I hereby turn my back, AKA the last Fred Phelps post you'll get from me

By Diane Silver

Once again the Phelps family and their Westboro Baptist Church are going to picket a high profile funeral. (This time of actor Heath Ledger.) Once again people are outraged by what the Phelps family says.

This scene has been played out over and over and over and over again, and it will keep being played out until people do the only thing you can do when children throw a tantrum -- ignore them.

Even though every Phelps outrage brings a flood of visitors to this blog, I hereby declare my independence from that sad, sad family.

To my visitors wondering about the Phelps and how to stop them: Nothing WILL stop them, but you can turn your collective backs. When I liken the Phelps to children throwing a tantrum, I'm not kidding.

I live close to the Phelps in Kansas and have watched them for two decades. They -- and Fred especially -- are not only rage-a-holics, but they thrive on attention. Their entire goal is to get you to drop everything and look at them.

It's time to stop letting the Phelps win.

Join me. Meet the Phelps with turned backs and silence.

And if you really must learn more about them, look here. To see a debate between a Phelps family member, me and others, look here.