The Eagle’s Fred Mann certainly stirred up readers with his compelling Sunday profile of Fred Phelps, the 76-year-old disbarred lawyer behind the Westboro Baptist Church’s protests of funerals of U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. At least 27 states, including Kansas, have passed or pursued laws aimed at limiting the Phelps clan’s protests, so this infamous Kansan is more newsworthy than ever right now. Interesting tidbits: that Phelps’ anti-gay crusade started because he couldn’t get Topeka officials to stop homosexual activity in Gage Park, and that the clan spends a quarter-million dollars on airfares each year. If the story fell short of explaining exactly why Phelps thinks U.S. troop deaths are God’s deserved payback to America for tolerating homosexuality, perhaps it’s because such thinking is inexplicable.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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85 Comments
Gosh, does anyone else hear the WE being just a tad defensive? Perhaps, maybe even whiney? We didnt appreciate your recycling enough? Sorry…
Phelps might be news but he is OLD NEWS in ks. Sorry if we made the mistake of expecting NEW information in the WE. Some people actually think you are a NEWSpaper, not a rerun channel.
I think you confused lurid sensationalism with actual news. The former might sell a few papers, but it is the latter that will get you respect. We see which choice you made. Not a great way to start off under new ownership.
So…anything NEW on the phelps that hasnt been printed a thousand times before? Or would that actually require reporting?
Hey, I hear I-70 is complete all the way across kansas!
I mean, if you are gonna recycle old news, dress it up and call it journalism, maybe you can recycle THAT old story from the 60’s. It would have about as much news value as the phelps story.
Sometimes the best thing to do is to just let a brushfire burn itself out! :)
V.L.R.B!!
Kansas… as news starved as you think!
Arent you supposed to explain the unexplainable. Isnt that what journalists and writers are supposed to do? I mean, if you cant explain things WE dont understand, your only value is entertainment.
Like the National Enquirer is entertainment. What’s next? Elvis’ baby resides in the phelps compound?
BOOOOGGGGEEERRRRRR!
Ian, thanks for reminding me that by responding to these pseudo-journalists, I am playing into their hands and giving them more “air time”. Just like they did with the phelps.
Thanks dude for reminding me!
Note to self, never again tear a page out of the bush play book, especially one that says “blaming the media is good.”
This old newsie thinks the story was way overedited, and methinks the lawyers got their gutless little mitts on it.
Heheh git, I am an old newsie too, and I think that is why shoddy journalism makes me so angry.
My old editor would have sent me packing if I tried to pawn that story off on him.
I would have been making coffee and writing chicken dinner news as punishment. For a VERY long time!
I agree madder – I have seen some stuff on the net about Pharisee Phred’s family that should have been included.
Seeing his ugly face on the front page of the paper made me almost lose my breakfast.
Why not show something more appealing…like autopsy photos or something..
Fred Phelps seems to think he’s voice of God! In the old days, blasphemy was punishable by death. Too bad he had to be alive today eh?
Phelps is NOT news. He does the same thing over and over again.
This is dog bites man.
The Peace Center had 150 people out in the rain on the 3rd anniversary of the Iraq War for Oil and Imperial Dreams, and the news paper didn’t deign to cover it.
They should really figure out what is news around here.
With Phelps, the dark underbelly I’ve heard is that he used to engage in anonymous gay sex at truckstops. If so, maybe the crusade started when his feelings were hurt that nobody at the Gage Park would hook up with him.
Is it true? Who knows. But it’s more psychologically plausible than anything the Eagle ran in their puff piece. Phelps’ level of hatred didn’t come out of nowhere. Sounds like projection to me.
Hey, how I get my kicks and how I DO my daughters is none of your damn business! All you sodomites will burn in hell!
I’ll save ya a seat fred, right next to joe and terry and pat.
You four horsemen of hate and your supporters can actually have your own reserved VIP section in hell.
Velvet rope anyone?
Great of you to drop in, FRED.
Tomorrow’s headlines in the Eagle:
Pennsylvania Scientist Harnesses Power of Lightening with Kite!!
Germany Invades Poland!!
Sea Parts as Refugees Escape Egypt!!
Fred Phelps Leads Protests Against Homosexuals!!
Daughter Marge treats us to her enlightened words on the Editorial page today.
What kind of bile was she fed all her formative years I gotta wonder.
Funny Steve!!
Yeah JR, I read margie’s words of wisdom too. Sounds like she could be bonbon’s running mate in the governor’s race.
Except susan already has the wingnut vote locked up! Sigh. Maybe in four more years we will see the Huy/Phelps ticket.
BWHAHAHAHA!
I dont think it was bile she was fed, I think it was a literal interpretation of the bible! heheh.
Couldnt resist. Pitch another softball JR…..
“I’ll save ya a seat fred, right next to joe and terry and pat”.
“You four horsemen of hate and your supporters can actually have your own reserved VIP section in hell.”
kfg: I think your pet phrase needs to be challenged. Four horseman of hate? It’s not fair to include Fox, Wright and Robertson in with Phelps. Their stance on gay marriage may upset you, but that does not make them “haters”. You may want to look inwardly.
“Their stance on gay marriage may upset you, but that does not make them ‘haters’. You may want to look inwardly.
Out,Disagree.
Your advice is good, however – I suggest you take it.
Out doesn’t need to look inwardly. He needs to look out…. worldly, to see beyond his own take on things.
That list looks good to me. Might wanna add Jerry to it. Or are we just talking regional horsemen?
BREAKING AS I POST
Fred and group will picket Walter Reed hospital tomorrow, with signs as to maimed soldiers!!!!
Despicable.
These people are very desperately seeking violence. Sooner or later they are gonna get it.
They hate it when you outspin ‘em, dont they?
Not that the four horsemen of hate, fred, terry, joe and pat (for those of you who missed it) EVER take the facts for a loose spin.
Heheh. Bring it on. Spinwars, coming to a theatre near you!
I sure hope someone from the media quotes the WE and makes sure EVERYONE across the nation knows he is from kansas…
Not the land of ahhhhs. The land of wingnuttia.
JR,I believe you are correct in your prescription. Could Out bill that to insurance?
Speaking of . . . something unrelated:
JR, XXX & KFG -Purple Chickens disguised as JayHawks cross the road during Mesozoic era. (Sorry, don’t have Rage’s talent).
heheh. I think we have fossils here in western kansas to prove those jaywalking purple chickens were here more than 6000 years ago!!
Viva la purple chickens!
kfg: You condemn the “four horseman of hate and their supporters”, presumably including the church members at Central Christian and Immanuel Baptist to “your own reserved VIP section in hell”. And then accuse others of being haters?
What is your point outlander?
My views on the rulers and subjects of Wingnuttia are well known. Would you like me to repeat them here?
I despise the four horsemen of hate (fred, terry, joe and pat in case you missed it) and make no secret about it.
I have no affection for the seventy percent of kansans who support them. Including their financial supporters.
However, I am not using my hate as an excuse to pass legislation. Of any kind.
And you?
heheh. Anyone wanna guess where outlander goes to church?
Or how he voted on the hate amendment?
WWSS? What would Shakespeare say?
“Me thinks he doth protest too much”
Hate is a destructive emotion kfg. We would be wise to avoid it at all cost.
Out, KFG isn’t “accusing” anyone of being a hater. She’s merely pointing out a fact.
“However, I am not using my hate as an excuse to pass legislation. Of any kind.
And you?”
I’d love an answer outlander.
I think kfg has a good point. I, for one, cannot imagine why a person is (or is not) gay. However, that is not really my problem and I see no reason to pass legislation penalizing them. It is THAT step that was taken with the so-called “marriage amendment”.
I find it interesting that Terry and Joe seem to have no problem with divorce, which is a MUCH bigger threat to marriage. I don’t see them pushing for an amendment prohibiting divorced people from getting married.
As for basing laws in Scripture I have seen them pushing for a ban on shellfish or cheeseburgers. Or to legislate that PI equals 3 (3 Kings 7:23)
kfg: I feel no hatred.
typo – left out “NOT” in next to last sentence
KFG
You mustn’t think that 70% of Kansans are as bad as the 4 horsemen.
I know the marriage amendment shook out that way but you have to remember that it was not done during a major election. Even if it were a lot of people stupidly don’t vote at all.
Also those that did vote largely did so in ignorance.And fear. Not a good thing.
Big religion had way bigger guns and deeper pockets…..even from outta state……then the other side.
I am not excusing Kansas or Kansans. I know the majority IS wrong. But I don’t think 70% would totally embrace Joe or Terry.
At least I hope not.
I don’t think even a fraction of a percent would embrace Phelps.
“kfg: I feel no hatred.”
Alexathymia, anyone?
KFG,JR has a point. I worked the polls that day. I think well meaning – but ignorant – Kansans voted for that ammendmant. Doesn’t excuse them, but I want to believe that very few were motivated by hatred.
Phelps is the epitome of “fringe” and he feeds off of the righteous indignation that others show towards him.
Viva La Raza Blanco!!!
Or,thinking about it again. It is quite possible that what motivated them was poorly recognized hatred, fear and loathing. The foregoing may be the scariest kinds.
“Phelps is the epitome of “fringe” and he feeds off of the righteous indignation that others show towards him.”
Fred Phelps, borrowing the lyrics from and Eric Clapton song, sings to Ian:
“Before you accuse me, you’d better take a look at yourself.”
“But I don’t think 70% would totally embrace Joe or Terry.”
No JR, it was 75% here and almost 80% in other areas :)
DD, JR, I know you are right that 70% of kansans dont “hate” gay people. But I do think Rage was also right that they differ from the four horsemen of hate only by degree.
It will take decades to undo that damage in kansas. If we ever reach the point of wanting to undo it.
Things are the way they are in ks because that is how a majority of voters want them that way. Bottom line. No one is to blame for the yahoos who run this state except for the voters who elect them.
dd: If you’re going to show off using big words, you should spell them right. Otherwise, people might think you don’t know what you’re talking about!
Ian, you are also correct.
DD, I agree. I can take a straight up and out front hater much better than the covert and self deluding ones.
I can defend myself from the first. The latter? I’ll never hear a thing until the blade slices my throat!
I have to side with Outlander a little on this one.There are no words to accurately display my contempt for that collection of body cells that passes for Pharisee Phred.HOWEVER Joe, and Terry (don’t know Pat so I’m not gonna comment on him) don’t picket funerals and hospitals and preach hate and how this is God’s punishment for a pipe bomb. They “hate the sin love the sinner”. They are just preaching their interpretation of what the bible says about homosexuality. (Be it right, wrong or indifferent) It is easy to avoid their churches and talk shows, don’t go in the building or change the channel. With Pharisee Phred, his minions are so confrontational and in your face it’s hard to avoid them if they are in the area.
“Fred”,
Pat Buchanan garnered more than three million votes in 2000 and the far right is the fastet growing political force in Europe. White Nationalism is not on the fringe at all!
Viva La Revolucion Blanco!!
Julie, with all due respect:
” It is easy to avoid their churches and talk shows, don’t go in the building or change the channel.”
No dear. I can avoid their dens but I cant avoid them or the damage they have done to our state.
They and their supporters successfully perverted the kansas constitution and made it legal for bigots to hurt me and people I love in a very real and tangible way.
I cant avoid them or the effects of their bigotry. It is in my face everyday.
I have said here a thousand times I dont care what they do in their churches. I do care very much when they enter ceasar’s domain to deny me and my partner the ability to make our love a legal relationship.
Trust me julie. You can avoid the effects of fred way easier than I can avoid the effects of joe and terry and their followers.
As for pat? He has no effect on my life at all… other than being a role model for all those hate the sin but not the sinner (heavy sarcasm) voters out there. Those are the ones that differ from fred only by degree.
Fred Phelps to America:
Jesus hates you.
Christians to America:
Jesus loves you, even if ya’ll are f*cked up sinners.
I hate hate when people hijack religion to promote their own personal worldview.
Fred Phelps may be laughing all the way to the bank.
Tax-Free.
OMG! Check my pulse! Check my temperature! Oh my heart, it’s a big one!I actually agree with CruX.Mark it on the calendar. I don’t think it’s gonna happen again.
“dd: If you’re going to show off using big words, you should spell them right. Otherwise, people might think you don’t know what you’re talking about!”
Outlander,Try googling my spelling. You should research first, attack second. I understand that this might be a two-step process that will be difficult for you to understand, but it is not too late for you to develop good habits. Cheers.
Hate it when I get busted like that. My apologies Ian. But you have to admit the earlier post was a good use of that song.
This just in from the evil bloggers over at C & L:
The one thing you can always say about Feingold is that he let’s you know how he feels. No matter if you agree with him or not. I agree with him as usual:
“Gay and lesbian people in our country are fighting a mean-spirited movement to harm them and to discriminate against them,” Feingold, D-Wis., said in a telephone interview. “I stand with them against that movement, and I’m proud to stand with them.”
And from the moral values crowd?
A standing ovation for tom delay!
And… ANOTHER official at the dept of homeland insecurity nabbed in the kiddie sex scandal!
So… WWJD? Support Feingold or the moral values crowd?
Out was addressing DD, not you ya impotent closet fudge packin geezer.
Have a nice day. =)
DD: Not to belabor the point but the word is spelled with an “i” rather than an “a”. Cheers to you as well!
Forgot the link to the second dhs person in the scandal.
And MSNBC suspects a THIRD person at dhs will be caught in the net!!!!
Yeah, the family values crowd strikes again. Maybe I should be posting all this on the canfield thread…
But it is the gays and lesbians who have to be stopped, dontcha know.
There are a lot of kooks out there that are probably sending Phelps money. He has let it be known how much it costs him to travel and the kooks pick-up on that.
It sounded to me as though Fred Phelps was toying with WE writer Fred Mann.
Funny funny funny DD.
You all really should google. This is from the first entry:
Alexathymia is to our feelings what color blindness is to vision. Color blindness keeps us from seeing the subtle variations of color, and alexathymia keeps us from seeing the subtle variations in our thoughts and feelings. For example, people with alexathymia may only use the word “frustrated” rather than the full range of emotions such as irritated, angry, or enraged.
heheh. Must be a lot of that going on around here!
Actually the correct spelling is:Alexithymia – that spelling got about 137,000 (on google) hits versus the less than 100 with the following spellings: alexathymia, alexethymia, alexiathymia. (the word is not in my Websters). So, Outlander, you were right. I sure it happens sometimes and we have witnessed an example. Thank you.
Alexia – means loosing the ability to read. I think a good definition of alexithymia means a loss of the ability to read emotion – in one self or others.
I still forgot the link in my haste to rant.
http://www.crooksandliars.com
Thanks Outlander. I had not read you post before mine above.
I recall the term from a good deal of research on alcoholics which suggested those folks had problems with Alexithymia. It was not clear if that problem came before or after the alcohol addiction.
It is frequently seen with Autism spectrum disorders.
It is a good word with useful meaning and I apologize for mangling it.
kfg – at least the DHS guys were going after little GIRLS! That’s OK to that crowd.
From Fred Mann WE piece:
Phelps: “In such moments, Phelps says, he finds great solace in knowing he is almost universally despised.”
Phelps didn’t say: I’m doing God’s work or turning people away from homosexuality.
Phelps only mentioned all the attention he was getting, or how he was paying people back.
#1 The attention.
Next: Phelps: “If I had nobody mad at me,” he says softly in his Mississippi drawl, “what right would I have to claim that I was preaching the gospel?”
Next: Phelps’ daughter: “What never ceased to amaze me is he could tear apart a document that was just a few months old as an attorney, yet he sees the Bible as the truth.”
The Bible is too vague for direct interpretation, and Phelps must know that, so, my guess is that he’s putting us on, and being smug about it. Con-Man style.
If Fred’s boyfriend hadn’t jilted him he wouldn’t hate gays so much!
The mind is a machine, Phelps bought his at a used car lot { rode hard and put-up wet }.
There’s an old journalistic axiom about advancing a story. Your Phelps piece advanced nothing. It shed no light on why Phelps acts as he does. Instead, it read like a chronicle of his life, a profile.
Wasted space, and a wasted opportunity to get into Phelps’ head.
It should not have been published in that form.
Well, write it up yourself. here’s some space…………
Katie Couric….
Where have I heard that name before?
I’d love to see ‘ole Fred get some serious psyche testing, now that would be interesting. I wonder what his diagnosis would be.Any guesses, DD?
Axis II – would be narcissistic personality disorder with antisocial traits
Axis I – (would require an iterview that I would love to do)
His Dx is not a lot different than what I would think Dennis Rader is suffering from.
This is an interesting question.
“interview” – not “iterview’
Except that there is a lot more paranoia in the Fred picture. I would so love to clear that up and write a book.
Fred – my return email is live. I would be polite and respectful.
Thanks.
The only way to understand Fred is with a DSM-IV book.
Phelps and his mixed nuts did indeed picket Walter Reed Army hospital on Thursday.
They carred signs reading:
“Thank God for maimed soldiers”
“Thank God for dead soldiers”
“God hates America”
despicable.
But ya know what?
I did not see this on the local or national media.
GOOD!
JR, If you start with that not being reported, then where do you stop the censorship?
Remember, If it wasn’t for Bush’s phony “war on terrorism” those soldiers wouldn’t have been there in the hospital.
And a dose of reality for the American People might stop this ridiculous carnage our our soldiers busy fighting Zionist Israel’s war.
The media also shut-out Cindy Sheehan whose son was, as she said, one of Israel’s victims as well.
Remember how Bush hid the flag-draped coffins?
Phelps, in his disgusting way, is still bring attention to an orchestrated effort by the media to hide the truth.
And just who has orchestrated the news black-out?
DSM-IV:
Psychotic
Delusions of Grandeur
DD, I agree with your dx. It would be so interesting if he would sit down with a professional, Marge too. I’ll bet she’s an interesting piece of work. Do you think those personality traits can be genetically predisposed? Or do you think it’s more environmental, or a combination of both?