Out of the mouths of children

As foretold by Al Franken, a Durham high school's performance of "The Laramie Project" is being protested this weekend by Fred Phelps' group of gay-haters from Kansas. Their message was clear and consistent.

The good news: no local folks joined them, and counterprotesters outnumbered them by 10 to 1. The sad news:

Phelps' 12-year-old granddaughter, Grace Phelps-Roper, missed school to protest the play. Her wind-reddened fingers gripped a sign that read: "Thank God for Sept. 11."

She said the sign means that people should thank God for everything he does, including Sept. 11, and that they should be glad he did not kill them. She said she's traveled far and wide protesting homosexuality "since I was old enough to do it."