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Anonymous Hacks Westboro Baptist Church
elashish14 writes "The Westboro Baptist Church stated earlier this week that they would be picketing the funerals of the victims of Newtown Connecticut's tragic shooting in an effort to bring awareness to their hate messages. In response, the Anonymous hacker collective has hacked their website and posted the personal information of all of its members."
I also wonder how many baptist churches preach against what this church is doing. I mean if a muslim goes out a does something, and every other muslim leader does not immediately condemn the behavior, then all the christians go and condemn all the muslims. So is turnabout fair play?
I would hope that they find the peace of the almighty and work for peace and acceptance that one's faith is not diminished just because others disagree. We have twenty kids dead because we can't just be peaceful and accepting. Now they want to make it worse.
"She's a scientist and a lesbian. She's not going to let it slide." Orphan Black
It's funny, I was just watching Shirley Phelps-Roper (daughter of WBC founder Fred Phelps and a spokesperson for the group) talk on YouTube. The way she speaks ranges from over-the-to self-righteous indignation to outright hysteria.
Somehow, she's exactly what I'd expect from an IRL internet troll.
There's no -1 for "I don't get it."
The one thing those haters from Westboro Baptist Church is after is notoriety - I mean, nobody with a sound mind would do what they are doing.
By hacking the websites of the Westboro Baptist Church, and by turning this event into a worldwide thing - face it, the news of the hacking of Westboro Baptist Church website has become a sensational news by itself, else /. wouldn't have carried it - what the Anonymous are doing, while still commendable, is to play it into the hands of those haters.
The best way to deal with haters is to ignore them.
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Although fundamentally I agree with you, WBC is so heinous, I really have no problem seeing anyone step on any of their freedoms. They really should all be locked up in a loony bin.
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people
Perhaps, but you personally also favor limitations on free speech.
For example, imagine if someone wanted to enter your house to give you a message and tell you how blind, and what a sheeple you are. Would you let them enter your house? What if they stood outside your residence at 3:00AM, with a bullhorn, and woke up everyone on the street with a message saying that all white people are evil and should be slaughtered?
Would you accept it as a test of your commitment to freedom?
It is possible for someone to both champion freedom of speech, and also believe that you shouldn't harass people at a funeral.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
After the Virginia Tech shootings the WBC threatened to protest the funerals. Some radio guy offered to let them have air time in exchange for not doing so.
As a friend of one of the people killed in those shootings I was very happy the family wouldn't go through this even if it resulted in a sick group like the WBC getting radio air time.
I think we would be serving the families of these new victims well by making some sort of similar compromise. I doubt anywhere near the number of people listened to that radio interview as would have seen the protests in the news, so I don't think it even helps the WBC cause at all.
It isnt destroying the first amendment. I defend their right to speech but I dont have to like it, embrace it or tolerate it. I have stood the wall against these scum bag inbred idiots when they decided to picket a military funeral. Took all of 7 hours to get the word spread and we had hundreds lining up to shield the family from these "people" Free speech doesnt give you the right to try and have people attack you so you can then sue to help fund your "church". Speaking of which, wonder if they are all paying their taxes or are they shielding it because it is a "church".
"Remember, politicians and diapers should be changed often and for the same reason."
Illegal or not, it is certainly immoral and unethical to disrupt funeral services to taunt the survivors. And, BTW - the GOVERNMENT is mandated to respect free speech. Those whose services are being disrupted aren't exactly bound by the same laws as the government is. The obligations are entirely different.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
It's got nothing to do with free speech, picketting a private funeral is a clear case of organised harrasment, they should be locked up for disturbing the peace. Annonymous are just as bad and have all the moral standing of a lynch mob.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
I'm an American. I'm a veteran. I've actually carried that flag in places where it wasn't respected, or wanted. Burning my flag offends me, yes. But, I do recognize that burning the flag might constitute free speech, and that some people might find no other way to convey a message, and to get their point across.
Picketing funerals goes far beyond burning a flag. Picketing the funerals of innocent children is even more despicable than picketing the funerals of fallen heros.
I would suppress the "voices" of Westboro, no problem.
"Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
So... why haven't the WBC folks been arrested for indecency?
Not sure if you're a troll or not, but I'll give you a real response.
The WBC has many many lawyers including members of the Phelps family. They, the WBC, make a living by suing.
The picketing is simply to drum up additional lawsuits.
None of them actually believe any of what they say. It's not an issue of right/wrong. It's simply an issue of greed.
The WBC troll the court system to make a living of off the rest.
Step 1: God hates fags @ funerals.
Step 2: Get arrested or assaulted.
Step 3: Sue either way.
The tax payers have to fit the bill to fight the suits against the state/county/city (or against the WBC.) The cost of fighting a large legal team (which is what the WBC really is) is too costly to be worthwhile. Then settlement money eventually gets payed out and/or money to cover the lawyer costs... and who did we learn the lawyers were? Yes... the people who run the show @ WBC.
Essentially the WBC is a scam to skim off the taxpayers by lawyers who are more unscrupulous than any others out there.
Why should anyone have sympathy for these types of people who are more focused on greed than anything else on planet Earth?