What's the difference between 2 presidential candidates and Fred Phelps?

We all agree the Westboro Baptist Church is despicable. Right? We all agree that their protests at funerals, especially military funerals, are shameful. That their signs expressing sentiments like "Thank god for IEDs," "God hates fags," "God hates America," and "God blew up the space shuttle" (always my personal favorite) are outrageous. Their vitriol is universally dismissed. Right?

So please explain to me what on earth makes Rick Perry and Rick Santorum any different from the Westboro Baptist Church. Rick Perry thinks gays are asking for "special rights" when they ask  not to be tortured, imprisoned, or executed simply for being gay. Rick Santorum thinks the US is pushing some silly "agenda" when the State Department announces its intention to side with LGBT organizations that fight back against oppression of gays in foreign nations. Rick Perry equates giving money to these organizations with making "war on traditional American values."

So, really, how are these men any different from the Phelps clan? They may not use the word "fag," but the hate and disgust is pretty much the same.

Perry, the governor of Texas, responded by saying, “Just when you thought Barack Obama couldn’t get any more out of touch with America’s values, AP reports his administration wants to make foreign aid decisions based on gay rights.” He said the Obama administration is making “war on traditional American values” and on “people of faith” by “promoting a lifestyle” they find “deeply objectionable.”

You know what, Rick Perry? I find your statement deeply objectionable. There is nothing moral or right or justified about refusing to stand up against the persecution, prosecution, or execution of LGBT people. Saying we're going to assist organizations that fight back against gay bashing isn't a challenge to anyone's faith.

The bottom line is that men like Rick Perry and Rick Santorum truly believe that gay bashing, that ranting against the scourge of the "homosexual lifestyle," that outlawing homosexual acts are traditional, core American values, values that need to be defended. I'm not stretching Perry's words to come to that conclusion. It's all right there in his statement. And Santorum has made it clear that he believes states should be free to criminalize same-sex sex acts.

The Rick Perrys and Rick Santorums of the world oppose a UN resolution declaring that persecution of gays is a human rights violation and oppose US foreign aid policy sharing this view for one simple reason. They want to be free to continue with their own gay bashing. They don't see persecuting or prosecuting gays to be a human rights violation because it's something they do every damn day of the week. And they won't stand for anyone telling them what they do and say is wrong.