This week's annoyance is actually an "Outrage of the Week". This week's outrage is the radical American cleric, Fred Phelps. Fred has already earned his scarlet A by protesting at the funerals of gay people for years. He is usually spewing something hateful along the lines of "aids is God's punishment for blah, blah, blah." Now he and his followers have switched to protesting at the funerals of U.S. servicemen. The theory appears to be something like the following. God doesn't like gay sex, the U.S. likes gay sex, God wants to get us now, God convinces us to go to Iraq where service people are killed by IEDs -- the IEDs doing God's will. There is no point in trying to dissect the twisted logic behind this kind of hate mongering. It's sad to me what people do in the name of God or in the name of any faith.
He even showed up in Minnesota this week, "Anti-gay fury mars funeral of a soldier in Anoka".
The bright spot in the story is that motorcyclists from around the country are provided a counter-protest by showing respect to the slain.
If there comes a day when I have to choose between outlaw bikers and Fred Phelps' ilk my answer will be found in the squealing tires, the smell of exhaust, a bandana and a lone headlight streaking down the highway.
Continue reading Annoyance of the Week.
