A Challenge Issued
Westboro Baptist Church challenges hacker group Anonymous to 'Bring It'
The Westboro Baptist Church appears to have sealed the fate of all of its Web properties. You don't mock or challenge Anonymous, and that is what the Church has done in response to a threat by the hacker group, with challenges sent back to the group on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Anonymous' open letter to the Westboro Baptist Church was "delivered" last week. It said, in part:
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. [...]
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.
Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for itself by picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (saying that their deaths are a reprisal from God for LGBT tolerance in the U.S.) and even threatening to picket the death of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, one of those killed in the Tucson shootings. They went further, even applauding the acts of Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter.
When WBC pickets or demonstrates, they usually carry signs with such messages as "God Hates Fags," "God Hates the USA" or "Thank God for 9/11." Their site, in fact, is http://www.godhatesfags.com/.
Anonymous is not a group to be trifled with. Others, including corporations, have mocked them before, only to see their sites taken down by DDoS attacks.
The response from Westboro Baptist Church was, for one, a Tweet by Megan Phelps-Roper, the daughter of the WBC's founder, Fred Phelps (pictured above). She said,
Thanks, Anonymous! Your efforts to shut up God's word only serve to publish it further. God did that! Our response to you? Bring it, cowards
Based on past such mockings, it won't be long before Anonymous does bring it, and despite what Phelps-Roper may think, the host of their website is probably not appreciative of her statement.
In addition, WBC has released an open letter back to Anonymous. It's available in PDF form on their site and here (as their site may not be up for too much longer).
The title is: "Open Letter from Westboro Baptist Servants of God to Anonymous Coward Crybaby “Hackers” BRING IT!" It ends with the line "GOD HATES FAGS & LOUSY 'HACKERS!'"
Based on the comments at AnonNews, where the open letter to WBC was first posted, a DDoS attack using the LOIC may be coming soon. The private phone numbers, including some faxes and cell phones, have been posted to that thread.
Idiots. I may not agree with Anonymous' methods, but that's like daring a hungry tiger to come take the meat off your plate. Phelps & Co. are going to get mauled. Frankly, if I were not such a rabid proponent of free speech, I'd have supported some kind of laws against the Phelpsies' loathsome actions. I have long though that pepper foam would be good: the weeping and wailing would be a much more appropriate backdrop for a funeral. However, that's kind of against my principles too. I do think highly of the Patriot Guard Riders. Anyhow, this should be interesting. Break out the popcorn, folks: let's see how long it takes for Anonymous to take down the Phelpsies' website...
The Westboro Baptist Church appears to have sealed the fate of all of its Web properties. You don't mock or challenge Anonymous, and that is what the Church has done in response to a threat by the hacker group, with challenges sent back to the group on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Anonymous' open letter to the Westboro Baptist Church was "delivered" last week. It said, in part:
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. [...]
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.
Westboro Baptist Church has made a name for itself by picketing the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan (saying that their deaths are a reprisal from God for LGBT tolerance in the U.S.) and even threatening to picket the death of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green, one of those killed in the Tucson shootings. They went further, even applauding the acts of Jared Loughner, the Tucson shooter.
When WBC pickets or demonstrates, they usually carry signs with such messages as "God Hates Fags," "God Hates the USA" or "Thank God for 9/11." Their site, in fact, is http://www.godhatesfags.com/.
Anonymous is not a group to be trifled with. Others, including corporations, have mocked them before, only to see their sites taken down by DDoS attacks.
The response from Westboro Baptist Church was, for one, a Tweet by Megan Phelps-Roper, the daughter of the WBC's founder, Fred Phelps (pictured above). She said,
Thanks, Anonymous! Your efforts to shut up God's word only serve to publish it further. God did that! Our response to you? Bring it, cowards
Based on past such mockings, it won't be long before Anonymous does bring it, and despite what Phelps-Roper may think, the host of their website is probably not appreciative of her statement.
In addition, WBC has released an open letter back to Anonymous. It's available in PDF form on their site and here (as their site may not be up for too much longer).
The title is: "Open Letter from Westboro Baptist Servants of God to Anonymous Coward Crybaby “Hackers” BRING IT!" It ends with the line "GOD HATES FAGS & LOUSY 'HACKERS!'"
Based on the comments at AnonNews, where the open letter to WBC was first posted, a DDoS attack using the LOIC may be coming soon. The private phone numbers, including some faxes and cell phones, have been posted to that thread.
Idiots. I may not agree with Anonymous' methods, but that's like daring a hungry tiger to come take the meat off your plate. Phelps & Co. are going to get mauled. Frankly, if I were not such a rabid proponent of free speech, I'd have supported some kind of laws against the Phelpsies' loathsome actions. I have long though that pepper foam would be good: the weeping and wailing would be a much more appropriate backdrop for a funeral. However, that's kind of against my principles too. I do think highly of the Patriot Guard Riders. Anyhow, this should be interesting. Break out the popcorn, folks: let's see how long it takes for Anonymous to take down the Phelpsies' website...