I was not thrilled to get this e-mail from our pastor

[OmahaBlueDog]

Text follows:

**

Dear Parishioners,

The Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas has announced that they will conduct a picket at St. Stephen’s this Friday, August 13 from 10:15 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. prior to the 11:00 a.m. Funeral Service for Grant Hoefener, who drowned in the Elkhorn River last week-end.

As you may know, this is a hate group that has picketed at military funerals, funerals of the young and other activities. They have a twofold purpose in these pickets: to obtain media attention and to make money. They actively seek confrontation and then turn around and sue others for violating their rights.

You may recall that this group, although small in number, was here about a year ago, carrying signs. They remained on the public sidewalks in front of the homes just to the north of our main driveway. It was during a Sunday Mass, and we asked everyone at Mass to ignore and not incite them.

The appropriate authorities have been contacted.

Parents, if any of you have sons or daughters who were classmates of Grant at Millard West, or are current Millard West students who might be coming to the funeral, please encourage them to do nothing to inflame this group. Escalation is what they want.

In the midst of all this, please offer some extra prayers for our parish and for the Hoefener family. I wanted you to hear this from me rather than from other sources first.


God bless you!

Fr. Jim

**

[RandomThoughts]

1. yea there seems to be some real insensativity there.

Although everyone does that at times.

For me it is in part being ingnored that makes me think things need to happen.

Although I don't think I am like them, I am not sure if ignoring people helps, best to be kind to them.

Some leave when ignored, some get louder. Interesting dynamic.




That comment really fits well with the John/Jane Doe comment.


Crank It Up
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnSbpPXlmvo

[etherealtruth]

2. For crying out loud ...

I can't believe these psychos persist.

Your pastor has the right idea .... here's hoping the media catches on and ignores them

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Counter protest should be tasteful

funny and mostly laughing at them. Use the example of Comicon....

Or do nothing... let them scream their heads off... and just IGNORE THEM, FULLY.

[Brother Buzz]

8. You ain't got no pancake mix!

I couldn't do what this guy did, but I really appreciate his brand of pancake mix street theater.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwyZ0ji1GRU

[gratuitous]

4. "Escalation is what they want"

This is absolutely true. Don't engage them, don't pay them any attention. They're there to cause a scene. Don't feed the trolls. It's difficult, and they prey on people at their most vulnerable, like bullies always do, but you have to just walk away from them. With any luck, there won't be that many of them, and if my experiences with them is any indication, they'll pack up and leave in less than an hour.

I suggest you spend the first segment of time singing Grant's favorite hymns together. Like most truculent children, the Westboro nitwits will lose interest and fade away when they can't be hollering and disrupting things.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. I realize you're right, and I will not do anything rash, but I can't help...

...having the very un-Christian wish for a massive lightning strike

[pipi_k]

18. Well, I see nothing wrong with hoping for a big rainstorm for the crops...

If lightning just happens to be involved, then that's not your fault...


hee hee

[izquierdista]

5. Has anyone tried pheromones on them?

Inconspicuously drop stuff for them to walk through (dog in heat urine, queen bee scent, etc.) so that they will attract the attention they want....but this time from the animal kingdom. It would be hilarious if every horny male dog in a two-mile radius was there to hump them on the leg.

[OmahaBlueDog]

7. ..but that would be wrong

[izquierdista]

16. Yes, very wrong

You should be ashamed of thinking of it.

[pipi_k]

19. GASP!!! I am SO disappointed in you!!!

um...I sorta like the queen bee idea....

[havocmom]

9. Sounds like you have a very decent and wise pastor

Blessings on him, your congregation, family and friends of Grant Hoefener.

A pox upon the hell hounds Fred Phelps and his yappy minions.

[OmahaBlueDog]

12. I'm not going to tell you it's the most DU friendly church....

..they have the usual Catholic views on choice, birth control, etc.

But, they do some nice outreach to the poor. When the economy started rolling downhill, they held a casino night to raise money for families who couldn't afford tuition at the parish school. I like them.

[havocmom]

15. I try to hold churches to the standard of what they do for humans

And parishes do better than "THE CHURCH" in many instances. I don't hold their politics against them so long as they keep their politics out of my life.

Have known many parishes, congregations, temples, mosques, synagogues that serve people much better than their respective organizational hierarchy. Seems to go with being close to the ground where real needs are seen and not just abstract considerations.

[islandmkl]

10. while i agree that ignoring these jackals is the best policy...

i cannot figure how one person has not gotten close to them during their demonstrations and not been able to provoke one of them into a law-breaking act...

how much can THEY take, if you fight them on their level...yeah, you would have to get down in the shitpit...and they know not too many people, maybe nobody, have the BALLS and the BRAINS of how to operate in that pit...

someday, someone is going to calmly stand among them and talk about their families, their children, where they live, etc....there is a snap somewhere there waiting to happen...

and the ensuing lawsuit will be Westboro's demise...because they will be at the other end of it...

they don't need to be stamped out...they just need to endure the real strain of abuse they subject others to...unfortunately, most people only want to kick their ass...which is exactly what they want someone to do...

it ain't easy getting inside the heads of truly whacked out folks...but these people have a well-designed program...they just might be more clever than whacked...

one day, maybe someone will be able to turn the table...and sue their asses out of the public arena...

[Greyskye]

11. Harley clubs have used themselves as shields in front of these nutjobs.

Westboro does not like to mess with bikers.

This was used to great effect when Westboro tried to picket solders funerals in the past, IIRC.

Perhaps some local clubs might be interested, if they were to find out about this; and your church wouldn't be involved at all...


Edit: Here's an example: http://www.examiner.com/x-20216-Shreveport-Motorcycle-T...

[OmahaBlueDog]

13. Unfortunately, I think they will be otherwise occupied

A member of the Leigon Riders (a veterans biker organization) was one of four riders killed by an alleged drunk in a horrible accident on I-29 a couple of days ago. I believe they (and some of the other local biker organizations) have committed to escorting his body from Sioux City to Council Bluffs on Friday.

That said, I like your thinking.

[a la izquierda]

14. Westboro protested at the Hillel House...

at University of Oklahoma last fall. There were Harley guys there. It was awesome.

Damn, I hate those jerks.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

17. Actually its called the Patriot Guard, its all brands, and it riders, not bikers

That said, its quite effective. All it would take would be an email...

[Initech]

20. I really hope SCOTUS does the right thing and put an end to their shit.