They have no shame

The notorious Westboro Baptist Church was at it again this Memorial Day, the day when we honor the memory of all who have died in defense of our country. They were out to demonstrate in front of Arlington Cemetery, carrying their signs that say "Thank God for dead soldiers."

As has often happened at Westboro's demonstrations in recent months, they were met by counter-demonstrators who attempted to block their view of the cemetery and to shout them down when they yelled out their slogans. Interestingly, one of the groups countering Westboro today was a klaven of the Ku Klux Klan! I never thought I would find myself in agreement with anything that the KKK did. Just goes to show that wonders will never cease I suppose.

Various courts have held that the Westboro Baptists have a legally protected right to do what they do, but just because one has the legal right to make heinous, hurtful statements and acts does not mean that one has the moral right to do so. I wonder where Westboro believes that it gets the moral authority for the atrocious acts that it commits against grieving families and their communities. Surely it can't be from the Bible, from the Jesus who admonished his followers to love their neighbors as themselves.

But then "Christian" haters of all stripes - whether the object of their hate is women, homosexuals, another race, another religion - have always been able to find some verse in their Bible to support their hate and the acts that stem from it. I wonder what Jesus thinks of all this. I think that another Bible verse might sum up his reaction - the one that says, "Jesus wept."

The merry band of haters marches on

Brace yourself. The execrable Fred Phelps and his Westboro Baptist Church are planning a new outrage.

Not satisfied with disrupting the funerals of military personnel with their hate-filled signs and slogans, they are now planning to use their tactics to crash the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards on Saturday. Edwards died earlier this week after a long and valiant battle with breast cancer.

The "Christians" of Westboro Baptist plan to display signs saying "Thank God for breast cancer" and similar slogans. They will be shouting sentiments such as "Elizabeth Edwards is in hell" and just generally doing their best to make this miserable day for her children, family and friends even more miserable. Those who cared for Edwards are now working to organize a counter-protest that will keep these people as far away from the mourners as possible, as has been done recently in other places where Phelps' band has appeared.

I can't begin to fathom what motivates people like this, other than the desire for notoriety, but I must admit I take some comfort in the fact that they, too, one day will die. Perhaps some of them will even die of cancer. I wonder if, as they lie dying, they will remember and reflect upon the time when they carried a sign reading, "Thank God for breast cancer."

I am willing to bet that, in fact, Elizabeth Edwards is not in hell. I suspect that the Westboro crew will some day learn that first hand.