FRED PHELPS: DEAD

Fred Phelps, the leader of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas, died on Thursday. He was known for protesting the funerals of killed American service members with signs such as the one shown in the picture above.

This man and his followers contributed nothing positive to society and he will not be missed.

I am encouraged that many of his former followers, such as his son, are trying to mend broken hearts and those that were wronged by the persons participating in this bizarre sect of Christianity.

I have no plans on traveling to Kansas to protest his funeral nor to piss spit on his grave. I have better things to do with my time such as searching for employment, taking care of my cat, writing about various issues and topics, doing what I can to make Colorado the 18th state to expand marriages for same-sex couples, and getting involved in the political scene in The Centennial State.

I also have a certain level of grace, dignity, and class.

The Denver Post had an excellent op-ed about who Mr. Phelps will face in the next lifetime. It was published in October 2003.

There is a lesson in all this.

Mr. Phelps was a hateful and tortured individual who probably was surprised when he reached the afterlife.

He will be remembered as someone who sowed the seeds of hate that unfortunately live on in those that he influenced. That is the legacy he leaves behind. That legacy will dwindle with each passing generation.

He also leaves this legacy of that people were willing to stand up to his nonsense. When the Fred Phelps cult followers descended on College Station in July 2012 to protest at the funeral of Army Lt. Colonel Roy Tisdale, Texas A&M students formed a human blockade with their backs turned to the protestors.

That is the question one person has to ask themselves when they are involved in the issues of the day.

What kind of legacy am I leaving behind?