These people are sick. They need to shut the hell up.
Yes, Fred Phelps and his Westboro, Kansas Baptist Church - they of the infamous "God Hates Fags" signs - have been at it again. And they’ve up the ante, showing up and picketing at the funerals of slain U.S soldiers. They argue loudly and in the boldest of colors that the dead military personnel will or should go to Hell for fighting for a country that tolerates homosexuality.
See? These folks are sick. That’s some truly twisted, sick, screwed-up logic.
What’s more, they’re fighting for the right to do this. At the Supreme Court.
A couple weeks ago, in one of the first cases of the new session, the justices of the highest court of the land heard arguments stemming from a lawsuit filed by a father against Phelps’ congregants for picketing the funeral of his son who had been kill in the war in Iraq. The father, who is Catholic, felt not only that the protest marred and degraded the solemn rite but also libeled by the protesters saying that he raised his son in a bad way. The craziness was topped off by one of Phelp’s wacky daughters herself - not an attorney - arguing for the protesters, citing free speech.
Guess what.
I think she when right. I think the justices should rule in her favor.
I say this not only as a writer and journalist who believes strongly in a free press. This is more than taking a highly principled stand.
I say this as a gay, disabled man who fights everyday to get out and be an active, visible part of society. I want a man to be able to wear a hat with a Confederate flag on it, because I want to be able to go around in my bright, gay-pride rainbow tie-dyed overalls and with rainbow laces in my shoes.
I say this, because I want to be free to say that these people are - or act like (I’m a Quaker who sees God in everyone, remember) - sick, evil, twisted, stupid, heinous assholes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You are so right on John. The last thing you want to do is deny the right to free speech. The Justices should consider the fact the power and winds of change will permit gay authority and in doing so, limit the capability to say what will dictate their veiws if gay people are not allowed to say what is the opinion of the topic. Put as an example a gay leader who obviously spent the duration of life under a discriminatory microscope and disallowed fellow citizens to say they were wrong? Then what is to stop the next gay speaker to not be able to say heterosexuality is a misguided attempt to embark on a religious fanatic rant to justify the term relations of men in the bible as being an abomination? Quite frankly it is nobody's business who I appreciate as a partner and I would like for society to get off the band wagon of who is intimate with who? Our culture seems to deviate one way or another and I suppose asserting your business where it doesn't belong is one of our major sicknesses to degenerate our beliefs there is only one truth. My God. Does He want to know if I sin or does he want me to have a healthy life to lead more to Him, I ask in all seriousness? Quite literally we need to open up to differences, and let the truth not be of turning into a pillar of salt but to show pleasure for who we are and not what we do to faithfullly honor the religion of our choosing.
ReplyDelete