Monday, April 16, 2007

To my visitors: Why are you connecting Fred Phelps, Westboro Church & Virginia Tech?

By Diane Silver

[updated 4/17, 10:32 a.m.]

The Phelps have announced they will picket the funerals of the Virginia Tech victims.

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I've been watching my traffic logs, and I'm surprised at what I'm seeing. I'm getting a lot of hits from people who are getting to this blog via a Google search for some combination of Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church and something about the Virginia Tech shootings.

This is an honest question: Why are you combining these terms in your search?

To my new visitors, please note that this is a liberal blog, and I'm a lesbian writer who has often done battle with the Phelps. Google is probably sending you here because I wrote about the VT shootings today, and I have posted about Westboro Church in the past. As you probably know, they are a church based on hate and don't have a shred of compassion. (Here's a link to all of In This Moment's Fred Phelps posts. Don't forget to scroll down.)

However, at this point I know of nothing about Phelps or Westboro that connects with the shootings. Are you expecting him to picket the funerals of those who died? It wouldn't be a surprise if Westboro did this. It would fit their pattern of picketing the funerals of gays, those who have died of AIDS and soldiers killed in Iraq.

I pray that Westboro and the Phelps clan don't add to the horror again. I wouldn't put it past them. So far, though, I haven't seen any report that they plan on doing that.

I hate to send anyone to their web site, but if they decide to picket any VT funerals, they'll post it at www.godhatesfags.com. Do NOT visit this site unless you are ready to be drenched in hate! It's a pretty vile place.

If anyone has questions about the Phelps, I'll be glad to provide whatever answers I can. If anyone can clue me in as to any other reason why people are connecting them with this horrible tragedy, I'd be interested to know.

My prayers to all tonight, and especially to those at Virginia Tech. What a horror. I pray that the Phelps don't add to it.

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.godhatesamerica.com/

on his main page there, Phelps promises to preach at the funerals, and claims that the actions of U.S. troops in Iraq caused the shootings at Virginia Tech.

Michael Caddell said...

Well, like a recent caller on C-span's Wash Journal said, "you can't blame this on rap music." Phelps has been off his rocker since he ran for governor back in the early eighties, on a bicycle! I still think that if they are going to make protests at funerals illegal then make protests at women's clinics where abortions are performed illegal. What a nation of spoiled hypocrites!

Nancy Jane Moore said...

I'm shocked at the very idea that someone would want to add to the suffering of the people at Virginia Tech. But I find myself shocked a lot lately. I thought I was pretty cynical, but I'm obviously not cynical enough for this crazy world.

Diane Silver said...

Thanks anonymous for the citation. That was not up when I looked at the Phelps page.

Anonymous said...

This loopy lesbian claims to have done battle with the Saints of God. She's a legend in her own mind. What she has done, like milions of others, is encounter our message, get raging mad, carry on like a complete self-loathing lunatic for several rounds, then bounced off the bright shining picketers and picket signs like a spastic electron, thudding like lard on the ground. Get over yourself angry lesbian.

Meanwhile, wake up people! God is killing your children. If you'd shut your mouths for five seconds, crack a Bible, and ACTUALLY READ IT, you would know these facts: When a nation makes a vocation of proud sin (think Doomed america), especially after God has blessed taht nation (think Blessed American from many decades ago), God punishes that nation. First in His compassion He sends them prophets (think Westboro Baptist Church) to warn them. When they add insult to injury, by mocking and ignoring his prophets (think angry lesbians, filthy feces-eating fags, and their millions of God-hating rebellious enablers, a/k/a Doomed america), they cross the final line. Then God unleashes His wrath. He opens His armoury. The MOST COMMON method used is to kill your children, on and off the battlefield.

So get a clue people. America is doomed. You've got a bombastic big mouth pissant bastard for a president, who is delusional. He's telling the whole world that the campuses are filled with terror. What a confession! And what in the world does he have to offer as a solution at this hour? NOTHING.

We have the ONLY SOLUTION. Shut your big arrogant mouths AND OBEY.

When you hold big public squall fests after God smites you with a big clump of deaths, we are going to use that SAME PUBLIC PLATFORM to warn you. OBEY!

Magormissabib.

Margie Phelps

Diane Silver said...

Thanks, Margie, for posting a lovely example of hate-soaked theology. You would probably get a little farther in winning people over to your side if you didn't descend into name calling, although I have to admit to admiring the alliteration.

What I wish for you, Margie, is not hate, but some peace. May you find a way to understand the God of love.

Anonymous said...

No wonder the Westboro cult is made up of only Phelps family members. They couldn't make anyone else drink that koolaid.

Sinfonian said...

I did search for Virginia Tech and Fred Phelps, but I just did so to find an authority for the news to post and link on my own blog. Thanks.

Michael Ejercito said...

You are an amazing woman, Margie. Who would have thought you could actually navigate to this blog, let alone leave a comment?

All I can ask is for God to bless you, because that was what Jesus said.

Diane Silver said...

Thanks so much to everyone for commenting on the blog.

hates caps, you made me laugh.

Michael, I appreciate your comment, but don't make the mistake of thinking the Phelps are stupid. They are extremely intelligent. Just about everyone in the family is a lawyer, and please spare the lawyer jokes.

What they are, though, is sad and ill. All they can see in life is anger and hatred. Their god is God with a small "g," a very small-minded entity that thrives on hurting others.

Cass said...

Just wanted to let you know I got to your blog searching for a news cite to send to a friend about the Phelps hate-spew. Tragic. I'm so sorry to hear you were personally affected by the shootings.

Diane Silver said...

It's my blogging partner, Nancy, who knew this person. I only know of this man and have never met him, but I too am sad. For him and his wife, for Nancy, for all of VT and everyone who died. I did learn that a distant cousin is at VT. As far as we can tell she's OK. What a horrible tragedy this all is.

I've passed on your good thoughts to Nancy.

Olivia said...

I'm curious to see what's in the Phelps family computer Internet Browser cache.

Guesing: Gay pr0n.

Prob some bestiality stuff, too.

Diane Silver said...

Hi Phil,

Actually when I posted this on Monday, I was trying to figure out if people had information that I didn't, and it turned out that they did. Also, the idea of posting a public blog is to bring your ideas to the world. I have no problem with attention. I've written about the Phelps many times, which is why folks visit my blog.

May you find peace and love and all that kinda stuff.

Unknown said...

How are sites like this allowed to exist? Does anyone know who their domain provider is? I'm offended and as a Canadian i was horrifed to read the site GodHatesCanda.com. If there is anyone with experience with the law, can we file a class action lawsuit against the provider for allowing them to use the word "fag" in their website name.

Anonymous said...

Now i feel the need to explain how i came across this. . .

i'm writing an article for my school paper on the travesty that is WBC, and i was on their website. i clicked in from there.

Your blog's good, though. Leep it up. :)

(Like you need some 22-year-old no-name telling you to keep it up. . .i have a feeling you will anyway. ;) )

Diane Silver said...

Terry - As far as I know, U.S. law and our First Amendment free speech rights do not allow the government to take down any of the Phelps' site, no matter how hateful they are. For the last 20 or so years, and particularly in the last 15 years, the state of Kansas and city of Topeka have tried numerous times to find ways to attack the Phelps, but they've never succeeded. It's not for nothing that this is a family of lawyers.

On the good side, the right that allows the Phelps to keep speaking, also allows me to speak.

Sarah - Thanks for the kind words! You'd be amazed at how much any writer needs to get a kind word now and then, and yes, that applies to fiftysomethings as well as 22 year olds.

I do delight in the fact that the Phelps are sending folks to this little ole' lesbian's web site. This isn't the first time they've linked to me, and I appreciate the power of the web that allows folks to hear from them and then come and listen to me.

Unknown said...

Thanks Diane for answering my questions. It's unfortunate that we can't stop this hate, but I'm glad it's only confined to one twisted family. And I agree with you, it's great that they have a link to your page. I might not have found it otherwise. I think you're courageous to speak out against them. GO GIRL!

Anonymous said...

Sure thing! :)

Also, uh, i'm certain you know, but i meant to encourage you to KEEP it up, rather than to leep it up.

Although, if you really want to leep it up, you go do it. :-D

Diane Silver said...

Hi Sarah! Thanks for the clarification. I find that I make the weirdest typos in comments, although I think leaping sounds fun, and "leeping" even better.

Once again, thanks so much for visiting. Keep well.