This past year the city of Santa Fe NM was visited by the Westboro Baptist church of Topeka, Kansas –as you know is a hateful, militant group that promotes words of hate and death as though it were God’s word.
The story below demonstrates how this church is perceived by the general public and as history has demonstrated - people like this can go along way to diminish the rights of all people in the world.
Following is a statement that was published in a New Mexico newspaper. The statement was made by a person who opposed the message of this church.
Poet Joanna Cattonar, 63, waved a large placard with the words: ''Fear + Ignorance = Bigotry.'' She said she got her orders to attend the rally from Vice President Dick Cheney.
"When the vice president was speaking at the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, he said that hatred and intolerance must be opposed before they turn into action,'' she said.
Cattonar said some activists suggested ignoring the anti-gay group. "But what happened when people ignored the situation in the 1930's? It led Hitler to power''
How can freedom of speech continue to protect people like this, while their actions directly affect others by denying the freedom for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Is this freedom of speech, or just freedom to spread HATE?
This Westboro Baptist church hates the Gay-Community, African-Americans, Canada, Sweden, the Fire Department of NY, victims of 911, Christian Churches, The Pope, Judaism, America, Our American Troops, and the list goes on and on. Many of the groups they despise are specifically named on their hate propaganda, picket signs, and their many websites. They not only hate, but wish death on all that they abhor.
This sick, so called church spreads its hate through picketing in our streets, provoking attacks, with abusive vulgar language. Worst of all, they endanger their own young children, having them man the front lines in their combative demonstrations – attempting to create a confrontation and cause for one more of their frivolous lawsuits.
The city of Topeka, the state of Kansas and the U.S. at large, its citizens and their Churches, schools and events are all held hostage by this “hate group” - always at the tax payer’s expense.
THE HATE MUST STOP!!!
Thank you for your time.