Unfortunately not. Too bad some good ole boys don't block the road.

Nope, they have a right to be @!$%#s like everyone else. I really do not see the how protesting these little boys funeral has anything to do with legislation. Those bastards are bat sh!t crazy.

The Powell story is one of the most gruelingly sad and heartbreaking things I've read about in recent memory.

The attention-ho's who are, as usual, abandoning all sense of human decency in exchange for publicity, may suffer more backlash from this stunt than their many previous ones. Not that I'd mind, but I think the only reasonable way to deal with them is to ignore them entirely. Counter-protesters - just set up walls of sheets or tarps to hide them from view *completely*.

Failing that, do what some other ingenious counter-protesters have done - set up a booth to collect donations for a good pro-gay cause, and a big sign asking for pledges based on how long the attention-ho's stay around. Create a strong incentive for them to leave.

But in this case, even that is not preferable to just hiding their daft existence entirely. Don't make this about anything but sorrow for those poor Powell boys and about creating an atmosphere where their surviving relatives can mourn in peace.

If something happened to them and there were no witnesses and the evidence became 'lost' or 'contaminated', then... yes, legal to a certain degree. Not that I am specifically advocating any particular actions be taken by any persons against other persons, I'm merely offering an honest assessment of the way our legal system works.........

I suggest a flamethrower.

The Media could put an end to all of this by not reporting on the actions or proposed actions of these nut cases.....but how would that sell newspapers etc?????? The media is dying for a confrontation between these nuts and some other nuts HEADLINE STUFF. The best way to deal with them is ignore them hopefully they will wither and die of their own uselessness.

What a bunch of phuckers!

Isn't religion fun! Any imbecile can do something stupid and claim some mystical jesus or alah or other stupid made up crappy figure told them to do it, everything is forgiven ;-) ROFLMAO!

When is humanity going to relegate all religious crap to the dustbin of history?

He god, if you there, are you laughing your ass off at our stupidity?

The majority of the less than 100 members of the "church" are all immediate family members (kids all lawyers) and all on the payroll of the church so that they are "tax-exempt." IRS needs to take away their tax-exempt status for starters.

I don't generally comment on WBC, because that's what they want. But I'd like to throw out there it's not about gays, straights, blacks, whites, yellows, little boys, or little girls. It's all about publicity. WBC are media wh o r es. They'd protest a potato crop if it got publicity. @Pointingouttheobvious ... it's not about religion either. It's a tool for them, a veil.

That being said, I would like to see them listed as a hate group. Take away their tax benefits.

Actually, there is are a couple of measures that would end this travesty. One would be for a large number of people to show up at the "services" of this alleged church and force them to run a gauntlet to enter or leave and to make enough of a racket that they would be uanble to conduct their "services". A few of these counter-protests and they'll have to stop. Another would be for the targets of their abuse to charge them with assault (verbal threats do qualify as assault) and throw some butts in jail. A third option, and one that I would thoroughly enjoy would be to get a fire truck with the appropriate hoses and access to water.....

Those encouraging or wishing for the deaths of the members of the WBC are not much better than they. The point is, and what most folks don't seem go get, is that the First Amendment protects speech you don't like, just as it protects your right to be to say things others don't like. In this case it protects some people's heartless, religious insanity. The WBC's actions, as unethical and hateful as they are, test the very bounds of free speech in America.

indyreader, excellent post.

As difficult as it is, it is an honorable gesture to acknowledge these sicko's right to free speech. After all, there is no difficulty in supporting the free speech of those with whom we agree. Hopefully, the sane and compassionate free speech of others will drown out their ignorance.

Hey Cal, that has all been offered as solutions before. The lawyer children of Phelps have sued anyone and everyone who tries to stop their protests or brings any type of charges against them. And they have won huge awards in some of those cases. The real victims ended up suffering twice....the loss of a loved one and the court awarded claims by WBC.

Hobbes' - it's not the ability of those in the WBC to exercise their First Amendment rights that we object too - it's that these Miserable, Heartless, Crazy F*ckers would actually WANT to exercise it in such a fashion. WBC may be one of the few remaining things that the majority of Americans on both sides of the political spectrum actually agree about.

A protest group of huge bikers should be able to stop the Westboro group.

John - there used to be a very large group of 'Jesus Bikers' in the Seattle area. Wonder if they're still around? This would be perfect for them!!! Not to mention all the other Bikers in the Puget Sound area!!! These families deserve dignity, sympathy, and empathy at this time, not these so-called Christians from WBC

I've dealt with these people personally in a situation I don't need to go into. Their leader is the devil. Would we be just as horrible if we showed up fred phelps' funeral with signs informing his family where he is? The guy is 82. Just a bit longer.

In past situations incredible things have happened to block these people from view... people dressed as angels with large wings surrounded them... blocking out any view of them. Someone out there should get on this... or someone with money.

The bikers have been the counter-protest at several of the recent WBC protests, along with many other groups that have formed around the funeral site to keep the WBC far from the location.

Her tweet did not explain how picketing the funeral was a protest against same-sex marriage.

There's no rational explanation for their kind of hatred either. They're whackadoos, no other explanation required. Glad the Occupy folks plan to counter them.

These people are beyond sick. They have nothing to do with religion or Christianity and everything to do with hatred and insanity. I wish I lived in their town, I'd organize a protest of THEIR church every Sunday morning. We'd gather outside every Sunday, make as much noise as we could, then harass the parishioners as they entered and left. I'd like to get a group together and do this EVERY SINGLE TIME THEIR CHURCH WAS OPEN. But unfortunately (or fortunately) , I live hundreds of miles away. However, it would make a nice road trip!

Clearly not Christians. I don't care what they like to refer to themselves as. Jesus would not be out there protesting an unrelated issue at the funeral of this tragedy.

I hope and pray that people see this and don't associate true Christianity with these blind and hateful individuals.

Cheers.

My guess is enough people will show up to block the Westboro idiots that they will have little impact. These "people" and I use the term loosely are just perverts - plain and simple. They are a disgrace to the United States and it sickens me they get so much press.

I wish there was a local chapter of the Patriot Guard there. It was started in Mulvane, Kansas to block these mother %*&#@& Westboro Church idiots. now they are all over the country!!! They proudly attend Military funerals to keep those idiots at a distance. I hope someone will keep the Church Crazies at bay so the children and family may have the dignity and closure they deserve!

mas·och·ist

1. Psychiatry . a person who has masochism, the condition in which sexual or other gratification depends on one's suffering physical pain or humiliation.
2. a person who is gratified by pain, degradation, etc., that is self-imposed or imposed by others.
3. a person who finds pleasure in self-denial, submissiveness, etc.

If people were to ignore them that could possible the worst thing, in their minds, that could happen to them

Fred Phelps is 82 years old. The time for a very large protest at his funeral is hopefully not that far off.

You know what? @!$%# Fred and his inbred hillbilly church of cock suckers and @!$%#s. Burn in hell mother@!$%#ers for the pain you have caused so many. Bugger their whole church and their ideologies. No one will protest when he dies, because no decent person will give a @!$%#.

I would suggest a select few corner them behind the wood shed..... Just make sure no one isaround to see them trip..... Hey it might not be politically correct but it is the only way they will be stopped..... I have attended 2 furnerals where they have said they would come, lucky for them they did not.....

These idiots will not go the funeral. They are to damn dumb to find the state of Washington. They now make these assertations to provoke public outcry and they seem to succeed as we can see by our posts. One day they may well just disappear as suddenly as they arrived a few years ago. The sooner the better, I say!

Obviously, the members of the Westboro Baptist Church are not Christians. Christ never advocated hatred, nor ill-treatment of anyone. And he said nothing about homosexuality. Mr. Phelps is a total disgrace to the religion. But you know the good part? "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

It would seem to me that turn about is far play. Whenever one of member of this "church" dies there should be large protest at their funeral. Since Mr Phelps is getting up there in age a rather large party should be planned for his demise. This is not an example of religions rather an example of a small hate group claiming themselves to be a church. As I understand it they claim themselves to be Baptist. If they haven't already I would be disassociating themselves from them.

OHGuy just two things. First of all I would hope that no one would impose physical harm to this group. Standing in front of them or pushing them back is one thing but to injure them would only give them credence. They would see it as fighting in the name of God and would only encourage them to do more.

Secondly I wish you well over the losses that you experienced. If you will excuse me but may God bless you.

These people are a bunch of sickos, they have NO CLASS what so ever, it was tragic what happened to these two boys and now these fruit cakes have to make things even worst, how would they like it if their kid was to die and people went to the funeral and disrupted it .....

Hopefully, Fred should croak fairly soon,,, Time to start freezing & stockpiling urine samples?

The US Constitution guarantees their right to free speech. Just like Nazis, Aryans, and other hate groups. Some groups have taken to bringing large tarps and flags to their protests and surrounding the group's defined protest area and making sure no one can see them. People need to get creative. How about having a group of Catholic priests sprinkle them with holy water? Or a groups of locals with 10K water ballons filled with urine? One thing for sure there will be no announcement of when the old @sshole dies. They won't give anyone the chance for retaliation.

Can anyone explain to me what WBC is pissed off about this time? Shouldn't they, if anything, be protesting the DAD? I don't see anything "anti-Christian" about these two kids. What "rebellion??"

While I am unfortunately too old and crippled to still ride, I am a proud member of the Patriot Guard of California. The Patriot Guard is a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who do not identify themselves as either a protest or counter protest group. Guard members attend the funerals of fallen soldiers as a token of respect for men who have given their lives to their country. They also happen to place large numbers of people, motorcycles, and flags between the funeral procession and the WBC. This coincidentally creates a situation where the bereaved family is not aware of the presence of this odious group. There are many chapters around the country. I have little doubt that if there is a chapter in Washington that they will extend their respects to these poor innocents.

I encourage everyone to do what they can to support this group and its ongoing efforts to honor our fallen soldiers.

First, let's stop even calling it a church, and call a spade a spade, this is a hate group. I just want to know when they're going to show up outside Wal-Mart with their "God hates cotton-poly blends" signs. Alas, I guess that would mean they actually knew what the Bible said.

"I may not defend what you have to say, but I will defend unto death your right to say it."

I just need to keep chanting this to myself.

I say burn the bible in front of their little cult building every Sunday

I loathe these so-called people with every fiber of my being. I believe in free speech, but I also hope they get the sh-t beat out of 'em for reveling in the tragic deaths of two innocent little boys to further their twisted beliefs. If that makes me "just as bad they are" in the eyes of some strangers on an internet message board, then so be it.

Look, this isn't even a hate group. It's a scam. The Westboro "Church" makes most of its money off of sueing people and governments for violating their constitutional rights to protest. They want a confrontation. The best and most effective thing to do is to stage a counter protest. I highly recommend that churches in the area organize. When they came to our area, we got several hundred people together to sing hymns all along the roads around the church were the funeral was being held. We ensured that no one could see them. It was really loud and I have to admit that is not how I like to hear hymns, but we used Christianity to turn back these charlatons.

Kevin, while I admire your spirit, I just think that would make things worse.

Is there anyone God DOESN'T hate? Seems like he needs anger management.

By the way, anyone who professes Christianity and wants to support marriage equality, I urge you to join BelieveOutLoud.com (hey, even if you aren't Christian but support marriage equality, at least check them out). Let people know that there are very reasonable people of faith out there.

It has been shown that the best way to deal with these people is to block them from view with positive (and silent) counterprotest. There should be some video somewhere of examples. Confronting them angrily just feeds into their psychoses. There's not much esle we can do short of having them declared insane and a threat to society.

Don't groups like this eventually commit mass suicide? What's taking so long?

Don't groups like this eventually commit mass suicide? What's taking so long?

Hahahaha! Well said, Cavalier!

I'm no fan of the LDS church however, as I understand it, these boys were raised LDS.

I think that with all the tithe they've collected over the years, they could do that upstanding thing and hire security to make sure this family can say goodbye to their loved ones in peace.

Your move, LDS church...

For everyone trying to blame religion, especially Pointing, if religion didn't exist there would still be a few nuts, crackpots and cranks who would do things like this for whatever reason and we can't stop it because it is protected speech.

These people call themselves Christians and Baptists, but nothing could be further from the truth. Christianity is about love, respect and tolerance. When these "people" spew their hate and filth, they expose themselves for the animals they are. Actually, as I think about it, that statement is demeaning to animals. I don't know what they are but it certainly isn't human.

I do pray that a lot of good religious people show up to block this group's access to anyplace near the funeral.

just infiltrate this sick excuse of a church and lace the communion wine with arsenic, a page from jim jones church of crazies

For everyone trying to blame religion, especially Pointing, if religion didn't exist there would still be a few nuts, crackpots and cranks who would do things like this for whatever reason and we can't stop it because it is protected speech.

I think perhaps you're incorrectly tying faith to organized religion.

Many churches not only create ill will in society, but exacerbate it, much like the Phelps clan does. They make no apologies for the dangers they introduce to society, and commit to pushing boundaries ever farther in their quest to anoint themselves the "one true church."

I am a Christian, I am a person of faith. I am NOT a person of organized religion. I refuse to allow a monolithic entity to define my beliefs, and to replace the role of the Holy Trinity in the interpretation of the Bible, and practice of belief...abrogating God from His rightful place and the Holy Spirit in my spirituality.

Organized religion is responsible for many of the world's ills. When you detach your need for a physical place of worship (as the Bible tells you to do) and the cravings for leaders to act as false prophets (also, as the Bible tells you) from your faith, then you will find that you have no longer a need to defend your spirituality.

The Westboro folks need to have their small brains examined closely at autopsy...

But ...But Wasn't Jesus Gay?

remember this if you oppose gay marriage: these are the kind of people that stand next to you.

It may be their "right" to protest but I can assure them they would regret the day they showed up if it were my son or daughter's funeral.

It may be their "right" to protest but I can assure them they would regret the day they showed up if it were my son or daughter's funeral.

To look at the westboro group they look kinda inbreed , the grandkids look like grandpa and some a mix of the daughter and son , most likley the old mans a closet gay and just hates that he can't come out without looking that much more a fool , Oh $hit I'm sorry , I've got some nice friends rhat are gay and don't want to insult them that way .

Hey, Anonymous, you want an organization that DESERVES to get hacked? Here ya go! We'd appreciate if you'd shut down their ability to organize.

Oh, and Dustin, if you read the article, the service will not be held at an LDS church site, so they cannot interfere.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

I don't mind their right to free speech, just don't come to my funeral uninvited to exercise that right!!

When hate, anger and insanity are fought with the same tools, the hate, anger and insanity grow stronger and bigger.

If all of us, and especially local folks in WA state can do their utmost to surround WB members (notice I didn't use the "C" for church) in the holy white light, and surround them with millions of prayers, it just might keep their chosen negativity in check. It's a tall order for those of us who despise them, and a true test of our beliefs, regardless of how any one of us personally sees the Creators, then maybe we can put a serious dent in their activities.

I know it's a tall request for all of us, but if we all do it, maybe it will protect the folks they harass so loudly--and isn't that what prayer is supposed to be about? We can't fight them any other way, because they just take their adversaries to court, but if everyone reading this vine would tell their friends, and we all spend that time (adjusted for the varying time zones) maybe, just maybe, we can put a kink in their plans. Just everybody pray to the God of their beliefs, however you see Him/Her/Them, and pray not for something bad at the those nutcases, but for the protection from them and their hate-filled diatribes. I'm asking all of us to fight fire with Fire, if you get my drift.

Oh, and a little help from the Patriot Guard and the Hell's Angels for all I care. Someone ahead of me stated it correctly, they are a terrorist group IMHO.

What a sick,twisted and disgusting religon it must be if these people actually believed that GOD would condone their belief that the gay marriage law has anything to do with the tragic deaths of these boys. THey are nothing more than sick, twisted publicty whores to believe that they have any right to do or say anything at these boys service much less even attended. God ought to come down and strike these scum down the second the step on the funeral property. If I were the family I would contat a lawyer and see if there is any possible way to obtain a restraining order agaisnt this so-called "church" if they come within 1000ft of the services. I would not advocate instigating violence but if there are people willing to try to block their view of the services or block the entrances then more power to them. I also hope the local, county and state police will have a presence there to maintain order and protect the rights of those that are actually grieving and those truly there as support for the family. This smacks of a HATE group to me. Any tax exempt status should be taken away. Any lawyers looking to make a name for themselves ought to look into that. At least a suit against them if they show and cause any problems making this situation worse than it already is. Any person trying to make a media event out of this ought to damn well be ashamed of themselves and god forgive you, if he sees you fit for it.

My question is why has no one done something to Westboro? These people are home grown terrorist. I look forward to the day they show up at a service in my area.....

Please let these poor children rest in peace. They didn't deserve what happened to them, and they certainly don't deserve the Westboro cockroaches crawling all over their funeral.

Jock, I LOVE your attitude. Thank you so much for encouraging positive protest! You can't fight hate with hate, right?

I have to congratulate the Westboro "bapist" Church $h*tbags for one thing, I never imagined they could dig their way to a bottom lower than protesting KIA Service Members' funerals, but they showed me !!

I've said it before but I guess I have to say it again: LoLoLo-LOSERS !!!

Nope, they have a right to be @!$%#s like everyone else. I really do not see the how protesting these little boys funeral has anything to do with legislation. Those bastards are bat sh!t crazy.

I used to think that too. That they were zealots.

They do this to provoke assaults and then sue people so I have been told.

I'm guessing that is why they advertise their plans to show up. So, then the national news cooperates, then they attract the kind of people who will assault them.

Keep Westboro Church away from Powell Memorial

Saturday, February 11 at 10:00am

The same Constitutional right these pieces of filth have to picket and disrupt a funeral, the same Constitutional right everyone else has. It's time to have a permanent picket of their cult house and disrupt their demon-appeasing rituals. It's also legal to picket their homes.

Westboro may have a right to exercise free speech, but why do they get to do it with a taxpayer subsidy? The KKK gets their say, but no religious organization tax break. Whether a small group like Westboro that is "working the system", or a megachurch with huge tax free holdings - just stop.

It is time to end the tax exempt status on ALL religious organizations.

It's a shame the Patriot Guard Riders won 't be there. They would keep those b@$t@rds a distance from the memorial-- and the "cult" members can't make enough noise to drown out hundreds of motorcycles revving their engines. They did it here-- of course, it was a KIA but the noise was deafening.

Those cult members should get their @$$es to he11 sooner rather than later.

The Westboro Baptist "Church" was set up by Fred Phelps as yet another one of his many, many scams. He and his children are all about making money by making a mockery of the laws we have in the US which protect free speech and church activities. It isn't a huge leap to understand that they probably don't believe in free speech or church activities, either.

It's very sad, but if we want to keep free speech and we also want to respect people's right to practice religion freely, there will always be such individuals. The children who are sociologists try to figure out what national events they could "picket" so as to arouse anger and get a law passed or provoke someone into a behavior for which they can be sued. The children who are lawyers (who work for "free"), then sue and often win--because we do have free speech and religious freedom in the US.

Perhaps we should be grateful that there are no copycats. It wouldn't be that hard for every one of us to incorporate our families into "churches" to evade taxes. It wouldn't be that hard for every one of us to show up at one another's sacred events and shout obscenities. Perhaps we should appreciate one another a bit more that the only group doing this on the large scale are the Phelps's.

In one town, every single person got up at the crack of dawn and drove to the area where a funeral was to be held and parked in every single available public parking space--apart from the private parking spaces at the cemetary where the mourners gathered. The Phelps's had to drive by, as the police were just dying for them to park somewhere they could not and then tow their van away. In another town, someone (probably a teen) slashed their tires. They went from one tire dealer to another--and each dealer had a sign which allowed them to refuse to offer service if they wanted. Only the Walmart near the highway would help them out (and I doubt that they wanted to). If they really look like they might show up--and they have taken to saying they will, but not doing so, as such counter-actions as I just noted have been causing them difficulties--then the funeral should be held on private property, as the Phelps's can only protest on public property. A very large piece of private property with multiple entrances would be best.

But, yes, if there has to be a "counterprotest"--it would be best if it were a laughfest which poked fun at the Phelps family. If they are finally made a laughingstock, if true stories about Papa Phelps's documented many adventures (I understand that there may be arrest records for Papa Phelps from the 1970-ish era when he may have been picking up rent boys at truckstops in Nebraska--worth looking into) could be told to great gales of laughter, perhaps they could be made into the jokes that they are.

The main problem here is that the news organizations will run information about where they say that they will be. If we could just get news organizations to quit, their little games might be up. I have no idea what they'll turn to next, but until Papa Phelps goes to Hades (where clearly, he is headed), they need to keep things up to keep him in spandex shorts.

To anyone who thinks the 1st amendment should be protecting WBC's right to free speech, remember it is ok if they are not hurting anyone. In their case, they hurt the relatives and friends of the deceased. They also have a right to gather to mourn. Is yelling fire in a crowded building ok? No, it is against the law and so should protesting at funerals. That being said, I like the idea of a large crowd blocking all access to their "protest" while collecting pledges to a good cause. After they tire and wish to leave, a good soaking would be in order.

So OWS protestors get their First Amendment Rights taken away, yet their POS excuse for a church has their First Amendment Rights upheld? *BANGSHEADONWALLREPEATEDLY*

There's a saying about someone who is close to death "Heaven don't want'em, Hell won't take'em." I think the reason that Papa Phelps is still among us is just this very issue.

I for one would love to see federal investigations of them and their alleged "Church" and tax exemption. I would love to see them mentioned in the same breath as groups like the KKK instead of legitimate churches that do preach the Word of God. They may have a right to free speech, but there are limitations that even the SCOTUS has stated this. As some have mentioned, hate speech and threats can be construed to be forms of harassment and assault based on the jurisdiction.

I hope they do not show up, but if they do, I hope that groups like the Occupy people and other groups that have kept them at bay at military funerals will do so here as well even though this is not military related.

As a Christian, I would LOVE to break a few Westboro Baptist's noses after reading this. Too bad I didn't live closer. Absolutely despicable! Shame on you for even thinking of protesting at the funeral of two innocent children! Shame, shame, shame!

Wow! I'm 100% certain that the "NEWSVINE" Editor came on here wanting to delete a few posts, and suspend a few people for a day (Guilty as Charged), a week...some even PERMANENTLY, then came to the realization that they'd heve to DELETE EVERYONE & everything on here and be left with nothing!!!!!!!!!!!

I agree with all of the posts that say these people are absolutely nothing more than media wh00res. They stand for nothing and wake up each day to log onto the internet to see what people are saying about them. They are like the most awful, spoiled, repugnant child you have ever seen at the grocery store but, it is too late for them to become decent people. They are the worst example I have ever seen of the abuse of freedom of speech. I hope that any counter-protest only seeks to quietly keep them away from the family and I would be thrilled beyond belief if the media would get together and agree to do the ethical thing and shun them completely. I'm sorry I read this story and if they do what they say they are going to do, I will stay away from any story about it.

Sadly enough, the same constitutional rights that allow all of us the right to free speech allow these pseudo-religious morons the right to spread their message of hate and intolerance. The best solution is non-violent protest. Block them from access to the area around the funeral. Refuse to give them service, which is a right gauranteed by the same laws that they use to make a mockery of our rights as American citizens.

It makes me ill to read on a regular basis the misery that these idiots pile on people who are already suffering the darkest days of their lives. Although I am not a religious person, I do believe that there is an afterlife and I think that these a**clowns will pay for their gross transgressions of human decency in this life.

Oh, it's them again. Westboro must be off their medication again. Have they anything better to do, such as pick the wings off flies. I havent heard about them in months, I guess they have to find a way to be more outrageous, which for the life of me, I dont think they can.

Then again, There's always what Woody Allen said about Nazis in "Manhattan"

Woody Allen: "Has anybody read that Nazis are gonna march in New Jersey? Ya know? I read it in the newspaper. We should go down there, get some guys together, ya know, get some bricks and baseball bats, and really explain things to 'em."

Victor Truro: "There was this devastating satirical piece on that on the op-ed page of the Times – devastating."

Allen: "Whoa, whoa. A satirical piece in the Times is one thing, but bricks and baseball bats really gets right to the point of it."

Helen Hanft: "Oh, but really biting satire is always better than physical force."

Allen: "No, physical force is always better with Nazis."

Like Henry Morgan said to John Wayne in The Shootist - "What I'll do on your grave after you're dead won't pass for rose petals!"

How did the members of that church make that great leap to God's wrath on the state of Washington? The children were from Utah originally.

A side note: they would have to search real hard to find a live brain cell in any of the members from that church. As mentioned above, there reasoning defies ALL LOGIC.

I would love to find out what Presidential candidates these total douche bags support. I am willing to bet that the WBC supports either Gingrich or Romney, after all, their god is better than the god of the rest of us. I cannot condone violence on people, but sometimes there has to be that exception to the rule. These Westboro scum bag pieces of @!$%# need to be put in there place, yeah, approximately 6 feet under.

And may God allow those two innocent souls(the boys) to truly Rest In Peace. And the father to burn in Hell for all of eternity, Amen.

Robert,

What wonderful bigotry. I thought it was about two kids being killed by a psycopath. I didn't realize that it was all orchestrated by the Mormon church. Mormons are invading the planet!! They have horns!! Grab your pitchfork and torch!!

Obviously, I am alive and typing so I have a few brain cells. So there you have mine. You also have my families (which are all alive and well as well). Then to use your anti religious example, there are people that are active Mormons that will separate themselves from the church so by your definition, they also have brain cells.

Of course God himself could come down and tell you that the Mormons are right and you wouldn't believe him. Way to hate!

These despicable idiots have actually been a boost to gay rights by demonstrating to rational people the type of hatred and active tyranny gays sometimes face.

God bless our service men and women for protecting our rights and God bless those poor little kids, may they find their happiness in heaven.

After this incredibly heartbreaking incident, the family of the Powell children have to deal with this? I sincerely hope all in WA who are able to assist & fend off the sheer evil of the Westboro group, are there. Just in case, I'm dusting off my walking shoes to join them in Tacoma. Blessings to the families and these little boys and their Mom.

(A Mom & Grandmom & Seattle Occupier)

I hope I live the kind of life that will make the Westboro Baptist Church want to protest my funeral.

I do have a question of the occupiers that are going to try and protect this funeral. I'm not trying to be rude, just curious. I also completely disagree with the crazy Westboro church doing what they do, but they do have the right to do it.

Many of the occupiers claimed that their free speech was being trampled on by being removed from the parks. How can you then go and prevent another group that feels differently than you from protesting?

Oh, and Dustin, if you read the article, the service will not be held at an LDS church site, so they cannot interfere.

I never said the services were at an LDS church, I suggested that the LDS church provide security for the family as "the right thing."

It's called interfaith support...it does exist.

Hey bohnmann, to be fair...I think he was talking about the westboro people not having any brain cells.

Many of the occupiers claimed that their free speech was being trampled on by being removed from the parks. How can you then go and prevent another group that feels differently than you from protesting?

Good point, but I think that the occupiers were attempting to demonstrate the difference between their peaceable assemblies, and the disruptive attention-seeking of the Westboro people, while providing a comforting service to a stricken family.

Hahahaha Jessica R, me too! ...but I don't know if I would want that inflicted on my family. I hope that I live that kind of life, but by the time I die, the WBC will be long gone.

I don't think taking away first amendment rights is the answer. Also, it's hard to accuse America of being sad and backwards for having some of the strongest free speech rights and freedoms in the world. These awful people have every right under the Constitution to do what they are doing, and we have the right to condemn them for it.

The fact is, this "church" is nothing but a group of master level trolls. They love the attention, and people keep giving it to them. If you watch their interviews and read their propaganda, they are a group of very smart people, including lawyers, who are just playing games with peoples' feelings. We're not going to become a police state in order to stop them playing their troll games.

Jennifer

Peace loving people do not have any rights in America

That is pure hyperbole .... an absurd statement.

One person's freedom ends where another person's freedom begins and that is the problem with the First Amendment. It does NOT give any real clarification on that fine line of rights.

I get the free speech thing, but come on protesting at a funneral. Really?

Don't make it illegal to protest at a funeral. Make it legal to shoot people who protest at funerals.

...they deserve a dignified funeral.

A little hint here. Funerals aren't for the dead - they are for the living. The dead don't know what is going on around them. It's the living that talk to and about the dead.

Use that Damn new Law they just passed to be able to detain any citizen for any reason indefinitely, and put them in Guantanamo with the Muslims.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

Jensen is right. Use this new law for a good purpose rather than what it actually was designed for. In my opinion if this church shows and causes trouble they are no better than terrorists. JmB66 if I could be there I would. Best I can do is voice my opinion and hope this church or aleast some members are reading this and deciding the effort to desecrate this funeral will likely blow up in their faces rather than further their cause. I'm sure folks will come but won't announce it in this forum. Wouldn't be the smartest thing to do. Why let the scum know how much opposition they may have to face, or maybe the national guard should just be called upon for protection and settle the matter right then and there.

Keep Westboro Church away from Powell Memorial

Saturday, February 11 at 10:00am

These people are not exercising freedom of speach. If they were they would do it in another way. They are plainly harrassing and preying on people that deserve to be supported at this time. I don't understand how they can claim they are exercising their right to freedom of speech when they don't have anything to say at any other time. They are a disgrace to every Christian and to the human race period. And I really do believe they are lead by Satan, plain and simple.

exactly thinker, funerals are for the living, which is why these scumbags need to feel pain, either physically or mentally. I am pretty sure they feel nothing. They try to rile people up so they can sue them and they have been pretty successful about that. I truly would like all not only presidential candidates, but all candidates chime in on the situation.

Apparently the SCOTUS thinks corporations have more rights than the tragically deceased and those who want to attend their funeral in peace.

Papag - I in NO WAY condone what these wackos are doing but SCOTUS heard their argument and agreed with them that they can do this. Again - I would like nothing more than to see these people wiped out for what they are doing and especially since they are protesting the funeral of two children who were too young to even understand what 'gay' or 'homosexual' meant.

SCOTUS allowed their shenanigans to continue.

Dear WBC:

Congratulations! Your hate organization has hit a new low. You'll be hard-pressed to get any lower than this protest, although you'll try your hardest to do so!

Sleep well for now you bunch of arrogant, in-bred, ignorant, hate-spewing spawn of the devil! You'll get yours someday....guaranteed!

MB, I agree and wish that the police who will probably be required to protect these butt munchers would look the other way for a couple of minutes while some good old fashioned beat'ns happen.

I notice these people use the word "payback" in their explaination. I wonder how they would feel if they really got a taste of what payback really is.

AMEN left-handed. Religion will be what causes the end of this planet.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

JmB66, how many more times are you going to cut and paste this same thing on page 1? Everyone gets it already, don't drive it into the ground.

YOU get it: others don't. You are on here enough to know that a very high number of people will only look as far as their own comments just to see if someone voted for them, and that's where it ends. So yes, I reposted it on the sections of comments that have the most votes, and hope that the link gets passed on to enough people who will show up.

Fred Phelps is insane. He needs to be put away for the rest of his life. He has a distorted view of Christianity and I truly believe he is lead by Satan.

Too bad we don't have laws against idiots.

Sadly the only attention they can get is to protest at events that already have mass media attention. The fact that they want to protest over the tragic death of these two boys over something COMPLETELY unrelated shows how pathetic and desperate they are. They do the world no favors and warp their religion into hate. I would say they should be ashamed but they would have to have a soul first.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

Sadly, Jm....I'm not even close to the region. Before trying to provoke, you should probably realize most people on here don't live anywhere near where it is taking place. While most people are ready to take a stand (and do) it won't and can't always be at the doorstep those hatemongers decide to darken.

Closet case? What a concept! After all what I understand is that most of his followers are his family members. A little strange wouldnn't you say?

I would love to turn on the news right after the time of the funeral, or even at the time, showing all churches in the area coming out in protest of the Phelps Klan. All they would have to do is stand in silence with a huge cross staring at these evil ashholes.

this is great i hope it really happens. that so called church are hateful freaks and will reap what they sow.

Mary...GREAT post!!!

Perfect Mary thanks

RuPaul should show up at the funeral and lead the counter protest. How 'bout it Ru??

If it weren't such a tragic day and a horrible reasoning for a political gathering I'd say all gay/lesbian transgender/transsexuals or whatever the proper words are for various organizations should show up. But, its the wrong place and wrong time for this battle. IF others besides this church show PLEASE be dignified and respectful and don't stoop to the level of the scum.

Just throw some freakin multi-colored glitter in their faces.

ROFL!!

I love RuPaul.

Yes. This funeral has nothing what so ever to do with passing of the recent legislation.

The laws in Washington have NOTHING to do with this group anyway, they are from Topeka, Kansas!!

They are just ignorant, bible thumping bullies!

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

Keep Westboro Church away from Powell Memorial

Saturday, February 11 at 10:00am

And he sure as hell would not burn two children to death to get a point accross about gays!

My brakes DO suck . . . Where's that funeral again?

@Agnomad74 ROFLMAO Think you could "accidently" clip my semi so I could "lose" control?

Normally I don't condone violence, but I would literally dance in the street if that so called church fell into a giant sink hole with everyone inside.

I wonder where they will be parking their cars while they take part in this protest. Any ideas ? Someone who lives in the area might know where they would park.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

This is exactly what these inbred wbc scum bag wackos want, some one to harass them so they can sue. It would be a phucking shame if some one did phuck up there whole world, and then get a judge that had just happened to have his family or friends accosted by these totally worthless scum, douche nozzle a$$holes. I can't personally condone it, but, other a$$wipes burn down churches all the time, next time one of you whack jobs feels the need to light a match, feel free to use your evil deeds on the Westboro Scum Bag Church of fellow evil doers. None of the rest of us will actually care, infact, we would probably raise a toast and exclaim, "Well, I'll be darned!"

There is absolutely nothing "chiristian" about WBC's agenda.

There has been absolutely nothing "christian" about anything in the last few years!

Sadly, it's this kind of crap that gives religion a bad name. Christianity is SUPPOSED to be a religion of peace, love, and charity toward our fellowmen. It is not supposed to be used as a bludgeon, or an excuse to hate people. You have to wonder if any of these nutjobs have cracked open the New Testament in their lives.

They are not committing any criminal acts or torts upon which civil litigation can be based. As long as they don't trespass or violate anyone's rights, you can't just sue them because they make you mad. The down side of living in a free country is that despicable people we violently disagree with have the same freedoms.

Honestly, just ignore them.

Yes. Once you start infringing on their rights granted under the Constitution you start eroding your own rights.

Well, yes ... but what could you sue them for? On what grounds?

Emotional distress?

Clotho-

The point of suing, in this particular case only, would be to bleed them of any money they have. I suggest lawsuit, after lawsuit, after lawsuit. I realize they have lawyers (their kids), but they still have to pay them and, at a minimum, even if they do the work pro bono it takes time away from other lawyering for money that they perform and that hurts them financially. Plus, you never know... you might get some sympathetic judges that could ACTUALLY put a stop to some of this.

Finally, I disagree with the idea that ignoring problems makes them go away. It simply isn't borne out in actual reality. Ignoring problems usually ends up biting you in the arse. I'd simply ask the reader to think about the times they saw someone being bullied or were bullied themselves and remember how well ignoring the problem worked.

The problem here isn't the attention they recieve, it's the lack of physical response. I encourage bikers and brawny guys to do their thing.

Don -- they HAVE been sued. It went to SCOTUS. They won. The poor guy that sued him (a Marine's father) ended up owing a lot of money in legal bills.

Truly ... they want the publicity to get their "message" across. Occasionally they go to a town that DOES ignore them ... no publicity, no notice, no counter protest. They tend not to return.

Beth: yup! Totally agree. Bullies of all shapes and sizes crave attention. In the long run it's best to just carry on. When they don't get the attention, they turn tail and leave.

To all who pointed out that the 1st Amendment protects all speech, bravo! It's the "first" amendment for a reason. Our country would be nowhere without it.

And, lastly, I find it fascinating just how un-Christian so many self-proclaimed "Christians" behave. If you believe in Christ, you believe in a loving, benevolent God. Even "God-fearing" Catholics got a reprieve with Vatican II. Note to haters and pedants: I don't need a lesson on Christianity or Catholicism: God loves you and I'm very happy for you. Don't hate or you'll risk proving my point.

To those spewing hate toward the WTC: don't you think that puts you at the same level as them?

This country is great because we all get to believe what we want to believe, think what we want to think, do what we want to do (within commonly accepted laws), read what we want to read and say what we want to say. The challenge has always been - and will continue to always be - finding the common ground upon which to peacefully co-exist and move forward. Again, if we are all "God's creatures," aren't we all equally loved no matter where we are from, what we look like and how we choose to live our lives? If that doesn't work for you, I'm sure there are other places in the world that would welcome you.

It's just tragic that the family of these little boys have to deal first with a narcissist murderer and then with people with agendas that have nothing to do with the grief they must endure. If their is a God, these boys are in His hands.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

Jm - it's only 6:42pm on the West Coast....maybe try to drum up a following in an hour or two, people gotta finish dinner, etc.

Just ask a indian about christian love.

We can infringe the right of people to protest at abortion clinics, but we can't infringe on the rights of these POS. How about applying equal justice and bar these nut job disgraces from being anywhere near a funeral of anyone.

On the other hand you do bring up a good point. What is the responsibility of "true" Christians to call out the Westboro Baptist Pigs??

don,

I have a general disdain for organized religion. Even so, I'm not inclined lump all church goers in with these insensitive nutbags.

Reg,

It would be nice to here some representatives of some other congregations speak out against this reprehensible behavior. Reminds me of the silence of Islamic opposition to their "fringe elements".

Well said Don95724....

Caring, compassionate Christians of many denominations have decried the despicable behavior of this hate group. Caring and compassionate people of other faiths or even no faith at all have also spoken out against these hate mongers.

Christ called the pharisees a brood of vipers. He also said that those who claim to "know" him but act contrary to God's command to love one another, will NOT be recognized by him when they die. He will say "Go away. I do not know you." Mr. Phelps will have a rude awakening when he finally kicks the bucket!

And to the poster form the Bay Area, the member of Patriot Biker group......friend, if I had the money I would buy you a ticket to fly there and join with other compassionate and proud Americans as they do all they can within the law to turn this brood of vipers away.

Peace.....Br. Jordan OSB

The faintest glimmer of upside I see to this asinine and cruel behavior is that the Westboro Baptist Church has done more to advance gay rights than any other weird splinter church in existence. I think they put the insanity of homophobia into such stark relief that it makes normal people who casually accept bigotry against gays take a second look at their own behavior and beliefs. That said, I still think the world would be a better place if the Westboro Baptists folded up their signs and engaged in more beneficial church activities like, I dunno, running soup kitchens and volunteering for Habitat for Humanity projects.

So who is in the region on Saturday? Who is ready to stand? Who has the courage and human decency to come away from the words you form from your keyboards? Anyone? Any of you ready yet to shield a grieving family from fanatical hatemongers?

Well, as small consolation from one atheist to another, I offer you this: They are so mentally depraved that they are basically in hell and don't even know it. Whatever pain they cause the greater society, it is so much less than the unhappiness and insanity they have created in their own lives (and the lives of their children). They have blighted their own lives to such a degree that it is hard not to pity them.

JrzWrld...

It's personally not hard to not pity them. Despise them, yeah sure. Pity them? Hardly.

Agnostic.. I'm not smart enough to say yes or no. I can't see or touch it, but then I can't see or touch the air either and I believe it's there! (OK.. polluted air is visible, but you get the idea!!)

Have a great day!!

If I stand back far enough away from them emotionally, then yes, I can pity them too; they are surely pitiful, very disturbing, folks. I would not want to actually stand close to any of them because then my pity would turn to anger and I wouldn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they had caused a reaction in me. I remember an anti-war slogan of the 1960s that kinda, sorta applies ... "what if they gave a war and nobody came?" ... change that to "what if the WBC picketed and nobody showed up?" Kinda takes the steam out of their message, doesn't it?

Ikwdoh, you might just have something there......maybe all of these funerals that WBC announce they are going to protest should secretly plan to hold them some place else or at a different time than is publicly announced . Then when WBC does show up at the announced site, they will have nothing to protest and NO MEDIA present to record their "protest." Of course, I have never felt that ANY MEDIA should ever show up at any funeral other than that for a head of state (governor, president, prime minister, etc.)

@XDm9mm - given that doling out headbutts isn't an option (neither legal nor productive, no matter how tempting), I go with pity.

On the atheism issue, I'd love there to be a higher being and a happy afterlife and all that, but i have no empirical proof. There is indeed scientific proof of the atmosphere around us. Given the lack of quantifiable evidence that there is a supreme being, I go with atheism over agnosticism, though I will revise my hypothesis should that ever change.

JrzWorld, I totally agree with your point. The Westboro Baptists have created their own personal hell and don't even know it. Have you ever seen one of them smile or have any joy? Heck, they even bring their kids to these macabre demonstrations.

I am a Baptist and these guys make me want to puke! Christian or Atheist, I think we all agree that the spirit of the words recorded by Jesus, whom they purport to follow, would be diametrically opposed to any group capitalizing on the suffering and untimely death of two boys not to mention witnessing the death of their mom. I believe it can be safely said that these people are delusional as well as sick and twisted. Most of all they lack any modicum of concern for their fellow humans while playing God and heaping judgement as they see fit. I cannot think of a better description of modern day hypocrisy.

I agree. I'm not for gay marriage, but protesting at a funeral is NOT how you get the message across.

Their agenda is publicity. Pure and simple. And unfortunately, they get it. If I didn't live in TX I would go block them too. Their version of Christianity is so skewed it's a shame it is even considered a religion. I'm betting these demonstrations are being used just to keep their tax-exempt status.

truth doesn't need a /s ending.

If there really was a god he would not let scum like this live....with any luck a relative will off a few of them...and hopefully get away with it.

Sarcasm? I actually think it's a pretty good point.

Keep Westboro Church away from Powell Memorial

Saturday, February 11 at 10:00am

You got that right my Texas neighbor!!

I don't remember how many feet away they have to stand from a funeral, I believe its in the range of 200-400 feet away. They also, by law cannot interfere (interrupt/disrupt) a funeral nor can they physically lay a hand on anybody involved with the funeral. I'm sure they cover their butts at cemetaries and stand outside of the gates, just off the property line.

They may be low life inbred morons, but they have had plenty of (well deserved) run ins with the law. They are fully aware of what they can or can not do.

200 feet is the limit..... Within that the police will haul them away, of coarse that is if they ignore a verbal warning.....

Which they know enough not to do. I wish they weren't so well versed in the law. I'd love to see them get hauled off for SOMETHING.

"God loves you, but everyone else thinks your an as*hole"

I don't know if God loves them.

They either went to or tried to go to the funerals of those Amish children a while back. I'm not sure who old Gramps does what he does, nor am I sure why his idiot inbred kids follow him but they do. It sucks, but karma will get them in the end.

Can't you make proper distinctions? What the WB church does is an embarassment to every good-living person in the country. Why do show your bigotry and narrowmindedness by identifying the WBaptists with the tea-baggers. If you recall the tea baggers in all cities have conducted themselves peacefully, not like to OWS across the countrty; and when racists like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and some DC politicians made claims of racism against the tea baggers, not one iota of evidence could be presented. If you can't rid yourself of your own bigotry, and distinguish between evil and people who happen to have different but legitimate perspectives, you show yourself to be of the same ilk as the Westboro Baptists. Grow up, pls. Our country needs you to grow up.

They also go to funerals of slain soldiers! They believe God is punishing innocents because of Gay's!

At least that's their story! I think they are just Bible thumping, publicity HOGS!

History- I noticed that you easily called Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson Racist's, two people that have been personally suffered from racism ,defended T/ baggers, and threw OWS under the bus. Have a little agenda there yourself. Go on youtube, see and hear plenty of racist and terrible signs from the baggers! just saying..

I wish I could be there to help this poor family. They have been through enough. If you attend please go to send those little boys off in a peaceful way. This "church" is a disgrace to religion in our country. Yes they have every right to thier beliefs, but not this way. This is showing disrespect to the memories of those innocent kids. If it comes to it kick thier A$$es back to the little world they came from.

we as americans have to stand up against this. this is not what our founding fathers had in mind when freedom of speech was put into the bill of rights. if the government is too afraid to take on these hate mongering terrorists, then we should band together and take care of them ourselves... they should all be lined up and shot in front of each other, and make them watch as they suffer 1 by 1. honestly i dont think you could get a jury of 12 people who could unanimously convict the person who did it. i know i wouldnt. if obama and the dumacrates are too scared of them and other terrorist groups like the aclu, then lets take it into our own hands and show these pieces of elephant dung that real americans wont stand for this crap. i guarantee you that after you made an example of a few of them, these protests would stop immediately.

When it is time for these people to stand before God and be judged themselves there will be no excuses for their hatred, violence, anger, and judgement of others. Shame on them for this horrid display in the aftermath of these poor children's death. It's clearly a way for them to spread their message of of hatred and intolerence. My God is a God of love and forgivness. He does not take the lives of children or our men and women in the armed forces because of the sins of others. They will know this when they stand before him. They will then know what true judgement is.

I agree mkhar, the question is why do we give news stories to total morons? The police should be the ones keeping these nutcases away, don’t we have trespassing or disturbing the peace laws anymore? All these people are doing is showing how totally out of touch with reality they are so why is this newsworthy?

Mark but the court has deceided that a furneral is not a private event.... Since they call it a public event it opens the door to these DIRT BAGS.....

I'm getting more afraid of the courts anymore then the criminals OHGUY, I still hope that disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct can hold here.

Just ask a Indian about Christan love.