Fred Phelps, patriarch of the hateful Westboro Baptist Church, is dead. You probably know them as the people who picket the funerals of LGBTQ people and soldiers with signs that say “GOD HATES FAGS” and “THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS.”

Yeah, they’re the worst.

News that Papa Phelps was near death broke last week, followed by the announcement of his death days later. There was much rejoicing online. People talked about picketing his funeral, to give his church a taste of their own medicine. They won’t have the chance, though; the Phelps aren’t having a funeral for their beloved leader.

It’s for the best. Protesting Fred Phelps’ funeral would’ve been a terrible idea. Westboro Baptist Church goes out of its way to offend anyone they can think of; their website’s domain name is “godhatesfags,” for Christ’s sake. The only thing that church covets is attention, pure and simple, and they only know how to do it hatefully because they’re tasteless ingrates.

What’s the best way to tick off a group like that? By completely ignoring them. Make it clear that they don’t matter. Don’t visit their website, don’t write about them and punch me in the head for being a hypocrite (but don’t actually punch me).  The only way to take away their power is through total and complete indifference.

I’ve read some blogs that say Fred Phelps’ legacy is one of hate. Others say that his legacy will be the acts of kindness he inspired in people with his hate (see the Angel Action counter protest at Matt Shepard’s murder trials). If you ask me (and you did, kind of, since you’re reading my column), Phelps doesn’t need a legacy. He deserves to be forgotten, not even worth a footnote in history.

The same goes for the still-ongoing Westboro Baptist Church. Stop visiting their vile website, stop publishing articles about them and once again (SYMBOLICALLY) punch me in the head for my hypocrisy.

They’re not worth the effort.