God Hates Idiots More...

Sheesh, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I guess I just haven't been mad enough about anything. Until now.

So, we probably all know that the "God Hates Fags" crowd from the Westboro Baptist Church of Fucking Idiots, run by chief dipshit Fred Phelps, have been protesting at the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq. See, it's their belief that every soldier who is killed in Iraq is being punished by God herself for defending a country that is so pro-gay. You know, objectively pro-gay because of all that... uh, pro-gay legislation... like... um... well, I'm sure I'll think of something eventually.

So, this is not even what I'm mad about. I mean, I am MAD about it obviously. It's ludicrous to protest at the funeral of a soldier and say things like "Thank God for IEDs" and disgusting, reprehensible shit like that. What I'm mad about is this:

Stopping protests like those that marred two Michigan military funerals last week has become a fast-track issue for politicians motivated by a flood of public outrage and angry telephone calls.

State Rep. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan, said she has introduced a bill that would ban intentional loud noises, threatening gestures and other intentional disruptions within 500 feet of a funeral ceremony. Rep. John Gleason, D-Flushing, said he has joined Emmons in the effort. Other state lawmakers have said they plan similar legislation.

[snip]

Similar bills have been passed or considered in several other states. U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, plans a bill on the subject in Congress.

So, this is good, right? Stops these idiots from protesting soldiers' funerals, right? Yeah! But here's my problem:

Where the hell was this legislation when these ignorant, backwoods retards were protesting Matthew Shepherd's funeral? Or the scores of funerals of AIDS victims they've picketed?

I guess picketing a funeral is only a problem if the deceased is non-gay. If he or she is gay, then I guess anything goes, protest away! Lest you think this new legislation will cast a wide net and prevent people from protesting at funerals for gay Americans as well as soldiers:

Fourteen years after Fred Phelps began picketing funerals, federal legislators, including Michigan Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, have introduced bills that would make such protests a felony.

At least, some of them.

[snip]

Rogers said this week he plans to introduce a bill that would prohibit protests at national cemeteries for an hour before or after a service, and require protesters be 500 feet from the gravesite.

Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., announced Wednesday that he's introducing the "Dignity for Military Funerals Act," which would prohibit protests at funerals of those who died while on active duty in the military. The protesters would be barred from an hour before to an hour after the service, and have to be 300 feet from the funeral.

So, unless the deceased gay person happens to be a soldier, or is getting buried in a national cemetery, their funeral is fair game for protest.

Can't we all agree that if protesting at the funerals of ONE group of people is wrong, then it's wrong to protest at the funerals of ALL people? Are we really that ignorant, really that stupid and hypocritical? Are we really willing to say as a country that soldiers are more American, more human, more deserving of respect than gay people, who, it should be noted, are also American, human, and deserving of respect? Apparently, our elected officials don't really think so. Boy, that's some pro-gay country we've got there.

I firmly believe that in twenty years, all decent Americans will look back on these days with the same shame and regret that decent Americans now feel when they look back on the pre-civil rights era. They'll see the bigotry and the ignorance and the flat-out inhumanity that was so brazenly flaunted by their leaders and themselves, and they'll be embarrassed.

And they goddam well should be.