Westboro Baptist Church Won't Protest Funeral Of 9-Year-Old In Exchange For Airtime

Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church has decided to back down from their plans to picket the funeral of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green, the young girl who was gunned down over the weekend in Tucson, Arizona, in a shooting that claimed the lives of 5 others. In return, they have been promised airtime by two radio stations.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for Westboro, told The Topeka Capital-Journal that KXXT-AM, a 50,000-watt station out of in Tolleson, Arizona, and Toronto-based CFNY-FM, 102.1 "The Edge," have both offered to host the church to talk about its views, on the condition that the congregation would reverse their decision to protest Green's funeral.

According to Phelps-Roper, however, Westboro still plans to go through with their demonstrations at the funeral service for slain U.S. District Judge John Roll, and at the original site of the rampage in Tucson.

On Tuesday, the Arizona legislature proposed a piece of legislation designed to block the church's followers from disrupting the ceremonies of the victims. Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer later signed the bill, which bars protests within 300 feet of a funeral and within an hour from its beginning or end.

For more on Westboro Baptist Church's new plans, check out the The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Comments

[thingsnstuff]

05:30 PM on 01/20/2011

Now this? http://www.free-press-release.com/news-film-makers-unconcerned-about-westboro-church-protesting-leslie-nielsen-s-final-film-1295558034.html
Don't these people have a life?

[Truth-Seeker]

01:01 PM on 01/16/2011

So, I guess blackmail DOES work in America! And here I thought hate speech was illegal.

[valluhree]

09:26 PM on 01/13/2011

I've said it before, I'll say it again. Taking them seriously gives them power and energizes them.
The good people at Comic-con in San Diego handled Westboro perfectly. We need to learn from their example.

[gevan]

10:30 PM on 01/13/2011

I missed Comic-con, what did they do?

[valluhree]

12:38 PM on 01/14/2011

Basically, they fought silliness with silliness. In their counter-protest, they held up signs such as "GOD HATES JEDI", "Pass the Mutant Registration Act Now! Protect our children!", and "Is this thing on?", among others. There are tons of videos of it on Youtube, they're all hilarious.

[Ravenwood55]

08:00 AM on 01/16/2011

These people have their roots in a system that used The Rack, the Iron Maiden and The Inquisition. I'll believe comedy is an effective counter-measure when Stephen Cobert is sitting in the White House.

[valluhree]

09:51 PM on 01/16/2011

Is taking them seriously having any effect?

[Mrclouds]

08:07 PM on 01/13/2011

As much I Disagree with everything the Westboro Baptist Church stands for, they have the right to stand on public sidewalk and protest this.....

[Ravenwood55]

08:10 AM on 01/16/2011

Agreed. Take notice, Activist Christians, and be proud. These people are as honest as they are misguided, a credit to their creed.

[J Michael Norris]

05:08 AM on 01/27/2011

they have a right to protest having a funeral for a 9 year old? or do you mean they have a right to protest AT the funeral of a 9 year old? the difference in semantics is important here.

[LCDTV]

05:28 PM on 01/13/2011

i thought the usa did not negotiate with ter. x
ror. x
ist groups.

[Little Alex]

02:17 PM on 01/13/2011

Here's the proper religious response to the situation:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq15d7Add50

[HarpoSnarx]

02:08 PM on 01/13/2011

Impressive. Another cave-in to the holier than thou Hills Have Eyes family.

[Sajwert]

02:25 PM on 01/13/2011

Don't be silly. Think of all the people who will listen in, fascinated with this form of idiotcy, and how the radio show's ratings will skyrocket.

These radio stations are not doing this out of charity, believe me.

[idelwind]

02:03 PM on 01/13/2011

Isn't religion wonderfull the way it spreads all this love.

[jaredbrain]

01:23 PM on 01/13/2011

Despite popular belief, we can successfully regulate speech. Decency is defined in terms of contemporary community standards. Communities can decide wether or not to allow these people permits, etc. We CAN say that some speech is so fowl, that it serves no positive function, and should be stopped. We don't allow slander. We don't allow threats. These are limits on speech we accept. We can accept "no protests within 500 ft of a funeral or funeral path"

[morgansher]

12:42 PM on 01/13/2011

Charming. Extortion at it's finest. Give us a platform to speak from where we can put out our hateful speech to a large audience so that you will be spared the sight of our hate speech at a child's funeral. How charming. /snark.

[healthcarenow]

12:40 PM on 01/13/2011

Westboro Church: good luck with that....AZ has angels on its side, and the streets will be lined with them.

[Ravenwood55]

08:06 AM on 01/16/2011

Deranged gunman 1, Angels 0.

[halfpricefaustian]

12:30 PM on 01/13/2011

These people sound like they are from North Korea. "We won't engage in despicable behavior if you give us something in return". They should be given nothing but scorn.

[gonetoutah]

03:05 PM on 01/13/2011

Amen

[KayCee71]

12:20 PM on 01/13/2011

The media panders to these kooks & bows down to them. The SPLC protects them & supports their hateful displays at funerals of our troops & apparently victims of a tragedy. The less people show attention to the WBC cult, in any shape or form, the sooner they will go away.

[Bademus]

02:57 AM on 01/14/2011

Um, perhaps you should know what you are talking about before you say it. The SPLC tracks and monitors hate group activity and supports victims of hate by taking pro bono legal action against hate motivated crimes commited by group members. They also have a teaching tolerance program for school children. To say they protect a hate group is ridiculous.

[minnezona]

11:46 AM on 01/13/2011

The radio station in Arizona is a Christian radio station....Geez, what a shock!....Even better, their website is www.familyvaluesradio.net. I think I just threw up in my mouth

[farmilyman]

11:45 AM on 01/13/2011

Why bow to their demands? Even many conservatives don't like them..........that's pretty bad.