Westboro to picket at slain teens’ service

**Toad** · February 2nd, 2011, 16:23

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/20...ervice-020211/

Westboro to picket at slain teens’ service

By Beau Zimmer - WTSP-TV, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
Posted : Wednesday Feb 2, 2011 10:00:58 EST

TAMPA — A controversial religious group plans to picket the memorial service for two Tampa teens whose mother is accused of killing them.
Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., is known for picketing the funerals of U.S. military men and women, saying the deaths are retribution from God for condoning homosexuality.

"Murderous mother kills rebellious children while father is off playing bloody war games, fighting for same-sex marriage. GOD SMACK!" the group posted on its website.

Beau Schenecker, 13, and his sister Calyx Schenecker, 16, were found dead Friday, their mother in the back yard covered with blood.
Julie Schenecker, 50, wife of Army Col. Parker Schenecker, is charged with killing her children, shooting each with a handgun she had purchased less than a week earlier, according to police. Her husband has been stationed in Qatar and she is accused of killing the teens because they were "mouthy" and misbehaving.

Police believe they were shot the previous day.
A group that opposes Westboro church's mission, the Florida West Coast Riders, say they also will be in attendance at Wednesday's memorial service and plan to use American flags to help shield family and friends of the victims from the potentially hurtful messages.

"It doesn't matter to them at all. They get out there with their bull horns and their nasty signs and they get attention," says Thomas Brown of the Florida West Coast Riders. "They're all about being offensive."

Julie Schenecker is now in a Hillsborough County jail, held without bond.
A funeral for the teens is planned later this week.

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*** This shit needs to end, Westboro idiots or anyone else. I fully support 1st Amendment rights to speak your mind, but this is beyond ridiculous. It's a funeral. Someone died, family and friends are grieving and saying goodbye. It is no place for social or political grandstanding and protesting. Have some basic freaking respect. ~Toad

**American Patriot** · February 2nd, 2011, 16:30

Someone needs to go picket the Westboro "church".

**Malsua** · February 2nd, 2011, 16:48

I wish someone would drop the whole clan on a picket fence from 100 feet or so.

**Ryan Ruck** · February 2nd, 2011, 16:54

As I've said before, the law needs to allow these folks to get what is coming to them via the "fighting words" doctrine.

Another thought I've had is that wherever these folks protest, the police need to send them a bill for the cost of having to provide them police protection since they are using their freedom of speech to knowingly create a violent atmosphere and requiring the use of police resources to keep the peace. They'll either end up paying up and broke or, getting the shit kicked out of them because the police won't be at their protests. The problem would work itself out pretty quick.

**RememberCuba94** · February 2nd, 2011, 20:01

What is wrong with these people?

**Toad** · February 2nd, 2011, 20:06

Ryan - I've always said that the 1st Amendment gives you the right to freedom of speech. It does not however give you freedom from the consiquences of that speech.

I take solice in the hope that one day they show up at the wrong funeral and get a big giant can of whoop-ass unloaded on them, and the Nation will cheer.

I also look forward to Fred Phelps one day dying and the largest funeral protest ever recorded in the USA takes place at his funeral, followed by a kegger.

**American Patriot** · February 2nd, 2011, 20:09

I'm waiting for them to show up at a "redneck" funeral. If they'd have shown up at ANYONE'S funeral in MY family, they'd have gotten that can of whoop assed opened up pretty quickly.

**Toad** · February 2nd, 2011, 20:15

Is limiting where you say something a violation of the 1st amendment? It's not limiting what you say, rather, where you say it. You can still have your soapbox at the town square, just not the town cemetary. I wonder what the courts would say to that.

**American Patriot** · February 2nd, 2011, 20:41

Actually the First Amendment covers Congress. It doesn't give people a right to show up and disrupt funerals, in general. Read this and see if you see what I am seeing:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Basically, the First Amendment says the GOVERNMENT can NOT make ANY laws about religion (either prohibiting or establishment). The GOVERNMENT can NOT abridge the freedom of speech, the press or the people to PEACEABLY assemble. Nor shall the GOVERNMENT make any laws concering the right of people to redress of grievances (A fair hearing of complaints).

No where in there does it give any "religious group" the right to protest at funerals, or give them the right to go and incite violence. No where does this give those being attacked by such speech an order NOT to defend themselves.

So - the Westboro Church really doesn't have a RIGHT to do this. Especially when asked NOT to do so.

It's one thing to protest the government via "Freedom of Speech" (since that's what this grants us) - but it is wholly another to protest a little child's funeral.

**Toad** · March 20th, 2014, 18:54

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/us/wes...-founder-dead/

Westboro church founder Fred Phelps dies

By Daniel Burke, CNN

(CNN) -- Fred Phelps -- the founding pastor of a Kansas church known for its virulently anti-gay protests at public events, including military funerals -- has died, the church said Thursday.

The 84-year-old died of natural causes at 11:15 p.m. Wednesday, according to church spokesman Steve Drain.

Phelps founded Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, in 1955 and molded it in his fire-and-brimstone image. Many members of the small congregation are related to Phelps through blood or marriage.

In a statement Thursday, the church chided the "world-wide media" for "gleefully anticipating the death."
(More at link.)

Toad ~ Hyprocrites. Turn a fallen soldiers funeral into a circus, but get upset about people reveling in the death of this hate monger. Good riddence.

**American Patriot** · March 20th, 2014, 19:07

I thought I read this asshat died some months ago and it was kept a secret from the public until after his funeral or something. Maybe that was just one of those urban legends?