Thought Theater

Well the folks at Westboro Baptist Church have really taken a liking to singing their message of hate. Two of the following videos are examples of their handiwork. The first, "There Are No Heroes" is a remake of Bonnie Tyler's Holding Out For A Hero. The second is a new take on the song Signs from the Five Man Electrical Band.

I've added a third video that the Church created in the aftermath of a 10.9 million dollar jury verdict being entered against them late last year. In the video, members of the Church thank God for the 10.9 million dollar verdict.

The amount specified in the verdict was subsequently reduced to 5 million dollars. Regardless, their rationale for celebrating the verdict in the video suggests that it is consistent with their interpretations of the Bible and they contend it brings them the worldwide attention they need to deliver their message. If I were them, I'd be hoping God has a top notch legal department.

Surprisingly, following the court ruling and their video, the Church set out to fight the verdict and the subsequent actions to force payment. Perhaps they're not as thankful for the verdict as they would have us think? I suspect it will be difficult for them to deliver their message of hate should they be forced to part with their worldly possessions. No doubt they believe whatever they do is guided by God's will. I'm betting we'll soon see how well they take to being left to their own devices.

In response to a motion to stay last November's multimillion dollar jury verdict against the Westboro Baptist Church pending appeal, a federal judge has placed a lien on the properties of the church and its founder, Pastor Fred W. Phelps Sr., and ordered two of Phelps' daughters to put up cash bonds of $125,000 and $100,000 within 30 days.

Shirley L. Phelps-Roper and Rebekah A. Phelps-Davis, members of the Topeka, Kan.-based church, argued to the U.S. District Court in Baltimore that their financial circumstances prevented them from posting the full $5 million bond.

But U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, who in February quartered the punitive damage component of the jury's $10.9 million award, said the rights of the non-appealing party, Albert Snyder, must also be considered.

Snyder's son, Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, 20, was killed in Iraq in March 2006. Westboro members demonstrated at his funeral, held a week later in Westminster, with placards that said "Semper Fi Fags" and "You're Going to Hell," prompting Albert Snyder's successful suit for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

They had planned to picket in front of the federal courthouse in Baltimore and at the nearby Marriott hotel where Mark Castillo of Rockville allegedly drowned his three young children last weekend. But church members cancelled their trip to Baltimore when they learned they could participate by phone.

I find it interesting that they can make instantaneous plans to protest funerals all over the country but in this case they chose to participate in the hearing via telephone. Suddenly, they lack the motivation or the wherewithal to purchase plane tickets? Maybe God told them to hunker down until they can find a way to save their assets.

In the meantime, I decided to offer the Westboro Baptist "Hummers" a new song. Mine isn't divinely inspired...but it's a lot more fun.