General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt is easy for society to hate Fred Phelps
He is an anti saint as one writer, much better than I, put it. But what about the likes of Ralph Reed, Tony Perkins, and Raphael Cruz? All of them, and a host of others, have fairly unfettered media access and are considered mainstream figures. But in reality, they are like Fred Phelps without the signs. Does anyone seriously think that a Ralph Reed America would be any better for LGBT people than Fred Phelps'? Fred is dead, and no doubt he won't be mourned by anyone other than his immediate family. But the fact is there are plenty of people who are Phelps without the sign ready to take up his cause. They are the dangerous ones.
MADem
(135,425 posts)And now, he's the LATE asshole, Fred Phelps.
I don't recommend glorifying anyone by giving them status, even "bad boy" status.
A jerk is a jerk is a jerk. Fuck 'em, and the horse they rode in on!
dsc
(52,163 posts)but like it or not, he was an important figure.
MADem
(135,425 posts)I really think it's past time we stop giving those assholes attention. I think if anyone protests them at all, they should do it in a mocking fashion, sort of like this:
Democracyinkind
(4,015 posts)That's just brilliant.! Rec.
rumdude
(448 posts)roguevalley
(40,656 posts)what he was over the frustrations of it. I read an article about him zillions of years ago.
Bluenorthwest
(45,319 posts)was invited to offer 'prayers' at the Inaugural, that was fine with everybody. How is that really different than Phelps? It's not.
Pope Francis says marriage equality is Satan's idea, a machination to destroy God's plan, he says fighting equality is 'God's war'. He is spiritual leader to Uganda's 42% Catholic population, we all know what they are doing. He's celebrated here. Not different than Phelps, other than his vast international scope and his choice of clothing.
dsc
(52,163 posts)MindMover
(5,016 posts)Warpy
(111,277 posts)and they're too smart to commit suicide by bad PR.
However, they're no different from Phelps other than they're likely even worse at heart.
GeorgeGist
(25,321 posts)No harm in making examples of the famous ones.
Behind the Aegis
(53,961 posts)Just because one asshole hater is dead, doesn't mean our enemies are gone. We can rejoice or what-have-you in his removal from the world stage, but there are other bad actors who still deserve our "boos and hisses" and those who are GLBT or our allies know this and won't fall silent just because one hateful shit stain is gone. Though, I do believe in some cases they are much worse because they aren't reviled the way Freddie Fuck was.
I hope I wasn't indelicate.