A number of blogs have linked today to the predictably despicable reaction of the Westboro Baptist Church, the "God Hates Fags" people, to the Arizona shooting. They're a particularly hateful group of maniacs, and it's tempting to point out their actions so people understand that that sort of thing exists within our country. But they're a tiny group that has no supporters anywhere, at least none willing to stand up and join them. They have a First Amendment right to say whatever they want -- indeed, they're a walking instruction in the price we pay for having freedom of speech -- and they're also very good at attracting attention. So what if we all agreed we were just going to ignore them? The next time there's a tragedy of any sort, the WBC will be there, proclaiming that God brought it down upon our nation, so angry is he at our tolerance of sin. The rest of us don't have to respond. We can't put them in jail, but we can deprive them of the attention they crave. -- Paul Waldman
