Mommas, don’t let your babies be Westboro Baptists
I kind of liked this singing response to the recent Supreme Court decision upholding the right of the Westboro Baptist church to picket military funerals with signs bearing various vile and hateful messages. Like the singer, I agree with the Court’s decision, but find the Phelpsians quite vile.
h/t: Instapundit
Ambiance 
Icepick said,
March 6, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Well, the solution to the problem has been obvious. It’s selective enforcement of the law. If the Westboro Baptists shop up at a funeral, they should be greeted by some members of the local VFW. A few busted heads later, along wityh a lather rince and repeat, will show them the error of their ways. The selective enforcement of the laws comes from NOT prosecuting the VFW guys. As is typical in America these days, it is a simple problem made hard.
pathmv said,
March 6, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Agreed, Icepick. While that same technique has been used for ill purposes in this country (particularly during the civil rights struggles, when white citizens and law enforcement officials turned a blind eye when one of their own committed a crime against a black person), there’s some value in the general concept, when used rarely and appropriately.
“Did you see who beat the crap out of the Phelpsians?”
Nope, I didn’t see a thing. Did you see who broke all of their signs over their heads, then showed them what homosexuality is all about by shoving the sticks up their asses?
“Not me. I was at the funeral at the time.”
Yep, me too.
Rod said,
March 6, 2011 at 10:38 pm
When the decision came down, I was surprised to learn that most members of the Westboro church are members of the same family and college educated. Four are lawyers who understand Constitutional law well. Phelps’ daughter argued the case in front of the Supreme Court.
I also heard a brief interview with the daughter, who explained that they want to be hated because they want the US to overreact and bring the Judgment of God down on the country. The theology of the group is incoherent and far removed from anything going on in most Christian churches.
I think they do not really believe their own nonsense and are geared towards publicity.
Although a good case can be made for excluding funerals from the public square (read Alito’s dissent – it shows a side of him I did not know), the real problem is a news media which feeds on the family’s self promotion. The members of this “church” will stop when nobody pays attention.
pathmv said,
March 6, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Rod, all of those facts about the group are why I try to refer to them primarily as the “Phelpsians” rather than use the Westboro Baptist Church name. Calling them that seems a bit defamatory to the Baptists.
I agree that they should be given much less attention by the media than they are.
mockturtle said,
March 7, 2011 at 10:12 am
“I think they do not really believe their own nonsense and are geared towards publicity.”
Agreed. The whole thing is a publicity stunt reminiscent of the ‘balloon boy’, ‘Qur’an-burning preacher’, etc. IMHO, the news media consistently take the prize for naivete.
mockturtle said,
March 7, 2011 at 10:14 am
Or, if not naive, then simply irresponsible.
karen said,
March 7, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Well, the video made me cry. A lot of things do, i know.
This is very poignant:
“… can’t comprehend that w/out our brave men-
—Their right to free speech would soon end.”
So true. So sad.
mockturtle said,
March 7, 2011 at 9:49 pm
Karen, you are so right. As the oft-repeated adage says, “Freedom is not free.”