Of course, my lgbt friends and allies have taken to social media to slam Phelps and say things like "rot in hell" or "good riddance" to a man who founded the extremely conservative church- whose members often picket the funerals of fallen soldiers and gay people.
I do not find solice in slamming the dead for their sins. My thoughts are that the man is gone from this earth and his actions will ultimately be what he is remembered for and judged for.
While many opposed his actions, he was still a person. A father. A son. And a person. Any loss of life in my book, even for someone like him, is sad.
Just remember that his actions helped start an LGBT community center across the street from the Westboro's main church in rural, conservative Kansas.
His followers put discrimination and hate monguering on the national news. Do we owe him a service for picketing funerals and lgbt people? No, but his church did put a face on modern bigotry.
My thoughts are this: a faceless enemy is much harder to fight. I think his efforts of cruelty, hatred, and name calling helped catapult the lgbt rights movement because it gave a face to all the negativity we have encountered as a minority.
And the news gave he and his followers- and typically WHAT or WHOM they were protesting- a national and often times world-wide spotlight.
Can he take credit for this? Not necessarily. But I still find it hypocritical to be uttering the same hate rhetoric at a dead man that he and has followers have used against us so many times.
Let us not forget that this man died alone- excommunicated by the church he founded and loved, and disowned by his son and immediate family.
Hate vs hate doesn't accomplish anything. Only love conquers hate. I do not love the man Fred Phelps was on this earth, but I do not condemn him either.
May he rest in peace.
Love conquers all.
