Message to Westboro Baptist Church: Stay the hell away from Joplin!

Not all neighborhoods in the city of Joplin were hit by the tornado that ripped through this community Sunday evenings, but there is not one person who lives here who has not suffered through the aftermath of this horrendous event.

For me and other teachers in the Joplin R-8 School District, the hardest thing has been waiting to hear if one of our students is among the 125 casualties that have been reported at this point.

Yesterday, I heard that one of my students was seriously injured and is recovering from a Springfield hospital. On KZRG, I heard a plea from a woman asking for information about one of my former students. I checked the girl's Facebook page. She has not posted anything in several days.

For the last three days, I have been talking with students who have lost their homes, their belongings, and almost every connection with the lives they had led before Sunday night.

One girl called me Tuesday. Her home had not been touched, but she had been in the tornado area and had seen dead bodies as she struggled for survival. Nearly all of her friends lived in the apartments behind Wal-Mart. They all survived, but they had scattered, and now were far from Joplin.

Last night, a former student, who has graduated, called to make sure I was all right, and then told me a harrowing story of how she survived being on Rangeline when the twister hit and somehow managed to make it to safety, but not before viewing mangled bodies, complete destruction, and seeing visions that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

It is a time when the city of Joplin needs to be fully involved in the recovery process. And now, when all emergency personnel are virtually working around the clock, another nightmare is making its way to the city in the form of the Rev. Fred Phelps and his twisted followers from the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan.

At a time when police officers have far, far more important things to do, a time when President Obama will be in Joplin to help this community with its healing process, some will be diverted to protect these hate merchants.

The Supreme Court has ruled that Phelps and his family of vultures are allowed to do this because they are engaging in protected free speech, as well as exercising their freedom of religion.This allows them to protest at soldiers' funerals and anywhere else where they can spread their perversion of the Lord's name.

At a time when everyday citizens are being prevented from traveling where they wish (and rightfully so) by emergency workers, there is no reason why the Westboro congregation should be treated with deference.

If they want to exercise their freedom of speech, let them do so at a safe distance from this community. Our lives have been altered forever by the events of Sunday night. These looters of dignity and decency should be afforded the same treatment as the other looters who have exploited this situation.

The message should be delivered loud and clear:

Fred Phelps, stay the hell away from our city!