Westboro Baptist Church Meets Odd Opposition: The KKK

Is the world getting stranger by the day, or what? The latest group to stand up to the Westboro Baptist Church and their "Thank God for dead soldiers" message, is none other than the Ku Klux Klan, themselves. This might be funny, were it not so painful for us as a nation. (The Ku Klux Klan? And here I thought they were as extinct as Fred Phelps' law practice.)

According to a report from CNN, WBC members were demonstrating just a few hours before President Barack Obama was to lead the nation's Memorial Day services outside of Arlington National Cemetery. Amongst those voicing opposition to the message of Westboro Baptist Church was a small group of approximately 10 people who identified themselves as being members of the Klan - specifically the Knights of the Southern Cross out of Virginia - led by Dennis LaBonte. LaBonte goes by the title of "Imperial Wizard." (Do we cue The Imperial March, or the theme song to Harry Potter? I'm confused now.)

Relax. The Ku Klux Klan was only one small part of the counter-protestors defying the Westboro Baptist Church. Others joined in the attempt to shout WBC members down, about 70 in all, and separate from the small group of Klansmen. While Westboro tried to make their case, the KKK handed out American flags under a "POW-MIA" banner. LaBonte made the statement that "It's the soldier that fought and died and gave them that right to free speech." Who knew there would ever be a group which might almost make the Ku Klux Klan sound reasonable, as unreasonable as racism is?

On an even stranger note, members of the KKK, along with other protesters, were thanked verbally by attendees of the service as they entered on foot and by vehicle. Is it possible that a group like the Ku Klux Klan, after decades of terrorizing society for nothing more than skin color might be growing up a little? More likely, this is probably just a case of coming to realize theirs is not a solid case, and that no particular ethnicity is superior to another.

In spite of their disagreement with Westboro Baptist Church members, the Ku Klux Klan is still silly. While LaBonte states he is not racist, nor a hatemonger, he does attest "the white race is slowly and most assuredly being denigrated." A more civil message could be, and more likely is, just a matter of adjusting the message to the listening market.

It turns out the very idea of racism is so ridiculous, even members of the Ku Klux Klan themselves are distancing themselves from hard-core racism. But readers must at least concede one point, members of the Westboro Baptist Church are exploiting the very freedoms afforded them, by the nation they hate so passionately.

Thankfully, science successfully mapped out the human genome years ago. In doing so, researchers are now able to prove that, on a genetic level, we're all the same creature. We're all human beings with little more than cosmetic differences. As long as there is an otherwise successful blood-type match, an Asian heart could save a Caucasian life. And regardless of blood-types, people from different races can interbreed and produce genetically viable offspring. So, while the Ku Klux Klan still has much growing up to do, at least they finally tried to do one thing decent. It's about time.

Now, as to the membership of the Westboro Baptist Church: You should all thank those dead American soldiers for the very freedoms you all wish to abuse so viciously and cruelly, in your attempt to advance those delusions you all hold so dear.