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Arizona Blocks Westboro Baptist Church

January 15th, 2011

What is it about the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) that always captures media attention? They are of course the “church,” (and I use the term beyond loosely) that we all love to hate. Personally every time I see these ghouls on television I marvel that people like this actually exist! They’re like caricatures of real Nazis from the nineteen thirties and forties only thankfully, significantly less intelligent. This past week they announced plans to picket the funerals of the six Arizona shooting victims, including the nine- year old little girl! Fortunately the state government moved quickly to protect the grieving families and prevent this inbred congregation from showing up. How is it that a group of people who presumably call themselves Christians can be so obsessed with death and destruction? What gospels are they reading? A peek at their vile website (something I don’t recommend by the way), reveals their hatred for everyone. They’re anti-Semitic, anti-White, anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, anti-Catholic, anti-gay, anti-Republican, anti-Democrat, anti-American, etc. etc…. Who do you support? The answer is of course no one, except maybe death itself. I’m racking my brain and I can’t think of any place in scripture where Christ treated anyone with this kind of cruelty… even the ones who killed him. Hey WBC, I’m not Baptist, but I am Christian, and I think I can speak for my Baptist friends and say “Change your conduct or change your name!”

The new Arizona law was signed into effect by Governor Jan Brewer on Tuesday. It passed both the state house and senate unanimously and went into effect immediately. The law of course could not address the extremist group directly but applies to all such protests. From what I understand the new law makes it illegal to picket or protest any funeral from within three hundred feet of the cemetery beginning an hour before and ending an hour after the service has concluded. I’m no attorney but this seems like a very reasonable guideline. It’s actually rather insulting that it’s even necessary. Who other than this group would want to protest a funeral for any reason? I would love to see other states including Texas follow suit with similar legislation. Perhaps this is a way we could protect the grieving families of lost soldiers. Until then we can continue to do what citizens of Tucson and other cities have done, namely surround the loved ones with signs and support… and real prayers.

Papa Murphy’s in Tyler…Again

July 21st, 2010

            I realize that someone has probably already posted something on this site about Papa Murphy’s Pizza in Tyler. When several of us were newly hired to write for Tyler TX Directory, there was a mad rush to write about the Pizza places in town since there are so many of them. As someone once said, “a writer must write of what he knows.” Now I have previously stated that Bruno’s in Tyler is hands down the best in town, and I am still of that opinion. But I consider that to be dinning out pizza. Double Dave’s is also delicious, but that too, is eat out food. When it comes to carry out Papa Murphy’s has to be my first choice (and even by that standard it’s only marginally behind Dave’s). Now when I was a younger better fit man (ok that was a while ago), I ate pretty much whatever I wanted and worried not wit about the consequences, but now that I’m approaching middle age I find that I’m more concerned about my diet. Eating most take out in Tyler tends to leave me feeling… guilty and ashamed. Even the take- out pizza I like, seldom leaves me with a sense of well being. I really don’t need to dip my pizza in creamy garlic butter, or stuff the crust of my pizza with thick runny cheese! As good as cheap pizza may taste at the moment; there may be a physical price to pay in the long run. As my priest warns, sin is often pleasurable for a time.

            Papa Murphy’s food is not like other low quality greasy spoons in town. The ingredients are generally more wholesome and at least potentially healthy (depending on your choices of course). Now I am not going to claim that the Chicago Style stuffed pizzas are exactly good for you but they are delicious and for those of us who are conscious of what we eat; PM offers a great “deLite” menu that will leave the calorie counting customer both satisfied, and largely guilt free.  (I realize that’s a pretty tough call for fitness Nazis and other weight- loss gurus). Be that as it may, Papa Murphy’s seems to me to be the best tasting, and generally the healthiest take- out pizza in town. And I say that as a customer who is even now enjoying a slice. For more information on Papa Murphy’s see their website at www.papamurphys.com. To see a menu, go to http://www.papamurphys.com/pdf/PapaMurphysMenu.pdf. For more on Tyler’s various pizza parlors and or buffets look for the following titles or articles on this site: A Pizza a Beer and a Ball Game, The Best of the Buffets, The Worst of the Buffets and Bruno’s, the Best Pizza in Town.