'Well, we tell them they're going to Hell.'

So last night I watched that documentary that was on earlier this month: Louis Theroux Meets America's Most Hated Family.

That was a treat.

The family was headed by Pastor Phelps who looked like a more fleshy, but equally frightening, Skeletor, and his daughter, Shelley.

Basically, they picket the funerals of American soldiers who died in Iraq. (As if there could be an acceptable one). Well, they didn't think soldiers should be fighting for a nation that is accepting of 'fags.'

The programme was pretty intense to watch and I don't know how Theroux managed to keep a straight face for some of it, particularly the picketing of a hardware store that sold Swedish vacuum cleaners. No, not because God hates the machines that make household cleaning easier, but because Sweden is a tolerant country in regards to sexuality. So, out came the 'GOD HATES FAGS', 'THANK GOD FOR 9/11', and 'GOD HATES YOU,' pickets. Nice.

I think the best part for me that I actually laughed out loud at, was when Theroux asked Shelley's teenage daughters of they had many friends at school:
'No, we don't have many friends. We have some acquaintances.'
'Why's that?'
'Well, we tell them they're going to Hell.'

Why wouldn't you want to be friends with that?

On a sombre note though, there was a part when the family are standing on the street with their signs and a passenger in a passing car throws a drink at one of the seven year old children (who is holding a sign that says something along the lines of 'GOD HATES YOU' - you get the drift). The carton cuts the little boys face and the family get really annoyed: 'How could someone do something like that to a child?'

I think the person that threw it was probably trying to hit one of the adult members of the family. And I can understand why.

But, to echo the question in regards to seven year old holding a sign that they don't understand the meaning of: 'How could someone do something like that to a child?' That child was hit in the face for something they had no say in, something they were born into and will probably always be involved.

It's so sad that the family message is, 'We're okay, but everyone else is going to Hell.'

Oh, and the woman said the word, 'Hon', after everything she said. As if you couldn't hate her enough already.

xx