According to an article in the Wednesday (March 15) Post-Gazette, several state legislators have decided to attempt to ban a notorius gay basher--Fred Phelps--from protesting at the funerals of fallen soldiers. Putting aside for a minute the First Amendment issues this ban would involve, I find this incredibly hypocritical. As perhaps some of you may know, Fred Phelps and his merry band of bigots has been protesting at funerals for aids victims, homosexuals, and several years ago, even paid a visit to Pittsburgh to protest at the funeral of--Fred Rogers-- of all people. And, apparently that did not offend the sensibilities of Senators John Pippy, Bob Regola and Jennifer Mann, the sponsors of this proposed legislation. I have a suggestion. Instead of banning Fred Phelps' free speech rights, however despicable his speech may be, how about if these senators do something constructive and GASP Christian. How about Senators Pippy, Regola and Mann make a statement that everyone--regardless of who they are--deserves to be remembered and mourned in a respectful and reverant manner.
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Has Fred Phelps finally gone too far in Pennsylvania?
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Re: Has Fred Phelps finally gone too far in Pennsylvania?
Part of Friday's post, "Deb 5: We all Fall Down" that talks about a preparatory march for "Washington For Jesus" in Washington D.C. in 1980. The Religious Right at that time spoke of wanting to lock up and exterminate those gays and lesbians who would not reform.
I think they learned very quickly that it wasn't useful to talk publicly about such goals. Someone was even fired from the Moral Majority after a supposedly private meeting's contents were made public and this agenda revealed. I've got the sneaky suspicion that they're following L. Ron Hubbard's advice to keep quiet about parts of the agenda until they are in a position to legally say what is "right or wrong." Not everyone in the Religious Right is that way, but there are a frightening number, I suspect, who agree with Fred Phelps' opinion of gays but wish he'd keep his mouth shut until the courts are packed. They only decided to do something about Phelps when their own ox was being gored. |
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