Thank you, Tony Blair....

Recently, the self-styled "reverend" Fred Phelps has started organizing protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq. His premise is that since America has chosen not to condemn homosexuals, that God has therefore withdrawn any blessing from the US, and in fact now hates the entire nation. Thus it serves the soldiers right, for fighting for a queer-loving nation like the US.

This sickens me. Phelps always has sickened me, to be honest; when I think obsess about the evil he spouts, I can feel my blood boiling (which is exactly what the bastard wants...dammit). He uses the Bible just as Hitler did - to kill, hate and destroy. There are very few people who I believe truly fit the description of "pure evil" - but Phelps is one of 'em.

But help has come from across the Big Pond, from our British cousins. In an interesting exercise, I took this article from CNN.com, and modified it ever so slightly. (I was originally going to link to Phelps' website to show some of the most awful protest images - with the poor saps smiling as they hold signs like "God Sent The IEDs" - but to be honest, I don't want to give them a way to link back here. You can see the horrific images yourself...)

British Prime Minister Tony Blair has announced new measures to deport and exclude from UK those advocating hatred and violence.

Blair, speaking nearly a month after deadly bombings on London's transit system, said Friday the UK's human rights act would be amended if necessary to counter Islamic religious extremists.

The government also plans to draw up a list of extremist Web sites, book shops and organizations that promote these extremists, he said.

"Let no one be in any doubt that the rules of the game are changing," Blair told a London news conference, his last before breaking for a summer holiday.

The prime minister said the Government plans a one-month consultation period to determine new criteria for excluding and deporting people from Britain.

"We will establish, with the Muslim religious community, a commission to advise on how, consistent with people's complete freedom to worship in the way they want, and to follow their own religion and culture, there is better integration of those parts of the community presently inadequately integrated," Blair said.

Blair said new legislation, which is expected to be passed by the end of the year, will also outlaw "indirect incitement" of terrorism.

The measure is seen as an effort to crack down on extremist Islamic pseudo-religious clerics who glorify acts of terrorism.

Oh, and Mr. Phelps - there are lots and lots of Marine and Special Forces men and women who are friends of the soldiers whose funerals you've been picketing. And may your so-called God help you if some of those folks ever catch up with you...