

Anonymous Attacks Westboro Baptist Church Plans to Picket Sandy Hook Funerals - iProject
http://betabeat.com/2012/12/anonymous-goes-after-westboro-baptist-church-members-over-plans-to-picket-sandy-hook-funerals/

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sixQuarks
Unfortunately, due to people and the media responding to Westboro's antics,
they have made themselves into a household name. They have accomplished what
they set out to do. It takes millions of dollars to get this much publicity.

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bunderbunder
I'm not sure they accomplished what they set out to do at all. The more
opposition to gay rights can be associated with over-the-top hate groups like
these, the more people will associate opposition to gay rights with foamy-
mouth bigotry. Most people don't want to be like antisocial foamy-mouth
bigots, and their desire to not be like them will have some influence on their
opinions vis-a-vis the favorite issues of the group they don't want to be
like.

Perhaps they really did have no goal beyond getting on TV. But assuming they
actually do want to spread an anti-gay message, I suspect their being on TV is
actually accomplishing the opposite.

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aes256
Conspiracy theory time. Westboro Baptist Church are pretending to be
'Anonymous' and attacking themselves to gain even more publicity.

Personally I don't think attacking the WBC aligns with the central tenets of
the 'Anonymous' movement. Anonymous likes chaos, freedom of speech and
expression, causing offense, etc.

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dhimes
Nah. It looks to me like splinter "Anonymous" groups are arising- like
'cells.' The guys involved in, say, the Iran website takedown or that security
expert embarrassment operation (name escapes me) may not be involved in this
at all. Just my guess, mind you.

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cafard
Exactly what is Anonymous going to do? WBC does not seem like the sort of
organization that is susceptible to electronic attacks. Gas money and a few
reliable cars seems to be about all they need. The only possibly useful tactic
that I can imagine is to treat them as if they were invisible.

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csense
Someone with privileges to do so should edit the headline. The article itself
is called "Anonymous Attacks Westboro Baptist Church Over Plans to Picket
Sandy Hook Funerals." But the HN headline is missing the word "Over," which
makes it sound like Anonymous is picketing the funerals.

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csense
I can believe that people really, truly sincerely believe that homosexuality
is morally wrong and our foreign policy is worthy of protest.

But picketing the funerals of this tragedy's victims? It should be pretty
clear that WBC is just a bunch of trolls.

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protomyth
They probably won't actually show up, since they got the publicity they
wanted. The most effective solution would be for the media to quit covering
them.

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maeon3
Don't wrestle with a pig in mud because the outcome is the same whether you
win or lose, you'll get all muddy, waste your time, and the pig will enjoy
every minute of it.

<http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wrestle_with_a_pig>

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svmegatron
Respectfully, I don't think your analogy holds. I think the situation here is
more akin to keeping a muddy pig out of a concert hall.

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maeon3
Perhaps the solution is to tell the mourners that we live in a terrible world,
and you'll have to grow a thick skin. The best we can do is warn the mourners
that mentally ill people are coming to laugh at your tragedy.

