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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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Well, he didn't actually boycott funerals, he showed up for them. Which was the main problem.
His actions seemed calculated to offend even people who would agree with his views. The most credible explanation I heard was that he was trying to provoke people into confronting him or his family with physical force, so his law firm(ie. his lawyer family) could then turn around and sue whomever they could find to hold responsible, eg. some outraged mourner chucks an egg at him, and he sues the police for not doing enough to prevent it.
I once read a list of all the people he sued, and it was quite extensive. Like, the US government for establishing relations with the Vatican(which Fred argued was an affront to his religius freedom as a protestant). And, on the basis of having argued a civil-rights case on behalf of blacks, he claimed that his(white) children qualified for affirmative action programs. When the courts rejected this, he sued to get affirmative action abolished. Since he ran the law firm, it wasn't costing him any money to play the legal odds in this manner. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003 Location: I walk along the avenue
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Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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From the Southern Poverty Law Center...
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Fred Phelps and his small congregation provide WBC's funding; the group neither solicits nor accepts outside donations. In addition to this income, the church makes money by winning or settling civil lawsuits involving the church. During the 1990s, the group sued Topeka multiple times for failing to provide sufficient protection during its protests. Although they lost most of their cases, WBC did win $43,000 in legal fees in 1993. According to Shirley Phelps-Roper, they also won more than $100,000 in 1995 in a lawsuit against Kansas' Funeral Picketing Act, which they claimed violated their First Amendment rights. Because the Phelps family represents WBC in court, they can put the fees they win towards supporting the church.
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Died By Bear

Joined: 13 Jul 2010 Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:14 am Post subject: Re: Fred Phelps Sr |
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| Lucas wrote: |
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/16/pastor-gay-hating-church-close-death-fred-phelps
I wonder if someone will boycott his funeral? |
It would be an honor to protest his funeral. (Not boycott) |
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Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 2:01 am Post subject: |
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| I'll say this for him, he was an entertaining interviewee who never let the host dictate things. Other than that he was scum, but I do give a tip o the hat to his utter shamelessnesd. |
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Nowhere Man

Joined: 08 Feb 2004
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:21 am Post subject: ... |
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My gut reaction was to protest his funeral, but local gay groups are asking that people respect the privacy he denied so many.
Upon reflection, it seems to be the decent thing to do rather than become him.
If you wouldn't normally protest a funeral, don't change. |
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Lucas
Joined: 11 Sep 2012
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| My gut reaction was to protest his funeral, but local gay groups are asking that people respect the privacy he denied so many. |
They should all print out masks of his face with a hole where his mouth should be and !@#$ @#$% each other.  |
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Scorpion
Joined: 15 Apr 2012
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 4:44 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| Nowhere Man wrote: |
My gut reaction was to protest his funeral, but local gay groups are asking that people respect the privacy he denied so many.
Upon reflection, it seems to be the decent thing to do rather than become him.
If you wouldn't normally protest a funeral, don't change. |
I agree. People should not stoop to his level. He is a despicable man and the country is better off without him. But demonstrating at his funeral, however tempting, is indecent. We can all take satisfaction from the fact that he was the face of ugly bigotry and probably hurt the anti-gay cause more than anything. In fact, disgust at his antics by mainstream conservatives probably knocked the steam out of their protests. Gay marriage is the future and Phelps will be remembered as not only a disgraceful human being, but a failure. |
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Squire

Joined: 26 Sep 2010 Location: Jeollanam-do
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Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 7:07 pm Post subject: |
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| He was good value for money that guy. I didn't agree with him on anything but he was always good entertainment |
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Smithington
Joined: 14 Dec 2011
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Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2014 5:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Squire wrote: |
| He was good value for money that guy. I didn't agree with him on anything but he was always good entertainment |
He wasn't good entertainment for the families of the dead people who's funerals he protested. He was a sick man who brought nothing but heartbreak to families who were already suffering. |
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