Westboro Baptist Church and the Evil Within

And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free.
And I won't forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.

(MYRTLE BEACH, S.C.) - I am deviating from my usual writing of articles on the criminal activities of the pharmaceutical industry and their funded pain societies to write about something that happened today in my new hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church located in Topeka, Kansas came to picket in front of our high schools.

In case you are not familiar with the Westboro Baptist Church, or WBC, they are the small group of parasites who chant outside of funerals for our military heroes -- spewing hatred for our military as well as gays, blacks, Jews, Catholics and President Obama.

There were 5 picketers from WBC -- 3 adults and 2 children carrying picket signs with painted messages condemning all the people who they say will be banished to hell. When they arrived in Myrtle Beach in front of Socastee High School this morning, they were greeted with true southern hospitality.

Over 100 people lined the highway across from the high school holding signs tastefully written about peace and love.

Students from the high school were positioned at one end of the street singing "God Bless America." A young man who I talked with said his name was Daniel.

He was 20 years old with a long pony tail. Told me he was going to join "The Corps" and wanted to fly helicopters.

I took his picture and he remarked "You're probably taking the last picture of me with my pony tail before I go to boot camp." He was going to serve his country so we could have the freedoms so many others before him fought to give us.

Military funerals have become pagan orgies of idolatrous blasphemy,
where they pray to the dunghill gods of Sodom & play taps to a fallen fool.

This message to be preached in respectful, lawful proximity to the
memorial of Sgt. Donald J. Lamar II Fri., May 21, at 12:15 p.m. Quantico
National Cemetery 18424 Joplin Road, Triangle, VA.

Sgt. Lamar gave his life for the Constitutional right of WBC to warn
America. To deny us our First Amendment rights is to declare to the world
that Sgt. Lamar died in vain, and that America is a nation of sodomite
hypocrites.

Socastee High School 4900 Socastee Blvd. WBC will make a stop at
Socastee High School. The last generation of childern in doomed america
deserves to see some truth at least one time in their lives. We have been
criss-crossing this nation in warning to these beasts you call children.
They will not listen/heed the warning. You lying parents, preachers,
teachers, and leaders have done that! You have brought that sorrow
down upon their heads and you love to have it that way. 2Pe 3:3 Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after
their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?
for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the
beginning of the creation. You have raised this generation to care about
only one thing: themselves. They follow after their lusts day and night.
They are brute animals with no hope. You have left them with no moral
compass and now their destruction is imminent. It is too late for you and
your rebellious children."

(Ramblings and misspellings as well as grammatical
errors are solely the WBC's doing).

It appears that by the WBC posting "Sgt. Lamar gave his life for the Constitutional right of WBC to warn America", they are using our dead military heroes for their own twisted agenda.

Maybe our wonderful county police in Myrtle Beach who lined the streets this morning should send a bill to the WBC for having to "baby-sit" these 5 individuals.

I positioned myself near the 5 picketers from WBC and listened for at least a half hour to their disgusting chants against our country, its people and our military.

I stared at a sign being held by a woman painted with the words -- Pray for more dead soldiers. I thought of young Daniel who would be leaving for boot camp to defend our country -- and I made my move as they were packing up.

I asked if I could take a picture of one of the women. Her image is above, the main image for this story.

She placed her signs in front of her face and I said as sweetly as I could -- "Oh no I want to have your face in the picture."

She removed the signs from in front of her face and as I snapped my picture -- I said -- "I always wanted to take a picture of a sewer rat."

As I walked away, she angrily shouted "You are a skanky whore and you will burn in hell." Shortly after as I drove off, I passed Daniel with his girl friend and we waved to each other.

I thought -- "Stay safe my friend -- you have a nation of people indebted to you." Since I'm sure the 5 individuals from WBC will not be able to fully enjoy their stay in Myrtle Beach by meeting the wonderful people who live here -- and our beautiful beach -- may I suggest the Westboro Baptist Church take a bit of a break -- a vacation. I suggest hiking in Iran and a stay at the "Hotel Evin" in Tehran.

You can learn a great deal more about America's war casualties by visiting Q Madp's site: IraqWarheroes.org

Salem-News.com Reporter Marianne Skolek, is an Activist for Victims of OxyContin throughout the United States and Canada. In July 2007, she testified against Purdue Pharma in Federal Court in Virginia at the sentencing of their three CEO's who pled guilty to charges of marketing OxyContin as less likely to be addictive or abused to physicians and patients. She also testified against Purdue Pharma at a Judiciary Hearing of the U.S. Senate in July 2007. Marianne works with government agencies and private attorneys in having a voice for her daughter Jill, who died in 2002 after being prescribed OxyContin, as well as the voice for scores of victims of OxyContin. She has been involved in her work for the past 7-1/2 years and is currently working on a book that exposes Purdue Pharma for their continued criminal marketing of OxyContin.

Marianne is a nurse having graduated in 1991 as president of her graduating class. She also has a Paralegal certification. Marianne served on a Community Service Board for the Courier News, a Gannet newspaper in NJ writing articles predominantly regarding AIDS patients and their emotional issues. She was awarded a Community Service Award in 1993 by the Hunterdon County, NJ HIV/AIDS Task Force in recognition of and appreciation for the donated time, energy and love in facilitating a Support Group for persons with HIV/AIDS.

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SKR May 25, 2010 12:55 pm (Pacific time)

That is NOT Margie Phelps you are interviewing....

Tim King: Well I didn't get her card, With these people the name means little.

Vic May 23, 2010 3:23 pm (Pacific time)

Good to hear rom you, Henry. I was saying that logistically, I did not see how Germany could invade and subjugate the entire United States...but as our current history shows, a country can be taken over from within, as seems to have happened to the US now. There doesnt have to even be one shot fired if the populace is scared,subservient and willfully uninformed. All is well here in Mexico, and there is plenty of freedom, even though Mexico is not involved in endless wars for freedom and does not have any military adventures or bases outside of Mexico....go figure. How can it be that Americans have to have continual wars and funerals to preserve their freedom, and most other countries that do not,have as much or more freedom? What is wrong with that picture ? Think we are being lied to....again?

Vic May 23, 2010 12:07 pm (Pacific time)

Well...it just seems logistically impossible to me. How many tanks, airplanes and soldiers would be needed to beat down and rule the entire United States and it's armed population, and how fantastically expensive would it be to get all that over here? I know Germany was working on a intercontinental bomber, and had the V-2, but how many would be needed? The V-2 was formidable, but had nowhere near the range to strike the US. I believe in a strong military to protect the country from invaders, not go around the world invading like we see now. Tim you and I both have strong and many times opposite views, but the cool thing is we can remain friends and have this discourse. I am not slamming or discounting the military and certainly NOT discounting the loss and grief caused by "the war on terror". I have not lost a child and cannot imagine what it would feel like. That is one of the reasons I am not a war supporter. I think the next time Phelps and his crew show up at a funeral they should be shot. I just do not see how Germany could have pulled it off. The ME 262 had a maximum range of 652 miles...hardly enough to cross the Atlantic. The wild card, of course, would be the atomic bomb.

Henry Clay Ruark May 23, 2010 10:41 am (Pacific time)

Vic:
1. I agree with Tim, and confirm his statements re Bush family/corporate ties to Nazi regime AND their beginnings of deep economic invasions here --it is historical fact.
2. You wrote:"Something else that makes me sick is the tired, baseless cliche that "He was going to serve his country so we could have the freedoms so many others before him fought to give us."
Must deny/defy you on that, friend: Have one of family now deep into special operations, defying anything more I can add here, who is there now and has been for several runs previously. Do NOT agree on what is happening but sure as hell know he is acting in precisely the mode/manner and via motives you here decry.
You avoiding violence down there in Mexico??

Vic May 22, 2010 6:33 pm (Pacific time)

Marienne..with all due respect,.do you HONESTLY think that Germany ever had the manpower and the materials to take over America? You underestimate the American people...Germany is only 1.3 times larger than OREGON..This is exactly the bumper-sticker mindset that I am talking about...spouting off things that have no basis in reality..I am not trying to be snotty, but come on.....Try again...

Tim King: Sorry Vic, discounting the Nazi's is easy for you sitting in a comfortable surrounding, but that is ridiculous and so is the notion that military conflict is never needed, and should rarely if ever be respected. Do you know what the ME-262 was? It was the first operational jet fighter of any significance and they were bad ass planes. Hitler in the end did not make sound decisions militarily, and he did not defend his own Fatherland. He also held onto the ME-262 (thank God) but could have really significantly done damage with them. As far as not taking over the U.S., don't you know that the father of the first President Bush had major ties with the Nazi party? That is a fact, they already had their hand in our jar. You have a narrow view of this that I already expect a certain position, and that is fine, but Marianne got you with that last one and you should be able to know when you have been done in a single line response. Bow out and go to the next round.. See ya' brother.

Coral Anika Theill May 22, 2010 6:21 pm (Pacific time)

I just returned from Walter Reed Hospital this afternoon. I attended a wonderful event, including music and barbeque: Operation Kindness - "Salute to our Nation's Wounded Heroes" sponsored by McLean Bible Church. I was so impressed. McLean Bible Church believes in giving back and caring for those who served with great sacrifice. This is what compassion and respect looks like. What a difference between McLean Bible Church and the Westboro Baptist Church. Good job McLean Bible Church.

Henry Clay Ruark May 22, 2010 3:26 pm (Pacific time)

Vic: Thank you for complete Smedley Butler quote; have used it for years, but lost it here recently in move. Please inform me rapidly if you ever get answer to your overriding question...and I did have 3yrs Army service, prevented from o/seas by Army dictum, snatched from truck on way to 10th Mt. Div. as photographer anyhow. 10th went to Italy, Alps, et al, I was transported back to Bsn hq alone in truck, tied to old A-issue twriter--true story !.

Anonymous May 22, 2010 3:24 pm (Pacific time)

I liked your post Coral.. its just a lunatic fringe group, how about writing an article about John Hagee's sheep? They are even worse. Bomb Iran so Jesus will come..(sic) Good job Coral.

Marianne Skolek May 22, 2010 12:34 pm (Pacific time)

Vic -- Maybe I can answer your challenge about war and "saving our freedom." I don't have a Nazi flag hanging outside my house and I don't speak German. Good enough for you?

Vic May 22, 2010 10:55 am (Pacific time)

These hatemongers posing as "Christians" make me sick. Something else that makes me sick is the tired, baseless cliche that "He was going to serve his country so we could have the freedoms so many others before him fought to give us.
" I have repestedly asked the pro-war schills on here to give me ONE example within the last 100 years when war "saved our freedoms"...Not one person has responded. On the contrary, war erodes our freedoms.I respect good intentions and grieve for the families of the misguided soldiers who die for big business...but what do I know? Maybe one of the two highest ranked Marine Major Generals in the history of the Corps has an insight on this, Marine Major Genral Smedley Butler. "I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents." These idiotic slogans are great for non-thinkers and people desperately searching for validation..perhaps as a way to sooth their pain of loss, but this mindset keeps the wars going and the funerals all around he world in full swing. Lies are lies...wherher they come from Phelp's mouth or anyone elses. Again, can anyone point out to me ONE instance where our "freedoms" have been under hreat by an outside forc or country within the last 100 years? It should be easy, right? Anyone?

Hank Ruark May 22, 2010 10:46 am (Pacific time)

To all: This is radical/edge-group representing same pile of perverted propaganda-poop as those working wildly to change basic "course-of-study" (read: "curriculum and teaching methods) in far too much of American education, right at schoolboard level. For details, see current Part One Op Ed, with two more Parts coming documenting the deadly impacts already well on the way in every state.

pheonix May 22, 2010 9:04 am (Pacific time)

most veterans are poor. alot spend their lives in and out of v a hospital and shelters. most blame god for sending them to war and the after effects of it . the phelps don ,t hate they signify tough love . wish they were warning us baby killers 40 years ago i would have jumped ship.

Editor Maybe you can figure out this is an unpopular way to look at things. Here's a brainstorm for you; most troops even in war are not directly participating in combat operations. Of those who are, for any number of reasons, they make mistakes, sometimes terrible ones, but for the most part baby killer is just a stupid reference. Also, are you a Vet? There are homeless Vets, most blame the VA. You really should consider the point you are making, or trying to make... it seems pretty strange to me. Also, you might figure out how to spell phoenix if you are going to use it for a name. There is not a single thing in the world but hate flowing from these people, they don't represent God and you highly misunderstand Veterans.

Douglas Benson May 22, 2010 8:05 am (Pacific time)

I cant believe I am going to say this .Normally I support free speach period ,but this kind of disrespect for our heros and thier families is sick. I was looking at the new laws our legislature passed last session and it is a crime to verbally assault a person to provoke violence . Might be usefull to look it up . I dont know if I could take that garbage these "christians" spew without exercising my right to beat thier a@*. Look I know we must put up with speach from others that boils our blood but WTF.

Coral Anika Theill May 22, 2010 7:46 am (Pacific time)

Thank you, Marianne Skolek, and Tim and Bonnie King for covering this ongoing story. I have met many Christians in Oregon, and throughout the U.S.A. who embrace similiar ideology as the Westboro Baptist Church. I often pray, "Jesus, protect me from your followers." Many people are fear motivated instead of love motivated and do not not represent the teachings of Jesus Christ. I believe some people are so heavenly conscious they are no earthly good. "If you can't be a good example you will just have to be a horrible warning." -Catherine Aird

Josh Akers May 22, 2010 6:56 am (Pacific time)

Hasn't Westboro Church been in the media before for these types of antics?

Osotan; May 22, 2010 6:33 am (Pacific time)

I heard israel is expanding into the Negev,may I suggest a Topeka baptist migration/resettlement? They could call their kibbutz "zion's capstone" and find true meaning in an enviornment ready and waiting for a hostile attitude. America,"is it you John Wayne..,is it me?"

Tony May 22, 2010 4:19 am (Pacific time)

Hey Westboro Baptist Jackasses do us all a favor and drink the Kool-Aid.

Jenny May 21, 2010 9:55 pm (Pacific time)

This is America and the Westboro Baptist Church has the right of free speech! Just as you can run your mouth on this blog so can they.

Editor: (Tim King) A blog is the short term reference for 'Web log' and they truly run the gamut, but essentially are individual efforts to collect news from various sources, republish either the whole story or a link, and publish them on Blog pages that can actually see very good followings. Almost all are highly specialized and some are very large, while most see a handful of visitors any given day. Salem-News.com on the other hand, is a news Web group. Jenny, the word 'news' is enough to communicate that message to most people, but for those special cases, I am happy to explain. Interestingly, Salem-News.com works closely with a number of Blogs that specialize in the Palestinian freedom movement, and Veterans affairs. (Jenny, Palestine is a Mideast nation under oppressive Israeli rule, and Veterans are people who served in the military) Now, every time we write about these smelly beasts from the Baptist 'Church' (sorry all real Baptists who are unfortunately connected in name to these hatemongers) we always hear from them. It is fun to read and all, and the best part is how the Freddy Phelps' fundamentalist (American Taliban) teachings missed the part about how, "Thou shalt not judge". Anyway, they are a bunch of dirtbag lawyers from Topeka, let's always remember that it is nothing but a dog and pony show, all so they can provoke attack and turn around and sue the local government. Also, freedom of speech is important, that point is true; but this group is the most perverted example of our dreaded western flamboyance and intolerance has no place in my world. I respect U.S. law but I respect other things too, that would be far more fitting for the WBB folks. They're all child abusers too, for dragging those little kids into this and indoctrinating them with hate. Believe me, I could go on...

Natalie May 21, 2010 9:50 pm (Pacific time)

Never seen anything like it. I thought the rule is "If you can't say anything good about the deceised, say nothing at all".

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