God hates fags.

If I didn’t know any better, I would think that the Westboro Baptist Church was a joke – a laugh out loud, feel your belly roar joke. They are so passionate about their hateful “message” that it all almost seems satirical. No other church dares to affiliate with them and most Americans do not even understand where their ideas stem from. “You’re going to HELL” does not in the least scare nor threaten me mostly because it is shouted from disillusioned cult members. Arguing that “Fags eat poop” is a fact also makes me laugh. Maybe it’s because of the word “poop.” Say it again, I will probably laugh. Poop. Haha. Perhaps I find humor in such an accusation because they are serious. I cannot remember the last time that I used “poop” to strengthen my argument against someone. Should I come across such picketing on the street, I would probably stop to take a picture – like finding Mickey Mouse at Disneyland, it’s a rare gem. Tell a classroom full of college students to research the Westboro Baptist Church and you’ll just have to wait a few minutes before you hear giggles and jokes.

But I cannot completely disregard their actions. Shocking, I know. Truth be told, what WBC does is remind Americans that our freedom to speech lives on. To silence their absurd messages would mean giving more power to the government and the masses to shut down anything that "offends." That is why I believe we should remember to listen and constructively converse with Phelps and his members. While they disregard most people's opinions and lack respect for most other human beings, we cannot dismiss them entirely. I would be interested in engaging in a conversation or following a debate with them for the sake of better understanding their actions and beliefs. We cannot completely disregard individuals as human beings simply because they seem crazy. Additionally, the Westboro Baptist Church also serves as a reminder for perhaps our own ignorance. Their limited respect and acceptance of others could bring to light the fact that maybe we ourselves are closed minded to different lifestyles and cultures. The Westboro Baptist Church is a reflection of our own culture. They are a piece of our history and socialized thought that should be explored and analyzed more - not disregarded simply as a laugh out loud, feel your belly roar joke.