The first person that came to mind this week with discussions in Wood and Smith of hate sites and the misuse of internet assignment was Fred Phelps. I am sure many of you know who he is by now. He is the so called leader of Westboro Baptist Church and founder of sites such as www.godhatesamerica.com and www.godhatesfags.com . If you dare go to these sites, which I don’t suggest you do, you may be sicken by the material you find there. Rather here is a news article about Mr. Phelps and his church published by MSNBC http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29557689/ . The first time I heard of this site was years back when they were trying to erect a “monument” of Mathew Sheppard in Laramie, Wyoming where he was killed. For those of you who don’t remember who Mathew Sheppard was: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard The “monument” was engraved with “Mathew Sheppard entered into hell on this day” I don’t want to get too far into this because we all have our different views and I know that homosexuality and such is a touchy subject. But whether you agree with the lifestyle or not, these websites are filled with disgusting examples of hate. The MSNBC article talks about some of the groups other antics and it is just appalling that they have gotten away with so much. These cites fuel hate and encourage deplorable behaviors. It is one thing to me to create a site, not matter how filthy or disgusting. But to go out into the world and lead hateful picketings and other organized activities is completely crossing a line. Sites like these should be shut down. Any cite that encourages such behavior towards another human being or group of people, or any living creature no matter what the reason should not be tolerated. Some of these sites cross the line from freedom of speech into action.
Like Wood and Smith talked about this week, anyone can have a web page. Anyone can create a site, and as of yet in the U.S. at least there is no real censorship of these sites. I know the internet is almost an endless source of information and websites. But it seems if some things on the internet can be controlled to a degree like child porn and illegal downloads, than others could be controlled too. One of the only saving graces of the internet is that if you don’t want to see something, you don’t have to go to that page. However, some of these groups bring their opinions and hate out into the public through various methods and that is where something should be done. The freedom of speech was not intended so that people could use hateful words in order to try and harm another. It was instilled in order to protect us. This misuse of the freedom of speech on hate sites is not protecting anyone. If it were up to me all hate sites would be ripped down, but it is not and so I know that maybe nothing will ever be done.
March 11, 2009 at 5:51 am
Thanks for sharing this example. Personally, I hate it when people do things like this that promote so much untruth about God and, well, the idea that hate is acceptable in anyway. It sickens me that such actions can be acceptable because we want to promote freedom at the expense of others personal safety– not just a disagreement of beliefs, but the actual invasion of feeling safe.
March 12, 2009 at 4:23 pm
Wow, I don’t know where I have been but I have not yet heard of Fred Phelps until I read your blog. He is certainly a creep, and I do agree with you that his sites should be taken off the internet. I also think because the internet is so new there are many areas in which regulation of it are controversial due to freedom of speech and such. They still have yet to come up with a way to fully regulate child pornography, let alone crazy extremists creating hate sites. It is people like Fred Phelps that hold our country back from growing in the sense of acceptance and most of all tolerance for others and their differences.