SEATTLE -- It's sort of like a "if a tree falls in the forest..." kind of thing.

The antics of a Kansas family church are capturing news headlines here in Seattle as members spew their own peculiar brand of religious venom.

And much like Isaac begat Jacob, protests by the Phelps clan begat counter protests from people who feel compelled to not let such lunacy go unchallenged.

And so the great debate goes on.

Like the tree falling in the forest, if no one was around to listen to the message of hate from the Westbrook Baptist Church, would there still be any noise?

My answer?

I would hope for thousands who turn out to drown out the warped message that the Phelps' crew is intent on delivering.

Allowing this group of miscreants to have an unchallenged opportunity to grind their hate into a community would be a mistake.

Whether their target is a church or a synagogue; homosexuals or military funerals, these self-proclaimed "Christians" should never, ever be met with silence.

If that means that the Phelps family is given the attention it is so desperate for, than that's the price of assuring that when this particular tree falls in the forest, everyone knows precisely where it's landing.

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