Lo, How the Mighty...

[neadods]

There was a tornado in an Oklahoma town. Children died.

Westboro Baptist showed up to protest the kid's funerals.

Their permit allowed half an hour's protest. In reality, they got 8 minutes before 100 people ran them off. Literally ran them off; the Westboro people had to flee the mob.

Thing is... Westboro always looked forward to stuff like this, because the "church" was funded almost entirely via winning assault lawsuits after they goaded people into lashing back at them.

Except now Fred is dead. And Shirley Phelps-Roper, who had argued the "church's" case in front of the Supreme Court, has been deposed by a cabal of men (including her own son, apparently.) It's rumored that Fred himself was excommunicated and kicked out of the house for defending Shirley during the coup.

If Westboro doesn't file a suit, they've more or less admitted that it's open season on them. The precedent will be set.

And I notice that I'm not hearing anyone from Westboro talking lawsuit. I'm fairly sure that in taking out Shirley, they've taken out anyone who could have filed it, much less successfully argued it.

I do believe that a few months, at most a year, will prove that Westboro didn't shoot itself in the foot. It shot itself in the head.

ETA: Westboro has come out with a press release and several tweets. They're as nasty as you'd suppose (including the unintentionally hilarious line "you have nothing but hatred in your hearts") ... but STILL no word of a lawsuit. And the cops say that because there were no punches thrown, no one in the swarming crowd will be arrested.

Stick a fork in them; they're done. They just don't know it yet.

Comments

[karen miller (from livejournal.com)]

And that is so, so, saaaaaad.

Not.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

:)

[badgermirlacca.livejournal.com]

I've decided henceforward, I will describe the habit of obnoxiously protesting things as "phelpsing." Perhaps the activity of running such people off can be described as "dephelpsing" the situation.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Hopefully, the whole "church" will fade away into history semi-soon.

[gonzai55.livejournal.com]

From your mouth to God's ears. So to speak.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

:)

The one thing I can count on, even as an atheist, is that now Fred knows for sure if he was right about religion.

always good to hear

[lrodell.livejournal.com]

--when ne'er-do-wells like that ALLEGED church get run off from their wickedness by people who have had it up to *here* with their nonsense!

Re: always good to hear

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Thing is, they've always been run off or shouted at, or swung on, or had the air let out of their tires. Only now it looks like they don't know how to fight back anymore.

[empresspatti.livejournal.com]

GOOD RIDDANCE. It was great to see them skuttle off like the roaches they are.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I really must find video. I wouldn't mind the sight myself.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

Go to YouTube and search for Westboro Oklahoma. There are a number of versions.

As for fred Phelps now knowing if he was right... people like him make me wish there were a hell.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I used to say that if there was a God, all i asked out of heaven was to see some people's faces on judgement day.

[msp-hacker.livejournal.com]

So their hate got so strong it destroyed them. Color me unsurprised.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I know! And Phelps' downfall in his own church was because he tried to make them less hateful!

The schadenfreude is delicious.

[amethyst-hunter.livejournal.com]

That is fucking EXCELLENT.

I hope that nasty little cult crumbles faster than an ancient moldy saltine cracker.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Probably will. Its head is dead, and its heir apparent was pushed out. It's all over but the shouting now.