It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
A bizarre, yet instantly classic encounter at Arlington Cemetery this weekend seemed like a real life version of Celebrity Deathmatch:
Protesters from the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church received a Memorial Day razzing from counter-demonstrators affiliated with a Virginia branch of the Ku Klux Klan.
The two groups were gathered outside the main gate of the cemetery, final resting place for the nation's war heroes.
To which side shall the thinking man lend his support? Abigail Phelps, taking a momentary pause from welcoming the deaths of American soldiers as God's just punishment for tolerating gays, attempts to help us make up our minds with a devastating takedown of the KKK:
"They have no moral authority on anything," she told CNN. "People like them say it's white power ... white supremacy. The Bible doesn't say anywhere that it's an abomination to be born of a certain gender or race."
Yes, good point. The fairest measure by which to compare dueling hate groups is definitely their "moral authority".
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Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
I don't have much comment but to say that I enjoyed this post, and that I wish to stress to our international readers that a) both of these groups are completely unrepresentative of America; and b) see, we really do mean it with that "First Amendment" business. We just allow freaks like this to go out and say anything they want. So far the sky hasn't fallen. We do subject them, however, to intense mockery and feel delighted when they find themselves in tricky positions like this.
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
I too want to compliment you on this post Mark.
I'm not sure what emotion we are likely to have watching 2 vile groups do battle.
Perhaps the lesson to be learned has something to do with the evils of battle itself.
Sep '10
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
"So far the sky hasn't fallen"
Kate at the Canadian Small Dead Animals blog has a saying she's been using for years, which I'll paraphrase:
Edited on June 1, 2011 at 4:31pmRe: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
Pseudodionysius:
Well, yes--and here you worry that it's going to make the traffic even worse, so you pray they don't do it at rush hour.
May '10
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
Thank you, Claire. I hope the sarcasm translates adequately.
Tommy De Seno: I too want to compliment you on this post Mark.
I'm not sure what emotion we are likely to have watching 2 vile groups do battle.
Perhaps the lesson to be learned has something to do with the evils of battle itself.
Thanks, Tommy. I am totally with you. If I found surrounded by Westboro Baptists and KKK members I think I would just stand back and watch the trainwreck, with a grimace on my face. I suppose we can quietly grieve and honor the fallen soldiers over all the racket.
May '10
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
Well they will be united together in the next world, but I hope they like hot weather.
(BTW in spite of the erroneous avatar, I am not the beloved feline Pseudodionysius:, but the betrayer of the the Clergy's wealth in Revolutionary France, and one time Bishop of Autun)
Edited on June 1, 2011 at 4:55pmSep '10
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
Talleyrand: Well they will be united together in the next world, but I hope they like hot weather.
(BTW in spite of the erroneous avatar, I am not the beloved feline Pseudodionysius:, but the betrayer of the the Clergy's wealth in Revolutionary France, and one time Bishop of Autun) ยท Jun 1 at 7:55am
Edited on Jun 01 at 07:55 am
Duly noted. It is better to beloved than feared.
Re: It's a Shame They Both Can't Lose
Yes, I want to add my vote to Claire's in support of this weirdly delightful post. I've frequently reflected that, if you could only remove the human suffering caused by evil, all that would be left of evil is the comedy. What a world.