Kansas 'Church to picket John Edwards speech Friday...

[Rainscents]

Says he answer to "fag/dyke" masters.

http://rawprint.com/spaulding/westboro.php

These people need a real job.

[dubyaD40web]

1. I hate this damn state I live in.

[Rainscents]

2. I feel for you...

[MuseRider]

You should feel better today

since we handed them a big defeat yesterday. We had people come in from KC, get a room and spend the last two days going door to door and phone banking. I thank your city for the help. It was actually one of the only places we were able to get press as a group. Feel good, the momentum is here and on our side. We just have to stick together.

[mod mom]

3. WTF, not only take away their tax exempt status, but

also charge them with HATE CRIMES! In the name of GOD?

[rkc3]

18. It's interesting these guys consider themselves a church.

Maybe I'm just sheltered, but this sort of stuff seems to happen a lot in the south and midwest. We aren't exposed to this shit in the northeast and a lot of people I meet are shocked to hear that groups like this exist.

I think they need some greater exposure to show them for what they really are.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. Sad

"Who Will God hate today?" :eyes:

[MuseRider]

4. Let them go. We just handed

them a real defeat here and from what I can tell they are the worst enemy the RW evangelicals can imagine. Let the world see them some more and react some more. This is just my opinion from what I gathered from this election.

[saltpoint]

5. Yes -- they need a real job and a real brain, too.

I guess it's kind of flattering for John Edwards that it's the brainless reactionaries who are threatened by him while the more cool-headed folks show him the respect he deserves as a guest to another state and a public speaker in a constitutional democracy.

Not to put too fine a point on it.

Slander in large numbers is still slander.

Maybe these people are thinking of Jeff Gannon.

[mod mom]

25. they are DANGEROUS hate mongers, Edwards should be protected! nt

[saltpoint]

30. I'm for protecting public speech, period.

And I love Edwards, his wife, his family, and the emphasis on the two Americas.

[ET Awful]

6. It appears that on Phelps flyer, he photocopied an article

from the Capitol Journal. I wonder if he had written permission to reproduce a copyrighted work.

I think I'll e-mail this to the Journal and find out.

[MuseRider]

7. Good idea but they

seem to be on his side or at least profiting from him so I really doubt they will care.

[Rainscents]

9. Good idea!

[ET Awful]

12. E-mail sent as follows:

Hello Mr. Goering:

I'm not sure who at your paper to address this to, but it has come to my attention that Mr. Fred Phelps is utilizing articles published in your paper on his flyers. While I will not argue with anyone's right to believe or say as they wish, I believe it is well beyond any legal "fair-use" for someone like Fred Phelps to photocopy articles in their entirety for use on his propaganda.

I'm certain that your editors and legal department would like to be made aware of this use of material copyrighted by your paper.

See the below link for a scanned copy of Mr. Phelps' latest flyer:

http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/feb2005/John_Edwards_2-9-2005.pdf

Thank you for your time and attention.

____________________

Yes, you read right, Mr. Goering. The executive editor at the paper is Pete Goering.

[Rainscents]

17. Great writing! I wish I could write as well.

[ET Awful]

19. Thanks . . . it's one of my few "talents"

Of course, it came from working as a paralegal for many years :).

[karynnj]

8. This is so sick

How can this hate filled group even be called a church? Not being a Baptist, but knowing that this is clearly anathema to their belief system, are churches affiliated to any organization and if so can they repudiate these people? I can't believe they would even use the death of his son and claim that Edwards' whole family will go to hell.

[HockeyMom]

11. Correct me

if I am wrong, but aren't they two different entities - Baptists and SOUTHERN Baptists?

[Nordmadr]

10. I have a hard time believing that is real it

is so bad. Un-fucking believable.

Olaf

[Rainscents]

13. I am Christan and I am embarrass to say I am a Christan because of

Church's like this.

[napi21]

14. So what's the political climate in Topeka?

When they announced the defeat of the resolution to take away gay rights in yesterdays election, the media said it was a local election, and it would probably go the other way in the statewide vote in Nov.

I have no idea if this is right or not, but apparently there are pockets of Dems in Kansas too. Just wondering about Topeka.

[beyurslf]

15. That's the Phelps clan. They protest everything.

[ET Awful]

20. They might as well just make their motto

"If you ain't Fred, you're a fag enabler."

They basically call anyone and everyone a "fag enabler." They say that god hates the USA as a whole.

[seahawky]

16. Let Edwards Speak

Let Edwards Speak, whats up with that?

[atommom]

22. They're publicity whores, and they've admitted as much.

They'll picket anyone that might bring them a little more press (including, on occasion, GWB and Laura).

I do have questions about their tax-exempt status, though. Since the church is mostly comprised of family members, and members of the public can't just walk into a service, and their primary activity is picketing .... why should they be tax-exempt???

[paineinthearse]

23. Just read the thread headline

Without reading any details, let me venture a guess that it's the WESTBORO assholes????

[paineinthearse]

24. Yup! Be sure the media has been alerted!

These racist/homophobic bozos need all the coverage they can get so "normal" citizens can see them for what they are.

This is the same group that picketed a Lutheran Church during the Asian tsunami disaster due to Sweden's position on gay rights.

[LibDemAlways]

26. "God almighty warned John Edwards by

killing his son." These people are beyond sick. Surely there must be some Baptist congregations and ministers in this country who could be actively disavowing these nutcases.

[yellowcanine]

27. That "church is the Phelps family. I don't believe a gathering of you and

your spawn makes a church.

[bush_is_wacko]

28. Well I hope Edwards brings up the fact their president (NOT MINE)

made a gay prostitute WH propaganda master of the year and daddy bush is a pedophile. Someone should bring fliers and pass out the TRUTH about poppy and baby bush!

Unfortunately I live too far away and have to go to work, but it would be a good time for some of those liberal Kansan's to come forward and volunteer some of their time to spread the word!

[Rainscents]

29. Great idea!

[Flammable Materials]

31. How are these pinheads still newsworthy?

Ignore the freakshow, nothing to see that we haven't seen before.

:eyes:

[earthboundmisfit]

32. Not to advocate violence, but Edwards ought to

punch this jerk in the nose! No words needed - just one good punch.

[juslikagrzly]

33. Pledge donations for every minute Phelps pickets!

Fabulous idea--Make Phelps generate donations by picketing!

link here

ANN ARBOR, MI - When the Reverend Fred Phelps came to town, the gay community here decided not to get mad.  They decided to get rich.

Among the Ann Arbor locales the Kansas-based Phelps and his band elected to picket was the /aut/ BAR, a gay-owned restaurant, bar and community gathering place.  When co-owner Keith Orr heard that his establishment was being targeted, he wanted to respond constructively.  He and his partner, Martin Contreras, did not want to promote a counter-demonstration, feeling that Phelps gains the most attention – and hence is most effective – when he provokes anger and outrage from his opponents.  Rather, Orr decided to use his Phelps visit to the community’s advantage.

Phelps’s plans to picket the bar came to light only two days prior to his scheduled February 17, 2001 demonstration.  With little time, Orr used the Internet to organize a unique fundraising scheme.  In an email message to customers, supporters, and friends, he proposed that people pledge money to the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project (WRAP), a local gay advocacy group and community center, for every minute that Phelps picketed the bar.  In this way, Orr explained, the longer Phelps stayed to spew hate, the more money he would raise for WRAP.  He and Contreras kicked off the drive by pledging $1 per minute. 

<snip>

“When I began the pledge drive I wasn’t necessarily expecting anything big,” Orr said.  “I just wanted to give people an opportunity to turn Phelps’s message of hate into something positive for our community.”  Even so, the size and speed of the response surprised him.  “Normally a fundraising event of this magnitude takes months of planning and a lot of up-front costs.  In 48 hours we raised over $6000 without spending a dime.  I was astonished.” 



edited for spelling

[blondeatlast]

34. My home state kicked Freddie right where it counts today...

Make sure you keep this thread kicked to congratulate MuseRider and friends!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=2735995