Fight Hate with Humor- Michael Moore Vs Westboro Baptist Church

A group of hackers calling themselves "Anonymous" crashed the website of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS. The church and its leader, Fred Phelps, travel to funerals of gay men, lesbians and soldiers killed in the line of duty brandishing signs spewing messages that "God Hates Fags", "Thank God for dead soldiers" and other phrases targeting ethnic and religious groups. The attack on the church's website came after recieving a warning from Anonymous to stop the public protests. Westboro Baptist Church's answer back was "bring it". So they did! The church's website, godhatesfags.com is currently unavailable. Their actions could be considered a form of technological terrorism, but which is the worse crime? What Anonymous did or what the church group is doing?

Phelps, a former civil rights attorney who was disbarred in 1979 by the Kansas Supreme Court for violating professional ethics in a case against a court reporter, does not only target homosexuals but also Catholics, Jews, Protestants and the military.

American filmmaker Michael Moore, who filmed documentaries "Bowling for Columbine", "Sicko", and "Farenheit:911" assembled a group of homosexual men willing to travel around in a big pink bus labeled "The Sodomy Bus" to visit Topeka Kansas, home of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) and Rev. Phelps. Kansas still has an old law on the books making sodomy and homosexuality a crime. Oddly, this law does not apply to male and female but same-sex individuals. One person that Mr. Moore interviewed for his television show "The Awful Truth" featuring the story on Rev. Phelps and the WBC admitted he was arrested for agreeing to sex when approached by an undercover police officer. Laws meant to protect children are being used to persecute consenting homosexual adults.

A video taken from the television segment on the Awful Truth featuring the "Sodomy Bus" can be seen here. It is called Michael Moore vs the Westboro Baptist Church. Mr. Moore's tactic of using humor seems quite effective at getting rid of Rev. Phelps and his protesters. The big pink bus followed the reverend and his group to several sights where they were picketing. As soon as the pink bus pulled up, the picketers would pack up and leave.

Reverend Phelps and his group planned to picket a stage production of "The Laramie Project" in the UK but was banned from entering the country. Police were on site in case any protesters showed up to the production being held at Queen Mary's College in Basingstoke. The UK Border Agency opposes what it calls "extremism in all its forms". The exclusion policy targets anyone seeking to cause tension and promote hatred and violence regardless of their beliefs.

Free speech is the right of every American citizen, but when that freedom is being used to target and harass ethnic groups and minorities, what does the law say about that? The law says you can sue them for damages. The WBC was sued for $10 million dollars by the father of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder who died in an accident in Irag on March 3rd of 2006. The court awarded Albert Snyder, Matthew's father, the sum of $5 million dollars for damages caused by emotional distress.

The judge in the case called Rev. Phelps and his daughter Shirley Phelps-Roper " distasteful and repugnant". Groups like this foster hate and give true religious groups a bad name. Maybe the best way to fight hate and violence is to hit them where they live....in the pocketbook.

Resource:
BBC News Technology: Westboro Baptist Church Targeted by "Anonymous"
Anti-Defamation League: Extremism in America
Kansas Sodomy Laws
NYDaily News:Westboro Baptist Church fights for right to protest soldier funerals before Supreme Court
BBC News Channel: Anti-Gay Preachers Banned from UK