketplace of ideas because the First Amendment gave them that space, and we’re better off for it.

Of course, the ideas of the Phelps clan are loathesome beyond belief - let there be no mistake about that. But there will almost certainly be some other group, in the future, with wildly unpopular ideas that turn out to have real value for our society. We’ll want them to be able to speak then - and so we must allow the Phelps group to speak today.

I hate everything the Westboro Baptists Church stands for, but I hope their demonstration proceeds unhindered. Not for their sake, but for ours.

Well said.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@Sampiro

That was less to protect Mr. Rogers’ family from the site than to protect the Phelps themselves I’d imagine. Daniel Striped Tiger can be reasonable and King Friday is an impotent old figurehead, but Lady Elaine Fairchild- that old lesbo is like Luca Brazi, nobody could have called her off.

cant. stop. laughing. omg its starting to hurt.

[anya_marie]

What on EARTH did Mr. Rogers ever do to annoy the Phelps clan? Mr. Rogers is made of awesome.

[Ale]

@Little_Nemo

I’ll admit I opened this thread wondering if they were going to picket Michael Crichton’s funeral.

Whaaa!?

Michael Crichton died??? :eek:

[Tuckerfan]

@anya_marie

What on EARTH did Mr. Rogers ever do to annoy the Phelps clan? Mr. Rogers is made of awesome.

He didn’t tell the little children to hate fags. (Damned preacher, believin’ all that stuff in the Bible about loving your fellow man.)

[Ale]

@Ale

Whaaa!?

Michael Crichton died??? :eek:

Back from MCs Wikipedia entry.
Damn…

[outlierrn]

Members of the Phelps’ church have stated that they expect to be hated by the corrupt and condemned sinners and consider our response as a sign of Gods’ approval of them. The more the wicked hate them the better they feel about themselves.

Therefore, I submit that when they seek out people in the extremes of personal grief and emotional turmoil they are seeking personal gratification at the expense of another.

This is not a first ammendment right.

They are welcome to preah their faith, print a newsletter, run their website, have a TV show, sell books, go door to door, petition the government, make a movie, endorse a candidate, but not this.

[Snowboarder_Bo]

I know Ale.

It’s like you go to the bathroom or take a nap or something, and the rest of the world just keeps on spinning. I’ve tried writing memos, sending mass e-mails, buying lots of network time, etc. to let everyone know that I’ll be busy and other events should be curtailed until I get back, but do they listen? :smack:

[BrainGlutton]

You know, somebody needs to call Phelps’ attention to the famously dissolute, immoral, unChristian lifestyles of the Hells Angels and the Biker Outlaws. Their funerals need some Category 5 picketing, man!

[Fish]

They also could’ve picketed the funeral of Chris Benoit.

“And Phelps gets a pew to the head! Folks, that’s got to hurt!”

[Dunderman]

As much as I hate it, I agree that these people should be allowed to have their little demonstrations. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t fucking cheer if they were filled with Secret Service lead.

[Skald_the_Rhymer]

See? I’m always saying, “Why don’t we just kill them?” and you guys always reply, “No, Skaldimus! We’ll just make martyrs out of them! Kill one, and you make two more!” Then I say, “But I’ve got freaking the freaking Brotherhood of Evil on speed-dial, and I’ve even got a credit on my account from the thing with Howard Dean,” and everybody says “Stop being so evil! Murder is wrong, damn it!”

And then crap like this happens. I blame all you guys.

[Inigo_Montoya]

@kitemaker_chuck

…Insane Church Posse…

BAND NAME!!!
(What do I win?)

[SteveG1]

@MadPansy64

I’m in!

I’m a bit fuzzy on asking Pele to be bitchy proper prayer protocol - would it be better to sacrifice my Repulican neighbor’s ewe, or four of her chickens? Do I need to specify aa aa or pahoehoe?

As long as we make proper offerings, I’d be content to let Madame Pele decide exactly how to do it. She is, after all, the expert in such things

[Mangetout]

@Mr.Excellent

I hate everything the Westboro Baptists Church stands for, but I hope their demonstration proceeds unhindered. Not for their sake, but for ours.

I get what you mean, but I conclude by hoping they fall down a mineshaft, instead.

[kitemaker_chuck]

@Inigo_Montoya

BAND NAME!!!
(What do I win?)

I think the band name was Insane Clown Posse.

[geniios]

Its not like you could conclude, that then they might gain martyrdom status for their cause because no one gives a fuck if they have a cause, considering their fucked up methods! I say let the snipers have em.
I’m just saying…

@Mangetout

I get what you mean, but I conclude by hoping they fall down a mineshaft, instead.

[Junior_Spaceman]

I hereby announce my intention to picket Fred Phelps’ funeral. Next week.