After a somewhat extensive hiatus on behalf of Fred Phelps (the current frontman and founder of the WBC), the recent assassination attempt by Jared Loughner targeted towards Democratic Representative Gabrielle Giffords has prompted his return to the spotlight.
This entry stands out not only because it touches upon an incredibly sensitive issue for many of us here in the States, but because it is also a highlight to the sloppiness in research and lack of attention to detail which are deplorable characteristics of anyone who just so happens to work as an attorney. Ironically, for those of you who are unaware, the majority of the Phelps family (that is to say, most of Fred's children) are practicing attorneys. The sheer shamelessness of this video does not attest only to the fact that the Phelps are willing to push the envelope in their hate speech, they are also hasty to make conclusions and judgements based on very little documentation and even outright rumors. Examine this for yourself. I have taken it upon myself to collect some factual details correcting Fred's erroneous assessment:
Reports of Fred Phelps' ailing health surely brought assurance that the old man (age 81 to date) was on his way to kicking the bucket. But it turns out that Fred seems to be back in his typical routine, doing his little "dog and pony" show, and demonstrating his level of sophisticated and indepth research. Case in point:
In this video, Fred Phelps immediately opens up with the phrase "Afghan veteran" in regards to the Tuscon assailant, Jared Loughner. Of course, the idea here is to create feelings of unease and insecurity because God is inflicting his punishment on us as a nation by sending veterans to kill innocent civilians and fellow citizens.
If there was ever any indication based solely on evidence that the Phelps were nuts, well, this would be it. What the Phelps apparently don't know is that Jared Loughner was rumored to have veteran status and to have served in Afghanistan, but the truth of the matter is that Loughner was denied from enlisting in the Army, period. That makes the whole point of "God is sending military veterans back in your face because you have persecuted us" moot and laughable.
And what the Phelps also probably don't realize is that this man is absolutely cookoo for cocoa puffs. Law enforcement later did a search of his house and came across a backyard shrine featuring a replica of a human skull surrounded by torched oranges and marijuana bags. Seems more like he was interested in voodoo rituals than being a pariticpant on behalf of God's work, eh Westboro Baptist Church?
Let's be honest here: Even the Phelps would probably find this type of stuff pretty creepy and alienating. You'd think that if they were really good researchers and were interested in the truth (and in this particular case, they don't seem to be all that interested) they probably never would have made a video about this in the first place. It's quite simply a political mechanism for scaring the living daylights out of the rest of us and providing reassurance to some seriously mentally ill beliefs.
Now Fred, if it was so easy for you to screw up on this one, what else might you and your congregation be wrong about?
Oh and of course, let's not forget: Kevin Smith is about to release his latest film loosely (but unmistakeably) based on the Phelps in the upcoming project titled "Red State". Here's the teaser. The film is slated for an anticipated release this upcoming October:
