Anonymous, the hacktivist group responsible for bringing down Gawker Media and major credit card companies, has set its sights on a new target: The Westboro Baptist Church.
In an open letter to the country’s leader hate parade, the black hat operators put the Phelps clan on notice:
We, the collective super-consciousness known as ANONYMOUS – the Voice of Free Speech & the Advocate of the People – have long heard you issue your venomous statements of hatred, and we have witnessed your flagrant and absurd displays of inimitable bigotry and intolerant fanaticism. We have always regarded you and your ilk as an assembly of graceless sociopaths and maniacal chauvinists & religious zealots, however benign, who act out for the sake of attention & in the name of religion.
Being such aggressive proponents for the Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Information as we are, we have hitherto allowed you to continue preaching your benighted gospel of hatred and your theatrical exhibitions of, not only your fascist views, but your utter lack of Christ-like attributes. You have condemned the men and women who serve, fight, and perish in the armed forces of your nation; you have prayed for and celebrated the deaths of young children, who are without fault; you have stood outside the United States National Holocaust Museum, condemning the men, women, and children who, despite their innocence, were annihilated by a tyrannical embodiment of fascism and unsubstantiated repugnance. Rather than allowing the deceased some degree of peace and respect, you instead choose to torment, harass, and assault those who grieve.
Your demonstrations and your unrelenting cascade of disparaging slurs, unfounded judgments, and prejudicial innuendos, which apparently apply to every individual numbered amongst the race of Man – except for yourselves – has frequently crossed the line which separates Freedom of Speech from deliberately utilizing the same tactics and methods of intimidation and mental & emotional abuse that have been previously exploited and employed by tyrants and dictators, fascists and terrorist organizations throughout history.
ANONYMOUS cannot abide this behavior any longer. The time for us to be idle spectators in your inhumane treatment of fellow Man has reached its apex, and we shall now be moved to action. Thus, we give you a warning: Cease & desist your protest campaign in the year 2011, return to your homes in Kansas, & close your public Web sites.
Should you ignore this warning, you will meet with the vicious retaliatory arm of ANONYMOUS: We will target your public Websites, and the propaganda & detestable doctrine that you promote will be eradicated; the damage incurred will be irreversible, and neither your institution nor your congregation will ever be able to fully recover. It is in your best interest to comply now, while the option to do so is still being offered, because we will not relent until you cease the conduction & promotion of all your bigoted operations & doctrines.
The warning has been given. What happens from here shall be determined by you.
A preemptive admission of illegal hacking? Well this wouldn’t be the first time the group invited the attention of federal authorities. But something tells me exactly zero people would have a problem if Anonymous went on an anti-Westboro bender. Least of all, well, us.
jasun mark
Oh please.
They probably wrote that letter themselves in order to cast themselves as victims.
This is just yet another grab for attention from people whose entire existence is fanned by a need for attention of any kind.
Harbo
If this is an actual threatl, I say more power to Anonymous. Rid the country of the hate-filled church. But it’s simply a bid for attention from the Phelps clan, I doubt that anyone will have any sympathy. Either way they’re losers.
JT
Which makes Anonymous hypocrites. As much as I hate WB, if Anonymous really is the champion of free speech they claim, they wouldn’t be trying censor WB. I’d prefer if WB just self-imploded.
kernelt
well we can only wait and see, but I hope this is true. The writing is undeniably enjoyable.
skzip888
Troll vs. Troll! I want to see Fred Phelps fighting off a legion of furries and Lolicon cross-payers. Smother them with your 2D-Love body pillows!
Eric
The problem with anarchistic organizations is that they never can get their ideology right.
And the WBC doesn’t just exist and operate in cyberspace like Anonymous. Taking down their websites will do nothing. Making signs, driving a van to funerals, and looking sinister whenever a camera is pointed at you does not require the internet.
Wyatt
>Admission of illegal hacking.
lolololol no. This is gunna be IRL violence. The WBC doesn’t operate or put too many resources into their websites. They can be rm’ed with ease. The real shit’s gonna go down once their meetings hit an angry Anon’s neighborhood. S’probably gonna be a bomb strapped to their bus.
Seth
Damn, Where can I get out my credit card and donate to ANONYMOUS? xD
Kev C
When you think of Prankish Faggotry, WBC is pretty much the center of the P.F. universe.
orpheus_lost
Bullshit.
Any idiot can send a letter and claim to represent Anonymous, that doesn’t mean we should put any stock in what it says. Everyone who has looked into the group has come to the belief that Anonymous is a very loose coalition of individuals who sometimes work together in small groups to hack websites of those they have decided to oppose. It isn’t some vast organized menace. It’s not C.H.A.O.S. and that’s why the FBI, CIA and Interpol will never be able to stop them. There is no real them. Anarchists aren’t usually big joiners.
Anyone here who wants to be a part of Anonymous can head over to 4chan.org and make a post under that name. If you want to affect change based on anarchistic hacking then learn some mad skillz and make it known over there. Of course you’ll be laughed by everyone in /b/ but what the Hell. Tits or GTFO!
Tyler T.
As awful as Westboro Baptist is, they’re the reason why ALL speech is protected- so that the sane masses can stand up for what they know to be true (e.g. that God DOESN’T hate fags; or simply that we are all people that deserve respect). Silencing them would just be silencing their opposition.
rrr
@Tyler T.: ALL speech isn’t protected. There are some things you can’t say without risking criminal charges or law suits – death threats, “fire!” in a crowded building, etc. And the constitutional protection for free speech only protects speech from GOVERNMENT interventions, not from the interventions or criticisms of regular people who are not representing the government.
David
@jasun mark:
The folks at WBC aren’t clever or well-spoken or self-aware enough to have written this. Take a look at any of their materials and this will be more than obvious: they’re idiots who couldn’t spell “prejudicial” let alone use it correctly.
This is ANONYMOUS or someone smart enough to want to emulate them. WBC doesn’t benefit from publicity, because nobody else agrees with them.
D Smith
Anonymous is not a “organization” it is a collection of individuals. What one Anonymous does, does not represent what all Anonymous are… If some Anon’s wish to protest these bigots, that is their decision, and as such they carry the consequences…
However, for qwerty to claim that this letter represents all Anon’s is silly and laughable.. and shows a misunderstanding what Anonymous represents. Anonymous is always will be devoted to Free Speech and Freedom of Information… however once a group begins to distort information and use free speech as a tool to spread said misinformation… that is when it become a concern for Anonymous.
We are Anonymous
We do not forgive
We do not forget
Expect Us
(as a side note… this particular Anon thinks its about damned time)
Adonis-of-Fire
Yes!
Beau Colby
I should think that karma will do the KansasCreeps in inself, the bottom feeders that they are. All they want is a camera in their face(s) so they can feel “wanted”. Such a lack of attention from within the “family” produces offspring like these…BC
the crustybastard
@Tyler T.:
If someone chooses to “protest” what they regard as pro-gay government policies outside the statehouse, courthouse, or White House, that would be the kind of political speech that the First Amendment was designed for and intended to protect.
If someone chooses to harass people outside funerals and concerts by telling them that God hates them and they’re going to hell, that isn’t political speech — it’s just some nut creating a public nuisance.
Comixbear
@jasun mark: I doubt that WBC wrote this themselves…It is too close to being what is true. If they had been the authors, it would have been much more anti-Christian so that they could cast themselves as the defenders of Christianity. I think an outside party wrote this, but only time will tell if it will be followed up with action by this apparent group.
Superman
Go get ’em, boyz and girlz!
oldgayvermonter
Free speech is a great Amerikan value, except when it inconveniences the powers-that-lie in our corrupt government. We should all be thanking Anonymous for attacking those who are trying to shut down Wikileaks. It’s going to be amusing to see the banksters of Bank of Amerika taken down with their own documents (please, please please let it be B of A!!!). Taking down WBC is just gravy – of course they can still look us in the eye with their in person demos, but then we can spit in theirs.
Shannon1981
I hope this is true, and that they stick to their guns. Whoever these people are, more power to them.
OneOfTwins
Either the Westboro church wrote this themselves, or……it was written by someone else but I’m sure they don’t care. They probably get death threats every day. Just ignore the silly cult.
Mel
After watching Anonymous turn Scientology from a suspected but mysterious cultish organization to a complete laughingstock simply by exposing the truth about the group’s true beliefs and tenets, embarrassing details on its top members, and its truly insidious financial shananigans, I cannot wait for them to do the same to the WBC.
I have no doubt that a hate group like the WBC has some pretty impressive skeletons in the closet. Anonymous has probably dug them all up already. And since the WBC will never back down, it’s only a matter of time before they publicize whatever gory details they’ve unearthed.
Shaded Spriter
Anonymous has been going after the WBC for YEARS now.
here is anonymous rick rolling them 3 years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT7xQJrqUQ8&feature=related
hephaestion
I love that their letter reads like a letter from God.
Oh wait, it is!
Wannabe
“I hope this is true, and that they stick to their guns. Whoever these people are, more power to them.”
^This.
justiceontherocks
They didn’t write it themselves – too many polysyllabic words.
On a side note – I’ve always wondered where these Westboro people get all the money to go on these protest pilgrimages. They spend a lot of money, far more than a smallish church could handle.
Shannon1981
@justiceontherocks: Free speech/peaceful demonstration lawsuits. They piss people off enough to provoke them into doing or saying something that can be seen as harassing and/or trying to take their right to demonstrate, and sue.
declanto
@justiceontherocks: They threaten to demonstrate and then extort payments to refrain. The family has several lawyers who have become skilled at this sleazy practice. So far, they’ve escaped all attempts to counter-sue. Hell, they’ve even managed to get an appeal to the SCOTUS! Way-past time to take them down. What I can’t understand is the need to give them a warning.
justiceontherocks
@declanto: I would love for someone to take a look at their finances. The IRS maybe. And though they probably do make some money from the kind of extortion you describe, someone has got to be writing big checks to support all this nonsense. I’d love to know who.
kenny
I dont understand why anonymous is going up against them ive met people on YT of all places who claim to be anonymous and they are some of the most anti gay hateful vile people ive ever had the displeasure to come across in my life.I think they are hypocrites its the same thing as one hateful group going up against ANOTHER hateful group.There are no winners especially us having to put up with BOTH of these organizations or groups of people whatever.Anonymous has never been gay friendly nor have they been compassionate people all they do is spread hate and hostility hell they even THREATEN people either with death or being hacked.
Basically as I said there are no winners in this and anyone who actually thinks Anonymous gives a damn about the gay community is seriously deluded they ALWAYS do whats best for THEM not other people that is how they have always been that is how they will always be.I know this to be the truth especially since ive put up with anonymous for YEARS online don’t believe anything they have to say none of these people can EVER be trusted thats a fact believe it or not.
kenny
@D Smith:
We do not forgive we do not forget?
Of course you don’t you’re one of the most vindictive morally bankrupt groups out there no better then the WBC period. If any of these people here actually trust the word of someone whos anonymous then something is seriously wrong with this picture.I happen to remember that anonymous also goes onto a site called encyclopedia dramatica harassing bullying and mocking other people not to mention that anonymous is a PART of that site and always has been. What we are dealing with here is the lesser of two evils the problem is your group and the WBC are equally untrustworthy corrupt and disgusting.So the question is which one of the 2 groups is the lesser of two evils? Answer: you’re both equal in that area there is no winner in this equation.Ive had friends on Youtube who were hacked by anonymous they loved it they got a kick out of it it was fun to them.Yeahhh your group sure is better then the WBC uh huh sureee .
I5.
Kenny must be a front for the govt or the bankers, trying to discredit ANONYMOUS.
kenny
@I5.:
Can we say delusional and paranoid? You’re full of shit like your group ALWAYS is.How in the hell am I discrediting a bunch of an anti gay hackers who have no conscience? You people discredit yourselves everyday with your own brand of hatred and your own actions period.Im gay but anonymous has ALWAYS been anti gay they dont give a damn about us nor do you you people always do whats in your own best interests you’re no better then the WBC as long as you can hack and spread hate thats all that ever matters to you people flat out.
I still cant get over how GAY users here are rooting your organization on *scoffs* as if you incredibly hateful morally bankrupt corrupt individuals have EVER give a damn about the LGBT community.I know the truth and ive ALWAYS seen nothing but hatred animosity hostility threats and Im sure even violence has been committed in the name of anonymous.Quit trying to cover up for your corrupt organization thats what you people ALWAYS do you’re all in it together when one of fall all of you fall.
Hopefully that day will come soon its about time.Your criminals cyber criminals at that you all belong behind bars not free to do this crap thats a fact.It’s against the law and wrong period.Even the police despise your organization and so does any other sane rational human being who does NOT tolerate hatred of any kind .
lolboibloo
This letter is not from Anon it is from WBC themselves.
They are just trying to give themselves more attention.
Im sure in a few weeks they will say that they “stopped” Anons attack.
Jeffree
By definition anyone can call themself “anonymous” so who knows if any two people or orgs are the *same* anon?
WBC isn’t past using this kind of publicity to stay in the news.
thatgirl
There’s NO WAY this was written by WBC. I don’t know who wrote it, but it wasn’t that church. Have you guys ever seen any of their “reading material”? It doesn’t make sense, it’s erratic, it looks like it was written by a mental patient. This person, whoever they are, like them or hate them, clearly knows basic spelling and vocabulary which is a knowledge the members of the WBC lack.
Plus they would NEVER put down their own church, even for attention. There’s a ridiculous sense of pride with these people. They put themselves on the same level as god.
Jeffree
@ThatGirl: That *may* be true of their reading material, but their legal paperwork is written in legalise. Many of the Phelps clan members are attorneys. Their sense of persecution may be bigger than their pride, so I wouldn’t put this stunt above or below their tactics!