Funeral of Girls Slain by Tweeker to be...

The funeral of slain sisters Ashley Key and Britny Haarup is going to be protested by the Westboro Baptist Church. It seems unusual for the Christian hate group to protest the resting of murder victims, but they do share their so-called "reasoning" on the "God Hates Fags" website.

"God sent the drugged, raping, murdering thug to execute his judgement upon MO, and specifically upon Platte County, MO." -- reads the website.

It's quite unfortunate that the Westboro Baptist Church is taking this upon themselves when there are plenty of other causes to protest with their hate-filled Christian zealotry. It seems that the WBC is taking a past transgression seriously, and personally, against Platte County. Their site claims that they were nearly run off the road by a "thug" in a truck and the sheriff of the county did nothing about it.

Certainly they realize by now that small communities band together against what they perceive as threats. The WBC is a threat to most people because of the hate they spread. Even among their Christian brethren, the WBC are rejected, so this seems like pure retaliation in the names of the two murder victims.

While it's easy to agree that nobody really likes the Westboro Baptist Church, it's important to remind everyone attending the funeral of Ashley Key and Britny Haarup remain civilized. Death threats and acts of violence are absolutely intolerable, even if it's against a hate group. The WBC are expressing their First Amendment rights as Americans, and attacking them for their horrific hobbies will only strengthen their cause.

Comments: 5

Hyper Intellect Jul 21, 2012, 1:57am UTC

The American Civil Liberties Union has actively supported the right of The Ku Klux Klan (and other unpopular groups) to express themselves. And I have long supported The A.C.L.U., along with their mission to stand up for EVERYONE'S rights.

So I applaud you, MS. Hoffman, for standing up for the rights of people that you disagree with.

Perhaps it is a mistake to take The K.K.K. & W.B.C. as seriously as they take themselves? Besides - they're free entertainment!

Amanda Ludden Jul 21, 2012, 10:06am UTC

hahaha I never thought of it that way, that the WBC is literally the new KKK! Poor girls, first murder now their families have to deal with these morons.

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Wil B. Jul 21, 2012, 2:29am UTC

So the Phelps gang of religious nutbags claims that their god sends rapists to punish people for living in (or just being in) places where local government officials have done something to piss off a member of the WBC congregation? That's a new one (for me, at least), but not all that surprising. They are a remarkably demented bunch of people.

I totally agree that their right to believe stupid stuff and to say stupid, offensive stuff must be vigorously defended, and that threats and acts of violence against them are completely inappropriate.

I think it's also important to keep in mind that as ridiculous and outrageous as the WBC's statements may be, they're not that different from comments from people like Louie Gohmert about the recent Aurora shootings:

What really gets me as a Christian is to see the ongoing attacks on Judeo-Christian beliefs, and then some senseless crazy act of terror like this takes place."

Or from Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson agreeing that:

I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger in their face and say 'you helped this [the Sept 11 terrorist attacks] happen.

It's all the same 'my awesome mighty god is punishing people for doing things I don't like!' sort of BS.

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Heather - child of God, C. Jul 22, 2012, 9:14am UTC

Now they are focusing on murder victims funerals? Good thing they are not a large group or they would be protesting at everyone's funeral.

Maybe they have it in for the funeral home industry and secretly want to motivate people to stop going for the wake/funeral home service package...

Or maybe they want things to escalate so they can initiate lawsuits, I heard they are lawyers...

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Funeral of Girls Slain by Tweeker to be Protested by WBC

Comments: 5

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