I know for the last few months I’ve written an awful lot on UGA football, but today I just felt like putting my feelings down about something that’s consuming my town at the moment.
In case you’re not familiar, I live in Greenville, SC and have since middle school. Four of the seven college students who died tragically in last week’s fire on Ocean Isle beach were from Greenville - three were students at USC, one was a student at Clemson. Just last month another USC student from Greenville died after falling out of his dorm window. That makes five kids under the age of twenty who’ve passed away in a month - most all of them went to the same high school as well.
I personally know two of the families who lost a child. And several families who were close to those that passed. It’s still hard for me to wrap my little brain around how profoundly this loss of precious life will affect my community for years to come. And it’s near impossible for me to fully comprehend the depth of loss for the families and loved ones of these great kids.
Memorial services and funerals started at the end of last week and are continuing today. There is just a feeling of tremendous grief and sadness in my town right now. It’s all anyone talks about. It’s just so hard to fathom. My hope and prayer initially was that the services of rememberance would allow a process of healing to begin. If nothing else, I’ve just prayed that God would bless these families with a peace that passes all understanding and comfort them in the days to come. I had no idea just how important that prayer would become until today.
Between classes this morning I decided to run a few errands. I listen to local talk radio and they were again discussing this morning the Ocean Isle beach fire. I had to pull my car over when I heard them mention that the cult from Westboro Baptist Church were here to protest the funerals. I’m still stunned and crying as I type this.
I’m sure you know who these hateful people are. They’ve been protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers for years now. They decend upon towns across America, bringing their vile signs and shouting with such venom, it absolutely astounds me that they associate themselves with the Word of God. Now they’ve come to my town. They’ve come to harrass these families in the most vulgar way and at their most desperate hour to further ther own depraved agenda.
If you’ve ever heard a recording or seen footage of these people in action from news clips, it can nearly bring you to your knees in horror or send you over the edge in anger. My emotions today have already run the gamut. When I heard the Westboro cult had invaded my community, I texted a close friend. His reply sums up my feelings quite simply…”Some people are just plain worthless.” Amen.
First, let me make it abundantly clear that these people are not affiliated with the Baptist church in any way, shape, or form. Period. They are independant from any and all Baptist conventions and associations worldwide. I am a Baptist and find their abuse of my denomination’s name absolutely perverse. Second, the members/congregants of this so-called church are made up intirely from one family - the Phelps family of Kansas. Thank God they’ve yet to gain ground and recruit new members. Third, this group is dangerous on so many levels, but especially because they are well-versed and educated in constitutional law. Eleven children of the patriarch & founder of this hate group, Fred Phelps, are licensed and practicing attorneys. They each know very well how to maneuver and circumnavigate First Ammendment law and precedent. I think that fact alone concerns me more than any others, quite honestly.
They’ve exploited their First Ammendment rights to free speech & freedom of religion for years, but are monitored closesly by the Anti-Defamation League. And they are currently classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Yet still they’ve been allowed to torment the families of fallen soldiers, gay/lesbian individuals, Catholics, Muslims, and Jews during bereavement services.
Fortunately, the American justice system prevailed last week in limiting the First Ammendment rights of the WBC. On Friday a federal jury in Baltimore, Maryland issued an $10.9 million dollar civil judgment against the WBC, ruling their speech was too vulgar and offensive - therefore not protected by the First Ammendment. The verdict comes in the case filed by Albert Snyder after his son Matthew’s funeral was picketed by the WBC. Lance Cpl Matthew Snyder died March 3, 2006 while serving our country in Iraq.
As expected, the WBC plans to fight this judgment on appeal. The Snyder Family may never see a penny of that verdict, but this case was never about the money. It was about setting legal precedent for other grieving families.
“I hope this is enough to deter them from doing this to other families,” said Snyder. “All I kept thinking about was my son Matt and all the other parents who went through it — this will set a precedence.”
As a matter of fact, the WBC is expected to answer charges including flag mutilation, disturbing the peace, and negligent child abuse in a Nebraska court later this week.
I’m not naive enough to think these verdicts and future charges will deter the Phelps family in the least. I do pray however that more communities will exercise this new precedent as a way to enforce & protect our rights to peaceful assembly.
Today though, I’m praying specifically for God to silence this family and prevent them from hurting already devastated families.
*************************************************************************************
Note: I included a link above on the Westboro cult so that you can educate yourself about their history. Notice that I chose the wikipedia page. Their own url includes the word hate and a prejudicial slur that I refuse to support. I’ve never visited their site and don’t ever intend to.
