<p>Most of you have probably seen this on the Facebook group, but for those who have not, here it is (very slightly abridged): </p>
<p>Fred Phelps and the psychos at Westboro Baptist Church are planning to protest at EVERY FUNERAL and MEMORIAL SERVICE that they learn of regarding the students murdered on April 16th!</p>
<p>The Westboro Baptist "Church" is an organization that teaches a message of hate. They do not believe that Christ died for everyone in the world, only the elite chosen. They are saying that because higher education teaches rebeliousness against God that these students deserved to die.</p>
<p>This wikipedia article is very informative:</p>
<p>We have got to put a stop to this! We now have a petition online that will allow us to give concrete proof that there are people willing to stand up to them.</p>
<p>the way i see it....Its only a matter of time until they go to the wrong place, and get what they have had coming to them for a loonnnnggggg time....</p>
<p>They are pathetic, and thats all there is to it....</p>
<p>Who cares? Just ignore them. They have the right to free speech same as anybody else, but the attention people are giving them is just what they want. If everyone ignored them, they'd go away.</p>
<p>I'm going to guess most of these posters are liberal, and I'm going to guess they have all been indoctrinated with tolerance. Somehow, it's not surprising that everyone doesn't want him to have free speech...and nobody tolerates his right to have a belief other than their own. Obviously he's stupid, but it scares me how liberals preach tolerance and acceptance until it's inconvenient for them.</p>
<p>Free speech is fine. Hey, I think it's wonderful! Fred Phelps is free to have his web site, he's free to use it to make a fool of himself, and I'm free to mock him for it. He's allowed to protest gay people.</p>
<p>We're not talking about that.</p>
<p>He's protesting this at the funerals of innocent students who were gunned down in America's worst ever shooting. I hope we can all agree that no matter our feelings on the issues he addresses, that sort of politicizing of a senseless tragedy is tasteless and indefensible.</p>
<p>And yet, no one is advocating forcibly removing him from said funerals, or any such action that actually would be a violation of free speech. We're discussing signing a petition, also permissible by free speech, to condemn his actions.</p>
<p>Tolerance means allowing people to have a web site, to speak out if they want. It doesn't mean agreeing with people, it doesn't mean condoning their actions, and it doesn't mean silently acquiescing, especially when, as in this case, they are simply disgusting.</p>
<p>For instance, I can speak out and say that what Fred Phelps is planning on doing is pathetic and hurtful. And I can say that you're kind of an idiot.</p>