how to handle westboro baptist

churchy · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 6:16 am Post subject:

Awesome... way more of this type of stuff needs to happen.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

I like it, but not going to work everywhere. They'll figure out a solution to this rather quickly. Someone just needs to pull a "Patriot," lock those people in their church, and light it on fire.

j/k kinda..

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

As great as it is that they shut down these jagoffs, I think that this is just going to result in a bad outcome for those that attempt to silence them.

If a jury in MS is going to be biased, they'll request a venue change. If the venue change is denied by a local judge, they'll challenge it and they'll win, providing yet another headline they so crave.

IMHO - All this really did was empower them further. The folks won this battle for Sgt. Rogers and his family, but they aren't winning the war - in fact they probably just made it worse for the other families who will try to lay their sons to rest in peace.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

completely disagree chavez. the families and communities of the soldiers know about wb and what they do. now that they have a blueprint (minus the beatdown maybe), they can continue to throw a wrench into the protests.

Faust · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 20 May 2005 Posts: 1496

Ditto... I see your point chavez but in this case I think that standing by and doing nothing is what would empower them further.

goofyboy · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 7:22 am Post subject:

Let me first say that as much as I disagree with the morons at the church, they have the right to assembly and protest. We don't have to like it. In fact, we have the same right to protest against them.

With that said, the local police should be investigated for not following through on an assualt investigation. Also, their harrassment of US citizens should be investigate as well. The local police decided to harass a group of citizens because they disagreed with what they do. That is not the job of law inforcement.

This is the same type of thing as police protecting the KKK during a march in the south. They don't have to agree with the march, but they do have to protect the groups right to assemble.

The ends should not justify the means.

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

jt09, no, it is a irresponsible series of actions taken by people who don't understand that they are denying the very rights that this soldier died protecting.

Assaulting people, infringing on their freedom of movement, improper detention - these are all illegal actions taken by the locals. The Westboro jerks are at least smart enough to follow the law in their actions.

So yeah, it sucks donkey balls. I hate these dicks just as much as you. But, as the saying goes, I disagree with what they are saying but I'd defend to the death their right to say it.

Faust, what empowers them is attention. The folks in MS just gave them a whole buttload of free attention. They won the battle, but sadly, Westboro is winning the war.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

as an american, i absolutely defend their right to protest. as a person, f*ck them and i'll do whatever needs to be done to stop them.

i have zero problem whatsoever w/ blocking in their cars. if they want to protest, feel free to walk on over to the funeral.

Seth Martin · Moderator Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 891 City: Orlando

Westboro Baptist are protesting a highschool here in Orlando, next Friday (April 29th).

I want to go protest against Westboro because of this -

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

the attention works against wbc just as much, if not more, than for them. by letting communities know that they will be protesting, it allows groups to organize and counter them.

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

I'd say I have to agree with the points goofyboy and chavez have made.

I don't like what these folks are doing, but our country allows them the freedom to do it and that freedom shouldn't be infringed upon.

I do like the idea of counter protesting, but would worry about its effectiveness.

Personally, I'm ashamed of these people and don't think they are truly representing Christian values.

pet575 · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 8:18 am Post subject:

I agree that these guys are a bunch of d!ckb@gs but they are Americans with a right to free speech. I hate it too, because of what they are doing, but it is their constitutional right. Some people do stupid things with their rights, but they are still theirs to exercise. Sucks.

I agree with goofyboy; when I read this article it sounded like 1960's, good' old boy, KKK type of stuff. Like almost all of us, I'm conflicted because my first reaction to that guy getting his @ss beat was, "HELL YEAH!" but I know that isn't right in the big picture.

The blocking of the cars by non-law enforcement people I have no problem with. The police not promptly towing the vehicles is, again, a violation of rights.

You could get around the police towing game by having the police do their job but just having another set of private citizens organized to pull their vehicles in right afterward to replace the towed ones. Or they could park to block all access to the lot with several vehicles, just making it very long and difficult process for the police to do their jobs.

It would likely constitute an obstruction of justice arrest for some of the private citizens, but I think many would be willing to take that kind of heat if they believed strongly enough in keeping the Phelps cult out of sight.

Nor*Cal · Ladies Man Joined: 12 Jan 2003 Posts: 9479 City: Sac

Didn't someone post a peaceful solution that some bikers came up with for these guys? Just drowned out the protests with straight pipe harleys and big banners so there was no line of sight or something along those lines.

Lop · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 9:21 am Post subject:

Nor*Cal, the Patriot Riders... they have been at every soldier Funeral in Missouri.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Bambamski · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 9:28 am Post subject:

what are Westboro Baptists? I already hate them and I don't know who they are.

I agree with the comment of lock them in the church and flick the match. and not kind of...

There's a time and a place to protest. Protesting at a funeral of someone that died defending their rights isn't one of the places. Emotions are running at the absolute limits and the worst case scenario would most likely happen in a clash of funeral goers and Protesters. Nothing good would come of it.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

RampageWake · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 1:22 pm Post subject:

Are the WBC protests inciting voilence? I thought there was some law against hanging a black effegy and hollering racial slurs. Perhaps there is not a law on this and I am mistaken, but still, I'd expect to get my ace beat down for doing so...

DRAGON88 · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 1:43 pm Post subject:

Okie Boarder · Ladies Man Joined: 03 Mar 2008 Posts: 10056 City: Edmond

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

DRAGON88, it means that i believe in wbc's right to free speech as protected by the constitution. i'm an american and i believe they have the right to say whatever they want w/o the gov't interfering.

but i'm not the gov't. if i was at a funeral and the wbc was there protesting, there's no way in hell i'd stay out of jail. i'd go absolutely ballistic and do my best to kill fred phelps w/ my bare hands.

tball · Wakeboarder.com Freak Joined: 24 Feb 2004 Posts: 3953

Bambamski · Posted: Apr 20, 2011 5:05 pm Post subject:

that was a good read, he's got a lot of good points. I'm not sure why people don't like him

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Bambamski =

pet575 · Posted: Apr 21, 2011 7:23 am Post subject:

GnarShredd · Posted: Apr 21, 2011 8:53 am Post subject:

Wrong, the ONLY way to deal with these clowns is to ignore them. Let them do what they want, give them NO attention. Physical attacks, blocking them in, counter-protesting, and trying to silence them only fules their fire.

If people get angry, or the church gets on the news then these assholes think that translates in to the WBC making a difference and spreading their word. They clearly WANT as much attention as they can get.

jason_ssr · Posted: Apr 21, 2011 12:01 pm Post subject:

There have always been groups who use the freedom of speach to do universally tasteless things. The government should not take a side, but stand by the law. However, as JT said, the people are not the government and they SHOULD act against those who do these universally tasteless acts, and bare the punishment for doing so. They will be judged by their peers accordingly as the law demands. And we all know how someone who stops the universally tasteless will fair against a jury of their peers.

Once they see that there are far more americans willing to face their peers for stopping them then there are members in their congregation, it will die from the inside out. A member can only waste so much time or shed so much blood in failed protests before they realize it just isnt worth it.

JV · Posted: Apr 21, 2011 12:52 pm Post subject:

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

jason_ssr · Posted: Apr 21, 2011 2:52 pm Post subject:

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

completely agree. i'm actually pretty astonished that hasn't happened yet. it's not like we don't have a surplus of guys that could pull it off, and maybe even from a range they could get away w/ it.

Bill Y Bob · Posted: Apr 23, 2011 9:27 am Post subject:

Arizona enacted a law that protestors of funerals had to remain at least 300 feet away from any funeral proceedings. This law came about when the westboro church was going to come and protest after the Tucson shootings. This was a great example of how to handle morons.

Ohioboarder · Addict Joined: 18 Aug 2005 Posts: 520 City: Over there

Unfortunately this appears to be an urban legend. Member of another board has a buddy on the local PD in that town and they just never showed up period.
Too bad I'd really like to have seen that happen.

pyrocasto · Posted: May 09, 2011 7:23 pm Post subject:

I just wish one of these tornadoes would come to be during a church session of theirs, right on the location.