Members of the Westboro Baptist Church were quick to react on Twitter, in their typical, hate-filled language, to the news that Congress passed a bill that would limit the group's activities. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 includes a measure that bans the picketing of military funerals two hours before or after a service. It was a response to a 2011 Supreme Court ruling that said the church's activities were protected by the First Amendment.
Church member Margie Phelps responded directly to HuffPost's report:
Fred Phelps Jr. tweeted what he saw as the silver lining: He assumes the measure would ban the "human walls" that have sprouted up as counter-protests in places like Texas and Missouri. He also said that lawsuits would be inevitable:
Rebekah Phelps-Roper also tweeted about the "walls," with some added snark:
In a separate tweet, Margie Phelps used one of her favorite words -- one that's offensive to many -- to describe not only Congress but the entire country:
Twitter is a favorite medium of the church's members, who use the popular service to rapidly respond to press coverage, frequently using offensive language. They also take to the service to announce new protests.
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