The crazed gunman and his band of merry cranks:
A Kansas-based group that says "God hates fags" plans to picket the funerals of the Amish girls killed by a disturbed man in Lancaster County, Pa.
...
The Westboro group says the Amish school girls were "killed by a madman in punishment for Gov. Ed Rendell's blasphemous sins against Westboro Baptist Church."Gov. Ed Rendell -- speaking and acting in his official capacity to bind the State of Pennsylvania -- slandered and mocked and ridiculed and condemned Westboro Baptist Church on national Fox TV," the group says on its website.
It's all just a game to them.
The Mennonites, the more modern branch of the Amish, are seeing to the victims and their families' needs if you'd like to help out.
UPDATE:
I'll add this for those who've not read the comments:
Meanwhile, a representative of the Westboro group took nationally syndicated radio talk show host Mike Gallagher up on his offer of an hour of airtime in exchange for dropping the planned demonstration.Gallagher said he negotiated the deal with Shirley Phelps-Roper, who was to fly to New York to appear on the show at 10 a.m. today. But before she goes on the air, Gallagher said, she'll have to sign an agreement promising that her church won't protest the funerals, or risk up to $500,000 in damages.
Gallagher said he acted because he couldn't understand "why in the world they would want to hurt these families any more than they have already been hurt."
"They're hateful people," he said of the Westboro group. "But it will be worth it if they stay away from those families. The audience is supportive, and I've got to believe it's the right thing to do."
If it's not the right thing, it's the kindest thing.
Posted by floridacracker at October 4, 2006 01:35 PMMike Reagan offered tham 1 hour of on air time to cancel their 'protest' and they accepted.
They sure don't seem to be very 'Christian' to me.
Posted by: Gmac at October 4, 2006 05:41 PMDid he really? How nice of him. It's like giving into blackmail, though.
No, they've got nothing to do with Christianity. They're the cult of Phelps, that's all.
Cracker: What's the "cult of Phelps"?
Sorry for the ignorance, but these folks are so despicable I need a point of reference in order to place them in my hierarchy of examples of Evil on earth.
P.S.: I'm getting too old to be working 14 hour days....
Posted by: carl in atlanta at October 4, 2006 09:01 PMThis "church" is pretty much just one family, Carl: the Phelpses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church#Composition_of_the_Westboro_membership
Yes, it is giving in to 'blackmail' of the lowest sort. Unfortunatley the Amish would most likely have welcomed the protesters.
This offer at least keeps those black hearted asshats away from the funeral of those innocent children and affords their parents one last moment of peace with their children as they are laid to rest. It seems that all the Phelps really want is to draw attention to themselves and their sick idea's.
Do you know the Amish have already been over to visit the killer's family?
Shoot, it would do the Phelpses good to encounter the sort of kindness and graciousness the Amish would no doubt, even in the midst of tragedy, bestow on them.
Meh....as in duh.
I have a cognitive dissasociation problem with names too... wrong Mike.
It was Mike Gallagher , not Mike Reagan who gave them an hour of airtime.
Yes, gotta feel sorry for his wife, she never saw it coming.
Posted by: Gmac at October 4, 2006 11:40 PMNo, I was already mad at her for immediately popping up with what a good father he was. I guarantee you that if my husband did something like this, I'd be cursing him to hell on the evening news.
I worked for five years with a homicidal maniac. It would take incredibly overt behavior to make most people imagine that someone could be a killer.
Posted by: Donnah at October 4, 2006 11:56 PMI think law enforcement is dropping the ball on the Phelps clan, it HAS to be unlawful to display placards in relevance to a funeral procession.
They have ALL kinds of laws regarding such, my question is why it isn't being followed. In the event of a loved ones passing, I/WE have a right to
pursue happiness by having them laid to rest in a normal fashion, without protests, etc. I really
think it is just a matter of somebody with some nads telling these scumbags to 'move along'.
If one of these bastards showed up at my kids funeral, if they were slain by GWB...and Barney
was with him, I'd run over one with my lawn mower, before I'd let them protest.
Somebody needs to dig up some 'dirt' on these Phelpsonians, before they replicate. I am just sure as hell they haven't always been so *close* to God Almighty.
Posted by: csason at October 5, 2006 06:59 AMIts to late, they already have, replicated that is.
Hit 'ENTER' if you've got the stomach for it, I sure didn't: http://www.godhatesfags.com/
From Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church
They represent no one, other than their own twisted views of how it should be, as defined by their hatreds and insatiable desire for publicity.
I'll bet in a foot race to see who could get to the microphone/cameras faster, they'ed even beat Chuckie Schumer D-NY, noted political athelete that he is.