Published Sep 2, 2009
I had heard of the atrocities carried out by Westboro Baptist Church and its bigoted pastor Fred Phelps before.
I knew that the church had been picketing at fallen soldiers' funerals, holding signs with "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates the USA," written on them.
But it wasn't until 2005, when Phelps and his more than 70 followers came to my hometown to protest a soldier's death, that I realized the extent of the controversy.
I had never had to face a national scandal like that before.