Somehow, the phrase "loose cannons" is woefully inadequate when referring to the WBC....hell, I cannot even bring myself to call them "people," as I see them as F A R less than human beings, and "pond scum" is TOO gracious!!!
The most saddening part of this whole WBC situation is that we all know that they're only echoing on the streets what's been muttered in protestant living rooms for decades.
WBC isn't a church, they're a group of scam artists, like the Travellers or Pikeys. Their goal is to get people so incensed that they physically assault them, then they sue. As long as their men can convince women to produce offspring, they'll be around. The best thing to do is ignore them.
I just googled them for kicks and their official website (which I visited just to make sure it was legit) is godhatesfags.com. Seriously -- that's the site address! Gotta admire their bizarre singular focus, if nothing else.
Surely this is a joke. They wouldn't really, would they? I actually threw up a little when I heard that. I am stumped. Absolutely stumped and incredulous.
Of course they will. They're not Christians, they're lawyers. All of them. They provoke you until you violate their rights, then they sue you. Nothing could be more American than that.
Although I hear Newtown is a pretty heavily armed place. Maybe we'll be treated to a gun battle at one of the funerals. Like something out of Northern Ireland.
A lot of you don't seem to know very much about these guys. I'm a funeral director. I study them & keep a close eye on their picketing schedule.
They believe that loving thy neighbor means to rebuke them & the more hate they ingest, the more satisfied they are that they're doing the Lord's work.
They will show up. Luckily, so will a whole bunch of biker honor guards that converge specifically to block the sights & sounds of these zealots by holding up bighuge flags & revving their engines.
However. I've been watching them for years & I think if serious repercussions were finally going to happen to them, it would be over this.
@33: WBC is already designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. SPLC also refer to them as a cult of personality. Close enough?
Considering that they largely live off the money they get from suing others - abusing the legal system on multiple levels while simultaneously shitting on the social contract - I think the term "parasites" would also be apt.
So maybe they don't do as much picketing lately because they haven't had a windfall settlement in awhile. They're being financially starved because no one will stoop to their level (and are now left with only enough resources to make anonymous comments to Dan's postings on Slog, it would seem). With that in mind, we can hope they'll fade more and more into the background as time passes.
I will personally come down there from Canada and kick each and every one of their asses. By the way, Reddit tells me that there's a petition on the White House's website to classify Westboro Baptist as a hate group. It's gotten almost half the necessary signatures over the last 2 days, and since I can't participate, I might as well spread the good word.
@39 FTW.
Where are the gun-toters when they're needed? They weren't shooting shooters at Sandy Hook Elementary. They weren't at the mall when Gabby Giffords was blown apart, or at any other mass shooting yet, and there have been how many of those? They're not shooting these ghastly excuses for human beings.
Seems their guns are only good for show, hot air and threats. The NRA should be a designated hate group for what they encourage and the power they wield over any gun-control legislation.
Anonymous just hacked WBC... again, and this time they got contact information of various members. It's not quite "Wrath of God," but it's the next best thing.
Anonymous just hacked WBC... again, and this time they got contact information of various members. It's not quite "Wrath of God," but it's the next best thing.
I would never encourage anyone to commit enough violence upon them to make any legal judgement moot; no, never! Even if they were a grieving parent and could probably avoid criminal liability by claiming diminished capacity!
Of course they're protesting. They don't choose things to protest despite how inflammatory it is, they choose it BECAUSE it's inflammatory. They want the attention. In a way it would do far more damage to them if the press made a pact to not publicize their actions. In fact it's my understanding that this already happens in some cases. On the other hand the Two Minute Hate can be quite therapeutic, especially when we feel helpless rage, and they are fine targets. However the children in that cult have no fault in the matter and the more attention we pay this troll church, the longer they will persist.
52 - that wasn't a real onion article, just one suggested by Dan.
Re Anonymous - normally I'm appalled when someone's private info is revealed on the net... so Anonymous, shame, shame on you! Three flicks with a wet noodle... there, that's enough! yea for Anonymous!
Re violence - I know it's tempting, but it's playing into what they want. Now THEY can be the victims. Just ignore them. All of us need to just ignore them.
@37 - to be fair, the SPLC claims just about everyone is a hate group, and they do fuck-all about anything. and signing a petition won't make any difference either- you don't get to petition an entity out of existence.
Ignore publicly -watch closely and wait for the actionable opportunity. these people are way out at the ragged edge, and will eventually step afoul of some goofy local rule about protesting, or will speed through a school zone, or maybe one day the IRS will actually start doing their job. Patience.
If they do show up and picket, the Southern Poverty Law Center should sue WBC and its members into destitution for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Of course, there's a non-negligible possibility that there won't be any of them left alive to sue.
@43. You do realize all of the places you mentioned are actually designated as Gun Free Zones, so any CHL holder carrying a weapon in those places would be in violation of federal law, and subject to arrest and license revocation, right? THAT'S why they didn't stop anything.
@36: "They believe that loving thy neighbor means to rebuke them & the more hate they ingest, the more satisfied they are that they're doing the Lord's work."
This is not exactly true. They literally believe that all of us are going to hell. Themselves included.
It's a sin for me to think so, but I would dearly love to see each and every one of those hateful false prophets to die painfully. A good clean death is better than any of them deserve.
Guns are not the problem. They need to be guided by a person to do damage.
Neglectful parents who (to their benefit) didn't learn how to model constructive and pro-social behavior for their children are a dangerous, growing phenomenon in our society.
Who's regulating/monitoring parenting skills? Because we become parents doesn't give us a "free ticket" from having mental health and interpersonal communication issues which need attention.
Metaphoric to a person who seeks to acquire a gun - a parent who is not "qualified" (has no "background check" or monitoring done for parenting/communication skills) is potentially very dangerous. Further, parents "wrap their hands around" a child, guide/"aim" their direction, and, ultimately, pull the trigger.
What we really need to give our attention to is not the gun, but who's behind the trigger?
Bullshit. In every interview I've seen, they themselves have stated that they're going to hell with all the sinners.
And also, can you idiots stop putting forth internet petitions? If there was such a thing as a Federal "hate group", we'd see plenty of megachurches lose their non-profit status.
People on reddit have organized a peaceful counterprotest. It consists of atheists, religious people of multiple denominations, straights, queers, etc. and they will be forming a human barricade. Some are flying out for the occasion. https://www.facebook.com/groups/20824807…
Westboro Baptist Church
3701 Southwest 12th Street
Topeka, 66604
http://goo.gl/73TZx
Someone had to say it.
Give me a goddamned break. This is what they do.
Stop reporting on them. Let their PR agents go unheeded. They love the attention.
Although I hear Newtown is a pretty heavily armed place. Maybe we'll be treated to a gun battle at one of the funerals. Like something out of Northern Ireland.
http://www.facebook.com/events/346401382…
They believe that loving thy neighbor means to rebuke them & the more hate they ingest, the more satisfied they are that they're doing the Lord's work.
They will show up. Luckily, so will a whole bunch of biker honor guards that converge specifically to block the sights & sounds of these zealots by holding up bighuge flags & revving their engines.
However. I've been watching them for years & I think if serious repercussions were finally going to happen to them, it would be over this.
Considering that they largely live off the money they get from suing others - abusing the legal system on multiple levels while simultaneously shitting on the social contract - I think the term "parasites" would also be apt.
So maybe they don't do as much picketing lately because they haven't had a windfall settlement in awhile. They're being financially starved because no one will stoop to their level (and are now left with only enough resources to make anonymous comments to Dan's postings on Slog, it would seem). With that in mind, we can hope they'll fade more and more into the background as time passes.
just sayin'...
I kid, of course. There would be risk to bystanders.
Where are the gun-toters when they're needed? They weren't shooting shooters at Sandy Hook Elementary. They weren't at the mall when Gabby Giffords was blown apart, or at any other mass shooting yet, and there have been how many of those? They're not shooting these ghastly excuses for human beings.
Seems their guns are only good for show, hot air and threats. The NRA should be a designated hate group for what they encourage and the power they wield over any gun-control legislation.
Oops, I seem to have a dropped a link go…
Oops, I seem to have a dropped a link go…
Re Anonymous - normally I'm appalled when someone's private info is revealed on the net... so Anonymous, shame, shame on you! Three flicks with a wet noodle... there, that's enough! yea for Anonymous!
Re violence - I know it's tempting, but it's playing into what they want. Now THEY can be the victims. Just ignore them. All of us need to just ignore them.
Ignore publicly -watch closely and wait for the actionable opportunity. these people are way out at the ragged edge, and will eventually step afoul of some goofy local rule about protesting, or will speed through a school zone, or maybe one day the IRS will actually start doing their job. Patience.
This is not exactly true. They literally believe that all of us are going to hell. Themselves included.
They were on reddit today as well, but most of their shit has been deleted.
Neglectful parents who (to their benefit) didn't learn how to model constructive and pro-social behavior for their children are a dangerous, growing phenomenon in our society.
Who's regulating/monitoring parenting skills? Because we become parents doesn't give us a "free ticket" from having mental health and interpersonal communication issues which need attention.
Metaphoric to a person who seeks to acquire a gun - a parent who is not "qualified" (has no "background check" or monitoring done for parenting/communication skills) is potentially very dangerous. Further, parents "wrap their hands around" a child, guide/"aim" their direction, and, ultimately, pull the trigger.
What we really need to give our attention to is not the gun, but who's behind the trigger?
https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitio…
Bullshit. In every interview I've seen, they themselves have stated that they're going to hell with all the sinners.
And also, can you idiots stop putting forth internet petitions? If there was such a thing as a Federal "hate group", we'd see plenty of megachurches lose their non-profit status.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/the-3o-be…