Elizabeth Edwards, the estranged wife of former Democratic presidential candidate and 2004 V.P. nominee John Edwards, died earlier this week at the age of 61.
Edwards passed away after a long battle with cancer, leaving behind three children. What should follow is a period of subdued mourning for a classy individual.
Alas, the Rielle Hunter rumors have already popped up, and now, loser Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church is dispatching members to protest her funeral.
Elizabeth Edwards (1949-2010).
The church has sparked controversy using confrontational and offensive demonstrations in the past, with "God Hates F*gs" becoming their unofficial calling card.
Another Westboro sign, "Thank God For Dead Soldiers," is frequently displayed at military funerals and has not surprisingly created its own share of outrage.
In a promotional flier for the upcoming protest, the church references John and Elizabeth Edwards's son Wade, who tragically died in a car crash in 1996.
After Wade's death, the Edwards' had two more children, Emma and Jack (born 1998 and 2000). The protest group's literature says the following:
"When they were visited from the Most High God with the death of their 16-year-old son, they did not humble themselves before His mighty hand."
"They reared up in rage, decided they would show God who is boss, meddleing in matters of the womb, resulting in 2 more children - now motherless."
The church goes on to claim that Elizabeth Edwards is in hell. Specifically, she is a "resident of hell, where her rebellion and rage will take full flower."
The First Amendment protects, as it should, the group's right to assemble, protest and disseminate these ideas. We live in a free society. This is good.
But freedom of speech also protects our right to say that the Westboro Baptist Church should lay off out of decency or take a long walk off a short pier.
Seriously, you are all losers.