awwww, look at these cutie pies

[RedSox02]

Just tickles the heart doesn't it.

[gratuitous]

1. As the twig is bent, so grows the branch

And you really have to work hard to get a child to grow up like Fred Phelps. Old Fred's getting on, and it's difficult to say if his brand of hatred is going to outlast his generation. Gotta start 'em young, even if some will accuse the parents of a particularly evil and nasty form of child abuse.

[terrya]

2. This makes me so sad.

Those kids can't possibly know about gay people...except the hate their parents instill in them.

IMO, this is a form of child abuse. To poison their minds in such a manner.

[jonnyblitz]

3. gee I wonder whose grandchildren those are.

and could they be from Topeka, Kansas perhaps?!?!

[Avatar13]

4. From the inbred Phelps klan, perhaps?

*spit*

Got a link?

[Avatar13]

8. Never mind, found it

www.nydailynews.com/news/story/131342p-117284c.html

It IS the Phelps klan. Someone tell me how godhatesfags ties their agenda to the whole high school hazing thing, or any other thing for that matter.

edit: added an extra thought

[nostamj]

5. child abuse

pure and simple

[Skittles]

7. DAMN STRAIGHT, NOSTAMJ (pardon the pun)

TEACHING CHILDREN HATRED IS CHILD ABUSE.

[Terwilliger]

6. hate breeds young, apparently

so, these kids who don't have the cognitive ability to understand the true nature of a supernatural being carry placards that claim this being "hates"?

This is why I get on the god-pods....HOW can you allow these sick fuckers (the parents, obviously) to speak for a religion that you believe in and comes from the same book?

Mystifying.

[NewJeffCT]

10. heard a few interviewed

Howard Stern sent one of his folks down to interview these poor kids when the school originally opened. They all had to be told their lines by their parents standing behind them.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. are you serious ..is this for real...not photoshopped?

:scared:

[jonnyblitz]

14. no they are for real elsewheresdaughter

sad isnt it?

[MuseRider]

17. This is NOT photoshopped

They are on my streets every single day. The children are out there when it is 108 degrees or -30 with blowing sleet. It is a constant sight here. Every, single concert I play, every single event held in this city requires that you walk through these creeps singing their hymns. It is disgusting.

[jonnyblitz]

20. I wonder where they get the funds to travel as they do.

They pop up everywhere. :hi:

[MuseRider]

21. Donations to their church.

One can only imagine how they can make that much money. They live in the church so they do not have to pay those taxes. Got me, they have never lacked funds.

[Avatar13]

23. A few of Phelps' offspring and relatives are lawyers

I read that the Westboro Baptist Church is composed of the Phelps family and not much more. I'd imagine that the women are forced to stay home when they're not out picketing funerals, so the only source of income for the church would be the the lawyer sons.

I don't think they'd accept donations from liberal organizations such as the FRC, Focus on the Family, Operation Rescue, or the John Birch Society.

[MuseRider]

27. Phelps himself is a lawyer

but I think he was disbarred, I can't remember. They have been such a constant in my life that I tend to ignore a lot of the news about them. His oldest, Fred Jr., is a lawyer. He was in my class from K-12 so I have know him for a long time. At least one of his sisters is a lawyer. She has also run for office. Her name is Marge and all of her signs were defaced, it was really funny, they all ended up saying Vote For Large Marge. Anyway, the mother was rarely seen, they do believe in things like the women at home, not cutting their hair etc but the daughters, at least Marge has gotten out and around. They do have other members of their church although I can't tell you how many there are but there are enough kids, even with the 2 who escaped, and enough grandkids to man the signs every single day. Personally I believe they will take money from anyone who offers it. Our symphony had a fund raiser where you pledged so much money for however long the Phelps clan stood outside to protest our concert. THEY donated.

[Wonk]

37. This is photoshopped (it was begging for it)

[Nazgul35]

40. lol...

outstanding.....we should take this picture everywhere they show up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ElsewheresDaughter]

42. awwww wonk thank you.. arrest their parents call child protection agency

[Richardo]

11. Using minors in protests should be a felony - I mean that for both sides

Nothing makes me fume like seeing young children with no possible understanding of the issue carrying protest signs.

Blatant manipulation.

[xultar]

12. Compasionate Conservatism...

@ its very best. Wow, I want these kids and their parentsto come'a trick or treatin' to my house this friday.

[thebigidea]

13. wait a minute... "GOD HATES AMERICA"?

I think a certain Rev. Phelps just might be one of those...

FREEDOM HATERS!

With us or against us, kiddies. Now which is it going to be?

[Bandit]

15. Is there anywhere in the bible that says God hates?

A Christian believes that Christ is God so is there anywhere in the New Testiment that says Jesus Hates? Or even the Angry Jealous God of War from the Old Testiment. Is there any phrase anywhere that says God Hates? Anything not just Fags or America, anything, since it is all his creation.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

18. there are indeed

statements in some versions of the bible where 'God hates' appears. More commonly the word despise is used (particularly when referring to an action or deed...such as in Malachi God despises divorce).

TheProdigal

[Bandit]

22. I did find a few references

I Corinthians 34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.

Psalm 5:5 - "The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity

``These six things doth the Lord hate; yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood.
A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord.
Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abominations to the Lord."

"A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood." GW Bush* to a tee

"A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren." Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, Coulter, Cheney, Bennett, etc.

[maggrwaggr]

28. Plenty in the old testament

but few in the new.

The only thing Jesus ever seemed to get really angry at was a tree. He cursed a tree once.

Oh, and the money changers.

[camero]

35. All of these references

are about actions and not people. And what happens when a person does these actions.

But you're right about Psalm 5:5 and those are great verses to use against Bush.

[Clete]

16. Why are all racists and haters white?

You never see blacks or hispanics or asians carrying signs hating whites or gays.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

19. there is plenty of hate

on all sides of the racial issue...

TheProdigal

[Clete]

29. True, but they aren't out there in the news with

picket signs or pointy hatted sheets or brown shirts with swastikas marching through the streets of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

30. what does that say?

about the media. There is hate on both sides...but I will agree that it does seem disproportionately carried out by whitey. Why do you suppose it is that when hate is spewed by whites, it is done in such a way that it is worthy of coverage and when other races are spewing THEIR hate, it is not (or at least covered less). I am not saying that it IS less covered, but it does not seem to get the attention that these poor slobs do...

TheProdigal

[Clete]

33. What I have noticed is whites don't feel any

compunction about loud and flamboyant displays of their racism and homophobia, kinda like they think the rest of us are only a temporary nuisance until we are gotten rid of.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

41. interesting

Do you think that there is something cultural that allows whites moreso than other groups to be more outspoken? POssibly just the security in numbers thing here in the US?

TheProdigal

[denverbill]

24. If God can blow up the shuttle, he can 'fix' fags if he so desires.

That 'all-powerful' God of theirs who destroys shuttles sure is a pussy when it comes to smiting gays, etc. If God hates fags and fag enablers, why doesn't he smite them?

[northzax]

25. damn, I thought this was the counter protest

when I read the caption, that thas this was theatre of the absurd, trying to show how stupid this is (god blew up the Shuttle? why, cause we had an Israeli on board? here I thought the Big Guy was in favour of Israel) But it's real? damn skippy. Y'alls God is a shmuck and an asshole, you know that? what sort of all-knowing, all powerful being bothers to blow up spacecraft? don't you think, maybe, just maybe, the Big Fella has other things to bother with? seems awfully capricious for a benevolent God. I wonder if Phelps believes in Satan, his God seems evil enough without fallen angels to fuck with people.

imagine living under the ultimate dictatorship, a random, angry, petty deity without any hope or love. what an awful way to live. You must end up feeling very small and vulnerable, knowing that for no good reason God can strike you down with pieces of falling space shuttle debris, just for the heck of it. I wonder if Moses would have bothered if he knew that hid god was such a fucking asshole.

[jonnyblitz]

26. no, with phelps it is "god blew up the shuttle" because of the

"fags and sodomites".

[northzax]

31. wow, there were 'fags and sodomites'

on the space shuttle? who knew? Here I thought they were mostly in the military, which expressly bans 'fags and sodomites' from serving.

[jonnyblitz]

34. you don't understand how fred phelps' god operates

he punishes the heterosexuals for being accepting of the homosexuals.

[Heddi]

32. It's funny...

well, funny sad, not funny ha-ha....that these people are SO bible-oriented, and follow certain quotes of the bible TO THE TOE (well, not really...they pick and choose and take things out of context, but I think you know what I"m getting at), yet they seem to ignore the MOST IMPORTANT "QUOTES" of Christianity, namely:

1) Judge not lest ye be judged
2) Love thy brother
3) Do not bear false witness against another
4) Remove the speck from your own eye before you tell your friend about the huge 2x4 in theirs (paraphrased)

They take Leviticus 18:22 (is that the right verse) and just harp and harp and harp on that---it's a little blurb in a really, really big book.

Yet they ignore the BASIC TENEMENTS of Christianity.

They ignore the BASIC LESSONS that Jesus harped on: be nice to people, treat people with compassion, turn the other cheek, don't be an asshole to people, etc.

Their transparencey and inconsistency is so transparent that it would be funny if it weren't so obscene.

I wonder if THEY 'get' this?

[JohnKleeb]

45. Muse I am still astounded how you can live near those asses

[elfwitch]

36. The saddest part...

Last night I took my son (2 year old) to Barnes & Noble to hang out in the kids section while I got in a little reading time. He likes to play with the Thomas the Tank engine sets they have there. There were a couple of other little boys there too. One of the kids, who was just learning to walk, was middle-easternish (indian maybe?). Not only was the other boy smaller and pre-verbal, but he looked very different from any of the other kids there. He and my son played quite nicely four about 30 minutes. My son helped othe other boy up when he plunked down on his butt. They shared toys. They head a great time. Perfect example of how kids don't care about things like race or size or anything else. All they see is other little people to play with.

Anyone who sets out to ruin this basic kindness in children is a monster. Kids aren't born hating. They are taught. I cannot even begin to imagine why a parent would destroy a childs ability to love all people unconditionally. It is sick and wrong.

[Renew Deal]

38. This is in my town. I wish I knew.

I cannot believe these people came to my town. I went to the other HS in this town. WTF I would have loved to have gone head on with these nuts. FUCK :argh:

[CBHagman]

39. It's time to call in child welfare.

Am I to understand that they're yanking kids out of school and dragging them across the country to stand in front of another school to encourage hatred and blasphemy?

Perhaps the Phelps kids are home-schooled and that's how the family gets away with this. But still, it's a sickening sight. God knows how those kids will turn out.

[ProudGerman]

43. God knows?

Heck we all know.

Clock tower
High powered rifle

Any other guesses?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

44. branch of the Young Republicans?

[Cornus]

46. LIGALY Responded to this Demonstration

Following is an email I received this afternoon from LIGALY. I am thankful that there are groups like this out there to counter these hateful demonstrations.

<Today, Long Island saw one of the largest rally’s in support of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgender youth in our region. Thank you to the more than 400 people that showed up to
support the Counter-Demonstration/Rally in support of the Mepham Gay-Straight Alliance and for
all Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) students. As most news reports have reported,
this rally served as a unifying effect for a community in distress.



The rally also put the words of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth along with safe
schools, Gay-Straight Alliance clubs on the tongues of many who never would have thought about
GLBT youth before. In fact, since the word of the Counter-Demonstration and Rally, Long Island
Gay and Lesbian Youth (LIGALY) has been contacted to help start a half dozen more GSA’s across
Long Island. More people now see the great need to take action and support our GLBT Youth.



Many Mepham parents and students wanted us to thank the GLBT community and allies for showing
such strong support and not backing down in the face of hatred. The Mepham Alumni Association
also extends their gratitude. Perhaps the greatest thanks came from the students themselves –
well over 200 of the 400+ people involved in today’s counter-demonstration/rally were youth
themselves – these brave teenagers will become (sooner than we think) the next generation of
leaders in our community. Their refusal to remain silent and stand up for what they believe in
can be something we all look forward to.



The youth wanted us to thank all the adults, parents, teachers, clergy and community members
that came out to support them. Today’s rally certainly had effects that reached well beyond
Mepham HS – the issues of safe schools and GLBT youth now must become an issue that is brought
to the top of the agenda in every school district and every community – and LIGALY will make
sure that this continues to happen.



Again, thank you to those that came today – and thank you to those that wished your support,
donated supplies and helped spread the word of this very important and effective community
action. We would like to keep this momentum going – if you are interested in getting involved
in more social justice action, we are looking for people to help out with our newly formed
Maxine Postal Institute for Social Justice. You can also help by donating to our Back-to-School
Campaign – click on the following link to find out how you can help: www.ligaly.com. Please at
anytime call LIGALY at 631.665.2300 if you would like to help or are in need of help. Thank you
once again!



The LIGALY Staff>