Would anyone be interested in a peaceful, quiet counter-protest against the WBC?
It's the Westboro Baptist Church, and they're the kind-hearted folk that like to picket soldiers funerals (wtf?) and carry around signs that say "God Hates Fags" (seriously wtf?). They also hate Catholics and Germans and Scandanavians and the list goes on and on and on.
Anyway, they're coming to Portland State University (where I go to school) to spread their hate and generally annoy people...and I was going to show up with some signs along the lines of "Peace Love and Equality", "God doesn't hate", etc. Why are they protesting PSU? We have a Queer Resource Center and gender neutral bathrooms. Oh, the depravity? I just don't get it. They say that rape and murder will happen because of these bathrooms...wow.
One other reason why I feel the need to counter-protest (after all, I believe in protecting free speech, so really the only retaliation I can use is to exercise my right to free speech in protest) is that after they make their rounds in Portland, they are headed for my home town. Silverton, with maybe 9,000 people? Yeah, we did just elect the nation's first openly transgendered mayor (fuck yeah I voted for him! he's a good politician!). And for all that I hated growing up there, I'm rather protective of the fact that it is a quiet, generally good town (yes, a cop shot that Irish kid and it went national...but that was a bad-egg situation) that should not have to deal with people like this. We don't want obscenities used on the streets where children are walking (they're protesting at the courthouse-right by the library), and they have some pretty obscene signs. I think the vast majority of Silvertonians think that A: God really doesn't hate and B: Public displays like the WBC has previously put on are unnecessarily inflammatory and nobody really wants to see it.
SO to sum up...these people are attacking where I go to school and where my family lives. Let's let them know that the hate-speech they bring is not welcome in our state.
On one last note: these people make all their money by bringing lawsuits against people/groups who attempt to disrupt their right to free speech and public assembly. So we can't interfere with their protest in any way, but we can let the people of Portland know that there are people who care enough to publicly disagree with them.
It's the Westboro Baptist Church, and they're the kind-hearted folk that like to picket soldiers funerals (wtf?) and carry around signs that say "God Hates Fags" (seriously wtf?). They also hate Catholics and Germans and Scandanavians and the list goes on and on and on.
Anyway, they're coming to Portland State University (where I go to school) to spread their hate and generally annoy people...and I was going to show up with some signs along the lines of "Peace Love and Equality", "God doesn't hate", etc. Why are they protesting PSU? We have a Queer Resource Center and gender neutral bathrooms. Oh, the depravity? I just don't get it. They say that rape and murder will happen because of these bathrooms...wow.
One other reason why I feel the need to counter-protest (after all, I believe in protecting free speech, so really the only retaliation I can use is to exercise my right to free speech in protest) is that after they make their rounds in Portland, they are headed for my home town. Silverton, with maybe 9,000 people? Yeah, we did just elect the nation's first openly transgendered mayor (fuck yeah I voted for him! he's a good politician!). And for all that I hated growing up there, I'm rather protective of the fact that it is a quiet, generally good town (yes, a cop shot that Irish kid and it went national...but that was a bad-egg situation) that should not have to deal with people like this. We don't want obscenities used on the streets where children are walking (they're protesting at the courthouse-right by the library), and they have some pretty obscene signs. I think the vast majority of Silvertonians think that A: God really doesn't hate and B: Public displays like the WBC has previously put on are unnecessarily inflammatory and nobody really wants to see it.
SO to sum up...these people are attacking where I go to school and where my family lives. Let's let them know that the hate-speech they bring is not welcome in our state.
On one last note: these people make all their money by bringing lawsuits against people/groups who attempt to disrupt their right to free speech and public assembly. So we can't interfere with their protest in any way, but we can let the people of Portland know that there are people who care enough to publicly disagree with them.
VIEW 3 of 3 COMMENTS
saltlord:
super sick! I had no Idea that they hit PSU. I hate walking the park blocks during lunch time because of jerks like that. I work hard enough just to pay my bills, I'm shocked how these types of people keep staying afloat. I wouldn't be surprised if it's not all bullshit to get people pissed at them so that they can file a lawsuit.
onesandzeros:
While that's a bit far from me, I wish you the best of luck. I honestly think anyone who would go to any soldiers funeral and cheer on the use of IEDs should be deported, free speech or not.