Eying Hate

"Keep your friends close, your enemies closer" - Michael Coreleone in "The Godfather."*

I have had sitting on my desk in front of me for several weeks another mailing from Texe Marrs. He is based in Austin, Texas and publishes a news letter called "Power of Prophecy" which seems to focus on two things....selling other stuff he's written, and demonizing everyone from people of the Jewish faith to Arnold Schwarzenegger.

He is in the business of selling conspiracy - the Illuminati, Satan worshippers, Lord Rothschild, etc. - but he labels his ramblings "prophecy" and implies his industry is actually "ministry." If you want to find out more you can do an easy enough Internet search for him, I don't want to link to his sites for obvious reasons.

He's someone I put in my "Ignatius file" primarily because he fits the main criteria...he is his own biggest and perhaps only fan.

Texe Marrs is relatively harmless. I'm sure there are people who buy his books, tapes, audio cassettes, DVDs, pamphlets, heck for all I know he'd probably come to your house for 20 bucks, but most of those folks were probably already on a road of twisted reality before they landed on Marrs.

Still I'm glad he sends his mailings to the radio station.
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Roy Bragg, a local newspaper writer, has an excellent article out about Fred Phelps of Topeka Kansas. Phelps is a hatemonger, there's really no other way to put it. He's the guy who along with a rag tag bunch of fellow "believers"- mostly members of his family - decided it was a "ministry" to march about the country condemning homosexuality in the most offensive ways possible...and he is offensive no matter your beliefs regarding the issues surrounding homosexuality.

Phelps traveled to San Antonio a few years ago because a longtime Sheriff's deputy had a sex change, and was allowed to continue in his...now her...position on the force. For a while, Phelps sent our radio station and every other media outlet in town semi-pornographic cartoons mocking the Sheriff which appeared to be drawn by someone with a 6th grader's skills and an 8th grader's hormones. Our radio station limited coverage of his "demonstrations" primarily because they were offensive...in both the words he used and to our collective sensibilities. I must confess being in radio that was an easy call to make. For television Phelps' scrawlings on placards and his wild-eyed visage can be very attractive, but to television's credit his protests here for the most part went unnoticed.

That is apparently happening more often these days... much to Phelps' consternation. He is a one trick pony who has perhaps run his course.

I'm sure that makes Phelps mad although I'm not certain how that could possibly be determined.

I spent this morning worshipping God knowing I was imperfect. I will spend the last few hours of this evening thanking God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me.

Before then I will slip the latest diatribe from Texe Marrs into my "Ignatius" file and do my best get Fred Phelps out of my mind...but I don't want to ever completely forget about either of them.

People like Texe Marrs and Fred Phelps don't scare me. I think they are silly.

But ignoring them and others of their ilk seems far sillier.




Hate groups listed by the Southern Policy Law Center

*I know someone is going to tell me this quote is from Sun Tzu "The Art of War" but that is apparently a common misconception.