FARK has a hilarious headline for this:
The Westboro Baptist Church, apparently unaware of the assbeating ability of a large group of metalheads, are planning a picket at Ronnie James Dio's funeral.
The discussion thread is full of people threatening to go and do it, too.
Wendy Dio has already made a statement appealing for no violence in Ronnie's name at the service. Kind of a shame, really, because if ever a group of mourners might hurt the WBC bastards it would probably be the crowd from Dio's funeral. But these scum make their living by suing people who accost them at these events. For example, Big Moma Nav, if you spraypainted their signs that would be enough to have you arrested for assault. Then they'd sue you for violating their civil rights, if you have enough money to be worth suing. That's their M.O....
Hey guys, why don't we honor other people's rights of free speech no matter how much we disagree. Let's not be like them and think everyone must only think one way. True freedom is being allowed the freedom to be an idiot if you want. As long as they aren't hurting anybody. Of course, they shouldn't be allowed near Dio's funeral and some security measures should be taken to keep them out. But if they are in a public area away from the ceremony, they have the right.
Like it or lump, the only way to deal with knobjockeys like this is to not give them publicity of any kind.