Our Opinion: Westboro, you are not welcome on one square inch of Nevada

A t 110,000 square miles, Nevada has a lot of room to move around in.

What we don't have room for is the intolerance and message of hate that members of the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church bring when they protest here.

Westboro is the organization that protests at the funerals of murdered children, plane crash victims and soldiers. Their obscene reasoning is that God ordained those deaths as punishment for this nation's acceptance of homosexuality. They choose high-profile events such as tragic funerals because they are almost certain to get publicity for their sick message.

While the media know we are playing into their hands whenever we send a reporter or photographer to cover these protests, we believe it's in the best interest of the community to know what kind of message is being spread to our children. The group appeared in front of Carson High School on Friday.

Despite a few exchanges, the protesters received little attention from passersby.

"They got no reaction in this community, and I'm so pleased with that," Sheriff Kenny Furlong said. "This is Carson City at its finest."

Assembly Bill 1, drafted in reaction to Westboro's activities, would place restrictions on protests at funerals or other memorial ceremonies. It is currently sitting in the Assembly Judiciary Committee. Concerns about the protection of free speech make it likely the bill will not get out of committee.

Even without AB1, the best response to these people is two-fold. One is to follow the advice of Sheriff Furlong and ignore them. Or, in the event of a funeral protest, to follow the example of the Patriot Guard Riders. These motorcycle enthusiasts have made it their mission to shield funeral processions from sight of these protests with their own American flags and signs of support.

Either way, Westboro's message is effectively thwarted. And theirs is a message Nevadans can live without.