Westboro Baptist Church Demonstration Near Campus

[hallcity]

From the Chronicle:

Westboro Baptist Church, dubbed “arguably the most obnoxious and rabid hate group in America” by the Southern Poverty Law Center, will demonstrate at noon on Monday on the corner of Erwin Road and Towerview Road, according to Steve Drain, spokesperson for the church.

The notorious anti-LGBTQ+ hate group originally planned to “preach” at Duke Law School, but Duke, citing a university policy barring outside demonstrations on campus, told them they weren’t welcome.

[rsvman]

I think the best thing that could happen is that everybody, including the media, would just ignore them completely.

I mean, "What if they gave a demonstration and nobody came?" (If you understand the reference, you are officially old.)

[OldPhiKap]

(If you understand the reference, you are officially old.)

Should I still not trust anyone over 30?

[DukieInKansas]

I've crossed one of their "picket lines" twice. Had to ask what was up with the first one as there were just 2 people at the entrance to the parking lot. The second one was outside the Lied Center at KU as I was heading in to a concert by the Blind Boys of Alabama - gospel group of octaganarian African Americans that have been singing for 7 decades. Still can't figure out what they were protesting at that one.

[JasonEvans]

I've crossed one of their "picket lines" twice. Had to ask what was up with the first one as there were just 2 people at the entrance to the parking lot. The second one was outside the Lied Center at KU as I was heading in to a concert by the Blind Boys of Alabama - gospel group of octaganarian African Americans that have been singing for 7 decades. Still can't figure out what they were protesting at that one.

We are talking about people who regularly protest at the funerals of fallen US soldiers, disturbing family members who are mourning heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice. I mean you aren't the only person who sees them and can't figure out what they are doing.

I actually met several members of Westboro Baptist many years ago. I was doing a story for CNN in the late 1990s on hate on the web and we went to talk to Fred Phelp's grandson who had started the website GodHates(homophobic slur omitted).com. I also got to briefly interview Fred himself. Listening to him spew insane hate fill me with both fear and revulsion. I was terrified they would find out I was Jewish and do something awful to me (though they are not known for violence). The reality is that almost everyone in the WB Church is personally related to Fred. We are mostly talking about one family here (with a lot of kids in each generation), not a large movement.

And I agree that ignoring them is the best policy. They are looking for a confrontation and to make news. If no one pays any attention, they go away in search of someplace else to make headlines.

-Jason "so when I say 'I have been in the presence of evil' you all now know what I am talking about" Evans

[cspan37421]

for anyone interested in the method behind the madness*, there's an interesting interview with one of Fred's grand-daughters who left WBC and has a memoir about it called Unfollow: A Memoir of Loving and Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church.

https://samharris.org/podcasts/171-e...hristian-cult/




*don't get me wrong, I do think it's madness, but she explains some of its own internal logic, which to her (and me) is based on rather questionable premises