What is the appropriate response to Westboro Baptist??

[dbackjon]

They are frothing at the mouth over the Tucson shooting - Christmas came late for those assholes.


They are planning on picketing the funeral of Christina Taylor Green, the 9-year old that was killed in the shooting.

Christina was not only born on 9/11/2001, featured in the book "Faces of Hope" about babies born on 9/11, but has deep connections to America's pasttime, baseball - her Grandfather is legendary manager Dallas Green, her father a pro scout.

So you have a funeral for a beautiful young girl, caused by an assassination attempt on a Member of Congress, with sidebars to 9/11 and baseball - it will be a well-covered funeral by the media - the perfect stage (in their warped minds) for Westboro Baptist.

Do you just ignore them? They thrive on attention - it almost seems that giving them attention only fuels them to be more outrageous. At the same time, I don't want those assholes in viewing distance of the family/church. Confrontation with them only gets them publicity.

The family of Christina has requested the visitation and services to be a private affair. They don't want any media coverage, or outsiders around - not that they don't appreciate the thoughts and well wishes, they just want to be out of the spotlight.

[HI54UNI]

Ignoring them is the best thing even though it will be difficult. The press needs to get on board with this. They send out press releases and the media needs to ignore them. Unfortunately with our 24 hr news cycle it won't happen.

Hopefully the family will get some assistance from the Patriot Guard Riders.

[Skjellyfetti]

Yeah. I was going to say ignore them. They want attention... but, protesting at that 9 year old's funeral makes it pretty difficult to ignore.

I wouldn't mind following them around and blasting this on my stereo:
[youtube][/youtube]

[Rob Iola]

In a warped, twisted, heart-breaking way it's a testament to the strength and stability of this country, and its citizens, that the Westboro church idiots are not only still alive but that they're allowed to spew their venom. It's a testament to our education, our moral fiber, and our spirituality that we know the difference between their crazed attacks and the truth. And it's that same set of education, moral fiber, and spirituality that allows us to react responsibly to extreme rhetoric from both ends of the political spectrum.

300 million people and there will be assholes. There will also be our Constitutional freedoms. Compare with the nonsense going on in Islamic countries with the whole blasphemy issue...

What is the appropriate response to Westboro Baptist? Prayers for their children...

[youngterrier]

hey a butt kicking isn't bad, I defy anybody to find a jury that would convict someone for assault and battery on these people.

[BlueHen86]

I say we let Jared Lee Loughner have a shot at the WBC a-holes and that if he kills enough of them we'll call it even.

[BlueHen86]

hey a butt kicking isn't bad, I defy anybody to find a jury that would convict someone for assault and battery on these people.

I would happily chip in a bucks to help with their legal fees. The WBC needs a good ass kicking. It's WJWD.

[SuperHornet]

How about jailing them without pub?

[youngterrier]

How about jailing them without pub?

too far, technically they aren't breaking any laws

[ERK-MOBILE]

Um... I own a potato gun that can supersonically embed a spud squarely in the rectal column of one of these people. Will that work?

[houndawg]

Generally I'd stick with freedom of speech trumping all, but in this case I'd make an exception. The proper procedure would be for the police to let it be known that they will be taking a fifteen minute break at x hour. The medias contribution would be to turn off the cameras for fifteen minutes at that time. Two or three guys with pick handles should be able to clean up the garbage in short order. No hitting above the knees though, the WBC folks are entitled to their opinion.

[HI54UNI]

hey a butt kicking isn't bad, I defy anybody to find a jury that would convict someone for assault and battery on these people.

That's what these pukes want. They tell the local law enforcement they are coming and then if something happens to them they sue the law enforcement for failing to protect them. That is how they have enough money to operate. They protested at a local solider's funeral. We had some 70+ year old vets that wanted to kick their asses when they started stomping on the flag. As bad as he wanted to let them the sheriff had to step in and keep them from doing it.

It's tough but ignoring them is the best thing.

[Gil Dobie]

My Brother-in-law is a Patriot Guard Rider, they usually do a good job.

[ASUG8]

An "alien abduction" en masse would be in order.

Since we have Guantanamo still open, maybe these freaks would enjoy the Carribean air.

[houndawg]

An "alien abduction" en masse would be in order.

Since we have Guantanamo still open, maybe these freaks would enjoy the Carribean air.

or the caribbean water......the deep blue caribbean water.....

[COBBLESTONE]

My Brother-in-law is a Patriot Guard Rider, they usually do a good job.

Amen to that! I had the pleasure to meet some of those guys when Phelps and his gang of idiots came here to RI.

As for the original question...

I plan to attend Phelps' wake when that great day comes. I will then stand over his corpse and take a crap on it.

[93henfan]

In a warped, twisted, heart-breaking way it's a testament to the strength and stability of this country, and its citizens, that the Westboro church idiots are not only still alive but that they're allowed to spew their venom. It's a testament to our education, our moral fiber, and our spirituality that we know the difference between their crazed attacks and the truth. And it's that same set of education, moral fiber, and spirituality that allows us to react responsibly to extreme rhetoric from both ends of the political spectrum.

300 million people and there will be assholes. There will also be our Constitutional freedoms. Compare with the nonsense going on in Islamic countries with the whole blasphemy issue...

What is the appropriate response to Westboro Baptist? Prayers for their children...

Yeah I guess that's the right answer. I was going to say that the appropriate response would be to find a hill about 500 meters away and use them to find zero on your scope.

[dbackjon]

In a warped, twisted, heart-breaking way it's a testament to the strength and stability of this country, and its citizens, that the Westboro church idiots are not only still alive but that they're allowed to spew their venom. It's a testament to our education, our moral fiber, and our spirituality that we know the difference between their crazed attacks and the truth. And it's that same set of education, moral fiber, and spirituality that allows us to react responsibly to extreme rhetoric from both ends of the political spectrum.

300 million people and there will be assholes. There will also be our Constitutional freedoms. Compare with the nonsense going on in Islamic countries with the whole blasphemy issue...

What is the appropriate response to Westboro Baptist? Prayers for their children...

Yeah I guess that's the right answer. I was going to say that the appropriate response would be to find a hill about 500 meters away and use them to find zero on your scope.

1) Invite Sarah Palin to Tucson
2) Surgically implant Moose Antlers on the WBC Members

[native]

In a warped, twisted, heart-breaking way it's a testament to the strength and stability of this country, and its citizens, that the Westboro church idiots are not only still alive but that they're allowed to spew their venom. It's a testament to our education, our moral fiber, and our spirituality that we know the difference between their crazed attacks and the truth. And it's that same set of education, moral fiber, and spirituality that allows us to react responsibly to extreme rhetoric from both ends of the political spectrum.

300 million people and there will be *******. There will also be our Constitutional freedoms. Compare with the nonsense going on in Islamic countries with the whole blasphemy issue...

What is the appropriate response to Westboro Baptist? Prayers for their children...

Best answer of the thread, Rob!

[SuperHornet]

How about jailing them without pub?

too far, technically they aren't breaking any laws

How is that? What about illegal assembly? They don't have a permit; any sane city government is going to deny them on sight. If abortion protests (a rightful protest of murder) can be ground to a halt, surelly this trash can be quashed under the same (or similar) laws.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

Go back and check any of my previous answers on this question over the past few years Jon cuz the way to handle it has not changed.

They are getting what they want out of this every time from the national & local media as well as the general led by their nose public.

SH, they are doing everything within the legal boudaries so let's work from that angle and pretend we're all in the same spot here. If they weren't doing things in a legal fashion then why the hell would they be in touch with local law enforcement prior to their visit? Stop with the silly talk about permits and shit.

[Ibanez]

too far, technically they aren't breaking any laws

How is that? What about illegal assembly? They don't have a permit; any sane city government is going to deny them on sight. If abortion protests (a rightful protest of murder) can be ground to a halt, surelly this trash can be quashed under the same (or similar) laws.

Cities are not going to deny thier requests because all the bad publicity they will unleash, as well as lawsuits protecting thier rights. They need to be ignored.

[clenz]

They were in CF last spring and again in the fall. The best thing to do is ignore them. Most of CF ignored them and they ended having almost no presence in the city.

[Pwns]

If the government is going to start screening folks for mental illness and taking away gun rights of those deemed dangerous, then I know one person that they could start with. Un-f**king believable.

[native]

... They are getting what they want out of this every time from the national & local media as well as the general led by their nose public. ...

I don't think the demonization of the right will be quite as effective this time as it was when Clinton blamed Republicans for Waco and Oklahoma City.

In the first place, the non-left has achieved a larger critical mass, at least for the time being, and they know dang well that they do not stand for violence against innocents

In the second place, hysterical and disingenuous cries of "racism," haven't worked. There is no reason to believe that the equally hysterical and disingenuous cries of fomenting violence will work, either.

Finally, the left cannot control as much of the media as they did in the mid-90's, and cannot stand scrutiny of their own even more violent, vitriolic, hateful and incendiary speech:

The left using bulls-eye imagery to "target" Republicans, while calling them "enemies:"


Candidate Obama threatening the use of guns (rhetorically, of course):


Even President Obama labeled Republicans as "enemies" (and by inference, the majority of Americans) in his famous October 2010 speech to Latinos:
http://hotair.com/greenroom/archives/20 ... ludes-you/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;