[HANASHIR:1500] Re: one more wrinkle

[Judy Git <hillel...>]

When we first got the information about Fred Phelps and his venomous plans, I 
said
to a few friends with whom I discussed the issue that this guy was almost
certainly bigotted in more than simply this one area.  Bigots are RARELY one 
issue
specialists.

In our local paper, the article covering Matthew Shepard's funeral, spoke a 
great
deal about the mourners whoincluded total strangers; but it wasn't until the 
very
end of the article that mention was made of protesters from Texas and Kansas who
picketed the funeral.  To my GREAT joy, Phelps was not mentioned by name; in 
other
words, he got no publicity.  Secondly, the article described how the many 
mourners
put up umbrellas and began singing "Amazing Grace" to block out both the sight 
and
the sound of the picketers from the bereaved family.  Finally - the only
substantial result of the picketing was that the city counsel of Larame passed 
an
ordinance banning this sort of thing in the future.  The mayor was quoted as
saying they didn't want "wing nuts" in their community.  LOL

Rabbi Karol - why was he picketing your synagogue in particular - or does he
picket every synagogue?  There HAS to be something you can do about this sort of
thing.

Judy

LPKAROL (at) aol(dot)com wrote:

> Dear Hava nashira friends,
>      Fred Phelps picketing Matthew Shepard's funeral?  I'm not surprised -
> because I have to deal with him every single day of the year in my city.  I am
> the rabbi at Temple Beth Sholom in Topeka, Kansas.  We get picketed every
> Shabbat before our services - but they can't get too close, because the
> entrance to our drive into Temple is 200 feet from the building.
>     Still, I haven't appreciated having my name on one of their signs (FAG
> Karol), or seeing our congregation referred to as "Temple Beth Sodom" with a
> yellow star on the sign, and being referred to once in a while in the Phelps'
> church's weekley fax flyer.
>     There is little to do to stop this fanatical family - they are all lawyers
> and unfortunately bright and they know the laws inside and out.  Still, I feel
> less isolated when I know that others know about Fred.  His family is anti-
> gay, racist and anti-semitic.  Don't think they are a one issue group of
> picketers!
>     May God keep them far away from us!
> Rabbi Larry Karol
> Topeka, Kansas