Day: March 5, 2008

Million Fag March Will Protest Westboro Baptist

Trish

Finally, someone is protesting the world’s most odious protester. The Million Fag March is set for Sunday morning, March 30 in Topeka, Kan., home of Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church.

Fred and his family (13 children and 54 grandchildren) show up at military funerals with signs reading, “God Hates Fags,” “God Hates America,” “Fags Die, God Laughs,” etc. Fred apparently arrives at these insights after personal discussions with The Creator wherein He tells Fred that everything bad that happens in the world is His revenge for America “tolerating” gays.

Organizers say it’s time to “show Phelps and his church that freedom of speech works both ways.”

One of Phelps’ horribly misguided supporters

There are two big challenges with the march. First is the laws passed in Topeka to protect other churches from Phelps. They prohibit the Freds of the world (of which, mercifully, there are few) from getting within 50 feet of a house of worship for a half-hour before or after services are planned. So the march might have to take place in Topeka but not too close to Westboro Baptist.

The second challenge could be even harder. Organizers are determined to keep the protest peaceful, but since Fred’s whole goal is to whip up feelings of intolerance and hate, not responding in kind will be a toughie. Still, the expectation is clear.

Absolutely. No. Violence. It doesn’t matter if Fred Phelps comes to the March himself and starts throwing punches. The police will handle it.

If you feel that you could in any way be provoked, do not plan on attending.

…The Phelps family uses hate speech to draw attention to themselves. To do that during the March would only be bringing ourselves down to their level. So, please, no hate speech on your signs, clothes, and mouths.

Besides, “God Hates Fred” signs are lame and obvious. You can do better. Sending the message you want to send without being blatantly hateful shouldn’t be all that hard for you.

If you’re anywhere near Topeka, please plan to attend the march. You can sign up here. If you’re not, organizers need donations for costs associated with permitting, security, etc. so your donations are welcome.

Politics Ain’t Bean Bags – Now Maybe We’ll See If Obama Can Fight

Jon Ponder

Barack Obama may yet sail to the Democratic nomination without having to engage in the sort of junkyard dog fighting required of candidates who find themselves — as Hillary Clinton has — in second place in a two-person fight. Ironically, however, if he maintains his momentum after losing Ohio and Texas to Clinton last night and easily wins the rest of the primaries, the result might be that he’s a weaker candidate against John McCain in the general.
To come from behind, Obama would have to resort to the sort of “Art of War” tactics we’ve seen from the Clinton campaign lately that have so outraged his fans.
Finding himself running decidedly behind Clinton would force to demonstrate that he can do more than inspire — that he knows how to fight to win. This would be reassuring to millions of Democrats who agree that Obama might be a great president but find the proposition moot because he lacks a track record of playing the sort of political hardball required to beat Republicans.

It is relatively easy to stay above the fray in the top spot, but if Obama lags into second, he’ll find himself trying to accomplish two opposing objectives: Preserving his image as an inspirational leader while simultaneously trying desperately to draw blood in a knife fight with Hillary Clinton. To come from behind, Obama would have to resort to the sort of “Art of War” tactics we’ve seen from the Clinton campaign lately that have so outraged his fans: attack ads, sharp criticism and negative campaigning (that, by the way, apparently worked).

The Clintons have only lost two elections since Bill’s political career began in 1974, and their path to power is littered with bloodied opponents. If Obama can beat them, he will enter the general as a giant slayer. This would also prove to the hordes of party faithful who are impervious to his charms, considerable as they are, that he can win a contested election. As has been noted in these pages before, Obama lost the only seriously contested election he has ever run, in a primary to unseat Rep. Bobby Rush, the former Black Panther.

Whether the Democratic nominee turns out to be Clinton or Obama, if the national polls remain consistent through the summer, he or she will enter the general running second behind John McCain. The Democratic candidate will face an onslaught of negative attacks would make John Kerry’s Swiftboat adversaries blush. Failure to return fire will result in either Clinton or Obama becoming the third in a series of honorable and decent Democratic nominees to lose on tactics, not merits, to an incredibly flawed GOP candidate.

The Democratic candidate should not expect help from the “liberal media” — they love John McCain as much as they already hate Hillary Clinton. Yesterday, we learned that the media is sharpening its knives for Obama — and he can now expect the same unfair treatment the Beltway guys and gals gave John Kerry over the Swiftboating charges, Al Gore over the bogus claim that he said he invented the Internet and the Clintons over Whitewater et al.

Like her or hate her, there is ample evidence Hillary Clinton is as ready as anyone can be for the Republican smears and lies. As it stands today, no one knows if Barack Obama is ready for this crucial test.