Fox News stands up to anti-gay crusader?!?!?

My disclaimer: I despise Fox News (and the vast majority of cable news) as much as a lot of people here, believe me. But I was very happy to see this. Below is a video fox Julie Banderas at Fox News taking on Shirley Phelps-Roper, the daughter of hatemonger Fred Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCdT9dfrb-Q&search=shirley%20roper%20fox%20news

I hate to see that the discussion devolved into a verbal "cat-fight,"--they did a lot of shouting at each other and Phelps-Roper even sunk so low as to call Banderas a bimbo. But I was really glad to see Banderas call out Phelps-Roper on her hypocrisy and hatred.

What I don't understand is why the corporate media barely noticed as the creeps at WBC protested for years the funerals of gay people (i.e. Matthew Shepard) and those that died of AIDS, but now that they're protesting the funerals of fallen soldiers all of a sudden the corporate media takes notice and it's a national emergency. Their sudden concern is very telling.

It has nothing to do with Phelp's anti-gay stance. Did you see them do anything like this when they were only protesting funerals of gay people?

Phelps has been at this for years. Fox only started not ignoring him and his group only after Phelps moved up to military funerals. Otherwise, Fox and Co. would let him keep doing what i he has without a peep.

but I believe this was only Fox's lame attempt to periodically pretend that they are 'fair and balanced'.
Only Satan himself could agree with this Phelps-Roper ploy against Gays.
Personnally I think its FOX's backdoor attempt to keep the 'gay issue'
on the front burner.
The correct thing to do was to NOT give these evil beings ANY airtime
whatsover in the MSM and leave it to the O'Reilly's and Hannity's to
natter about!
IMHO

It's a perfect way for the corporate media to accomplish two things: to keep the sheeples' fears about gay people front and center, and to further in the sheeples' minds the notion that Faux News and their propaganda is "fair and balanced." It's a win-win situation for the Repukes.

But regardless of that, it was good to see Banderas call Phelps-Roper to the mat for her hatred and bigotry. I guess you could say Faux News was doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

And I also agree with another poster in this thread. Any air time for the WBC crowd is good air time, at least in their opinion. They thrive on the attention, conflict, and notoriety, and the only way to defeat them is to ignore them completely.

Yeah, you're right! I updated the OP. Thanks for catching that! :hi:

I have tried to stop posting in Phelps threads but since I do know the family (used to I guess I should say) and live in their city I correct small things when I see them. Hard to stay out of the threads because they make me so angry and because I am so angry that people are just now getting the feel for what gays and my city have been going through for so so long.

clearly deranged.

I could see her walking into a bank and mowing down 20 people with an AK-47.

Quit giving the Phelps clan the desperate attention they seek.

their hypocrisy is glaring. But I was happy to see that Julie Banderas did not let Phelps-Roper get away with using the Fox interview as a soapbox to justify hers (and her fathers) despicable views and actions.

The media should be doing it for all their actions.

use the interview as a "soapbox to justify..."

Believe me, unstable people like her and her ilk are thrilled beyond belief to receive ANY air time.....even if it's in the form of a shouting match with a FOX commentator.

is a good way to describe them. Do you think the more these nut cases flap their blatant, extreme views that the "mainstream" public will see them for what they are? I hope so.

Btw, when I think of the Phelps and their cronies, I keep thinking of an incident that a happened a long time ago - came across in an old news story about a young black man who was beaten, then hanged to death by white followers of the KKK in the south. It was just after leaders had publicly advocated violence in one of their speeches. I don't recall all the details - it's been awhile, but I remembered it esp. because of the legal maneuvering involved. Because the leaders never directly spelled out the victim's name in their speech, their lawyers argued that they were not responsible for the actions of the men. However, the D.A. tried a controversial approach at the time. They contented that the leaders did play a part in his death by virtue of inciting violence and death to a group of people, thus the victim was singled out.

I believe the leaders still got out of it as far as being convicted - outright. However, in a unique twist as a (small) penalty for their part, the victim's mother was awarded the property that they owned and used for their headquarters to do with as she wished. Not exactly justice, but it sent a message to the leaders that there would be repercussions for their words.

I brought this up because the Phelps have made no bones about their contempt and even joy in the deaths of gay people, AIDS victims etc. And I wonder if there will come a time when a similar case/charges will be brought towards them. In short, that advocating, endorsing or condoning death towards gays can be more then freedom of speech.

Fred Phelps has been arrested numerous times, and always seems to avoid jail (see below)

I believe that these people are so deranged and ridiculous, no legitimate news organization has any business inviting them on the air to rant like a bunch of lunatics. :crazy:

They crave attention. On their website, they post links to every newspaper story involved in their picketing of gay and solder funerals.

You don't see the Ku Klux Klan be invited on to talk about how much they hate niggers or Neo Nazis talk about how all Jews should be loaded into furnaces.

Phelps and all the other nuts of this world are Jerry Springer material at best. They're performers....not credible people with legitimate arguments who deserve a voice on the networks. :crazy: :crazy:

FYI:

Phelps was first arrested in 1951 and found guilty of misdemeanor battery after attacking a Pasadena police officer. He has since been arrested for assault, battery, threats, trespassing, disorderly conduct, contempt of court, and several other charges; each time, he (along with Westboro and its other members) has filed suit against the city, the police, and the arresting officers. Though he has been able to avoid prison time—often on technicalities —he has been convicted numerous times: <31> <23> <32>

* 1987: Witness intimidation, threats, and attempted extortion (charges were brought up by the Kansas Bar Association and used as evidence in Phelps' disbarment and the launching of disbarment hearings against his children)
* 1992: Disorderly conduct
* 1993: Disorderly conduct
* 1993: Witness intimidation
* 1994: Contempt of court
* 1994: Two counts of assault (reduced to disorderly conduct on appeal)
* 1995: Assault and battery
* 1997: Two counts of disorderly conduct
* 1998: Disorderly conduct

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rev._Fred_Phelps

And for Fox/CNN/MSNBC, that's all that matters in the end.

are well aware.

And I saw that "debate" of characteristic of two cats fighting over who was more righteous. Faux is all about trying to paint the military as heroes, and yet the network didn't confront these people when they picketed gay funerals over the years. In my opinion, Phelps is just a step removed from Faux News philosophy.