From Kansas with Hate! Fred Phelps Its Most Famous Son?

He slithers across Kansas and through Missouri and into Illinois. Like some god awful scene out of a horror movie he and his sick group of church members picket and shout and scream at the services of those recently dead. The dead have done nothing to him. They simply had the misfortune of dying in the wrong place, according to this preacher -- be it a store or a university campus.

His church is the Church of Hate, the Westboro Baptist Church, Topeka, Kansas.

He and his filthy congregation have made a habit of traveling across the country to disrupt the solemn services of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. He does so because he disagrees with the Army's policy on homosexuals. Or so he says. He wants attention. Media attention. He needs the attention of outraged citizens, instead.

Lately, Fred Phelps, pastor of the Church of Hate, has been branching out. He and his chanting vultures have been appearing at high profile services to further spread his message of hate. Recently, a few of his nasty birds found their way to two of the victims of the Lane Bryant killings in Tinley Park, Illinois. Not to be kept home, he has vowed to be at the services of two of the Northern Illinois University victims.

I went to one of the services this morning. I didn't see any of them, but that does not mean they didn't show up later. Having to work, I can't be there on my own all the time. I hope others went to counteract this filthy man and his flock.

For fallen soldiers this is an organization that buffers the families from these disgusting humans. For civilians there is nothing.

There needs to be laws to restrict the distance that these protesters can come to funeral services. Feel free to protest, yes, but out of listening rage of the grieving survivors.

Because they come all the way from Kansas to disrupt things, I firmly believe we all should let the state of Kansas know we don't appreciate it. Is this the best that Kansas can do, export these haters and disruptors? Any time we can, we should have signs that tell Kansas to keep their hate at home. Any articles posted or printed should be sent to the Governor of Kansas, as well as the State's Tourism Bureau and the city of Topeka's Convention and Tourism Bureau.

There aren't many reasons to go to Kansas. It's flat, and it's known only for a story about a girl and a dog who had the good sense to try to get out for awhile, even if it took a tornado to do it.

Fred Phelps and the Wesboro Baptist Church are two real big reasons never to visit Kansas.

Kansas could improve it's image by getting a tornado of any sort to come in and sweep Phelps and his ilk into the wind.