A Nest of Snakes in Topeka, KS

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Topeka, KS, will be picketing in Blacksburg this Friday, April 9. This group often pickets the funerals of American armed service men and women, as well as the victims of hate crimes or random acts of violence. Members of this group proclaim that God hates America because Americans live sinful lives and we all deserve death and destruction because of it. In particular, the group suggests God allows terrorism against America and that God is actively punishing us through violence, destruction, and terror. WBC has all the earmarks of a hate group, and clearly they do not approve of you unless you are American, white, heterosexual, and one of their members.

The purpose of their protest in Blacksburg is described on their website (http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html, accessed 4/7/2010) as:

Virginia Tech N. Main St. & E. Roanoke St. (SW Corner) WBC to picket Virginia Tech to connect the dots. God sent the killer because of your proud sin! You raise your kids to believe they can disobey God with impunity, and that His commandments are all on the table to be disposed of whenever you please. That's why they think fornication, adultery, and sodomy are all just in good fun (instead of the filthy practices they are), and that's why the wrath of God is on them. God is cursing you by killing those same children that you have lied to all their lives. VA Tech was just GodSmacked -- another of your students murdered -- and you still refuse to heed and obey the standards of God. Woe unto you! "Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness...!" Isa. 5:20. You're going to Hell, and you're taking your kids with you.

I cannot describe how disgusted I am with the agenda of this organization, or how revolting I find their practices. To even suggest that I, along with the rest of the Virginia Tech and Blacksburg community, deserved the events of April 16, 2007, is incendiary, hateful, and ridiculous.

It's times like this that I must remind myself that I am a big fan of the First Amendment to the US Constitution. I firmly believe that the WBC has the right to spew forth their hate and invectives, although their speech turns my stomach, just as I have the right to speak out against their racism and bigotry. Still, while they have the right to say what they wish and I believe that right should be upheld, this doesn't mean I don't think they're the biggest bunch of jackasses I've seen in a long time.