brautigan's toothbrush

The WBC are failed lawyers and consummate con artists that have been perfecting their game for almost 20 years. Their con is worthy of a Chuck Palahniuk novel – they go from town to town, antagonizing the residents as best they can, with hateful, homosexuality-obsessed posters that insult beloved community members that have been murdered or died in war.

Their con is viciously clever – they use the “right to free speech” to force their way in to a community, and their victims have to pay the police that have to protect the con artists.  Then they pray for someone to punch them in the noses so they can sue them and continue to fund their crazed lifestyle. It doesn’t matter if they believe what they say or not – their real goal is to find another sucker to sue. If they leave a town without a new lawsuit, that town wins – they didn’t fall for the con.

Their shtick would be a lot funnier if they didn’t bring their single-digit-aged children along and make them hold up signs, too.

Some people seem upset that there was a big turnout in Blacksburg last week to protest against them, since the WBC was quoted in the local media as liking having all the attention. But, they will always spin events to make it seem like a victory for them. If lots of people show up, they claim to be thrilled. If nobody shows up, they claim to be vindicated in their beliefs because nobody cares enough to protest them.

I think it’s great that when they came to Blacksburg, many people showed up and were colorful and silly and happy and peaceful. That’s the best antidote for hate. And the haters had to leave empty-handed, with “LET’S GO HOKIES” echoing in their ears.