Hundreds of Texas A&M students gathered this week to form a human wall around the funeral service of a soldier to protect his family from Westboro Baptist Church protesters.
Texas A&M alum Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale was killed on June 28 during a training exercise at Fort Bragg, N.C. Tisdale was killed by another soldier who then fatally shot himself.
Tisdale had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the days after the soldier's death, word spread that Westboro Baptist Church members were planning to protest Tisdale's funeral.
Estimated 650 students showed. Westboro was a no-show.
More at the link
_________________ Let us tenderly and kindly cherish, therefore, the means of knowledge. Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write. John Adams
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:17 pm Posts: 13560 Location: New England
Occupation: Professor of Sociology
Westboro Baptist Church chickened out. Or maybe they got this message (posted on the Facebook Wall of Stop the Westboro Baptist Church).
_________________ "Someone should tell Mrs. Reagan that young people -- not even young people on drugs -- are not the ones responsible for the major problems besetting the world!" John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel, p. 370.
That's the best way to deal with the Westboro jerks. They thrive on confrontations so, if (they know) the counter-protesters won't engage them, they won't show up.
_________________ @Orly: "No one is listening to you anymore. And that’s the way it should always be." - Scott J. Tepper (11/5/2012)
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:17 pm Posts: 13560 Location: New England
Occupation: Professor of Sociology
Although the angel wings that Neon posted remain my favorite counter-protest, these University of Chicago kids were not bad:
_________________ "Someone should tell Mrs. Reagan that young people -- not even young people on drugs -- are not the ones responsible for the major problems besetting the world!" John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel, p. 370.
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:17 pm Posts: 13560 Location: New England
Occupation: Professor of Sociology
American Triangle is the video of which Neon's post of the Angel Wings counter-protest of Westboro Baptist Church reminded me. It contains scenes from The Laramie Project, which has now played on the stage and on the screen in much of the world. It is both somber and bittersweet. Watch the open hatred and bewilderment of the old man in the red, white, and blue jacket with the white cowboy hat. Watch the faces of those there to protest hate.
As one of the comments says, this one always brings me to tears. As another comment says, it also brings chills. The title, American Triangle, is deeply meaningful.
I finally found this once I remembered who sang the song.
Quote:
Somewhere that road forks up ahead, To ignorance and innocence Three lives drift on different winds, Two lives ruined, One life spent Western Skies' don't make it right, 'Home of the brave' don't make no sense I've seen a scarecrow wrapped in wire, Left to die on a high ridge fence It's a cold, cold wind, It's a cold, cold wind, It's a cold wind blowing, blowing, Wyoooo-ming!
_________________ "Someone should tell Mrs. Reagan that young people -- not even young people on drugs -- are not the ones responsible for the major problems besetting the world!" John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel, p. 370.
Although the angel wings that Neon posted remain my favorite counter-protest, these University of Chicago kids were not bad:
Considering that fraternities have long been a bastion of sexism, racism and homophobia, it is telling that even fraternities frown on the kind of bigotry expressed by the Westboro Baptist cultists. Fred Phelps and his scum may have inadvertently done some good. By being so insanely hateful and idiotic, they may have personally made homophobia uncool.
_________________ L—d! said my mother, what is all this story about? — A Cock and a Bull, said Yorick — And one of the best of its kind I ever heard. -- Sterne
I liked this guy's interviews. An up-and-coming (no puns intended, Westboro inbreds) Stephen Colbert?
_________________ "What are you talking about, 99? We have to shoot and kill and destroy - we represent everything that's wholesome and good in the world." - Maxwell Smart
Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 11:17 pm Posts: 13560 Location: New England
Occupation: Professor of Sociology
Same theme, different song, rawer: 'Poster Child' by Dutch band "a balladeer"
_________________ "Someone should tell Mrs. Reagan that young people -- not even young people on drugs -- are not the ones responsible for the major problems besetting the world!" John Irving, A Prayer for Owen Meany: A Novel, p. 370.
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Okay, that was pretty damn good, too. Not confrontational, but did highlight WBC's absurdity. A Win, on all fronts! 
