Gentry: Lawsuit necessary in stopping hate
Court awarded settlement is a beginning in the struggle against the many questionable messages of Westboro Baptist
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
Finally, the Phelps family got a little of what was coming to it.
Many people, including myself, cheered happily when the news broke that the law had finally been able to come down on Fred Phelps’ infamous Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka. Last Wednesday, a Maryland judge ordered the church to pay, “$8 million in punitive damages and $2.9 million in compensatory damages,” according to the Washington Post. The family of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder filed the lawsuit after the Westboro Church protested Snyder’s funeral with signs bearing distasteful slogans such as, “God Hates You” and, “Thank God for Dead Soliders.”
The Snyder family filed claims on the grounds of, “invasion of privacy and infliction of emotional distress.” Though some, including the Phelpses, claim that the Westboro Baptist Church has been disrespectful, but has not legally done anything wrong.
Certainly, there is little else more disrespectful and rude than showing up at a funeral bearing hateful signs. I am unable to understand how the Westboro Baptist Church feels this type of behavior is God’s will. I guess I missed the part of the Bible that says you should actively hate large sects of the population or use slanderous terms to refer to others who don‘t. Probably because that part doesn’t exist.
The God that I believe in is caring and forgiving. I’m fairly sure he doesn’t champion vicious slandering, and I know He doesn’t appreciate the Phelps family telling everyone who He hates and who He doesn’t.
The Westboro Baptist Church claims they are extremely thankful for this verdict. On one of their Web sites, www.godhatesamerica.com, the front page proclaims, “Thank God for the $10 million! [We] prayed for it to be $109 million!”
They’re saying that the lawsuit has helped them get their “message” out. Well, it’s certainly gotten them face time in the media, but I’m still unclear as to what their message is. To make my point, here’s a riddle for you: what do Ronald Reagan, Jon Stewart and Mr. Rogers have in common? Answer: They’ve all been targets of the Westboro Baptist Church.
Even after reading countless articles on their protests and perusing their Web sites declaring their “message,” I still have no clear idea what it is. The only common thread that I can find is that they believe God hates anything that, well, isn’t the Westboro Baptist Church. Coretta Scott King? In hell for having, “feces-eating fag friends.” Pope John Paul II? The church proclaims him, “the great pedophile pope.” I can’t tell what’s at work here: brainwashing, insanity or mere attention-grabbing. Maybe a combination of all three.
Unfortunately, it seems this verdict will not stop their funeral protests. According to their Web site, “as long as the Lord our God gives us breath, and He continues to kill your G.I. Joe-wannabe brat kids, we will still preach at funerals.”
Can we say unstable? Crazy? Another down side: there is a good chance the verdict will be overturned when the church appeals. The important thing is that someone has managed to bring them down. Even if it can’t register as a loss in the Phelps’ senseless brains as a loss, the sane world has finally scored a win against the Westboro Baptist Church.
Gentry is a Kansas City junior in English and pre-medicine.
Discussion
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First let me say how much I have enjoy your column.
I agree that Fred Phelps has led his family down a crazy path to unhappy hateful land. For a better understanding of his psychosis, google "addicted to hate" an online account by his son who left the family because of the evilness his father exhibited. Looking forward to reading more of you columns!!!
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