Well folks, I have another serious post for you.
A few years back, my town heard we were going to have some unwanted visitors. Anyone ever hear of Fred Phelps or his family? The family from the Westboro Baptist Church, the ones that make outrageous claims against gay people and the soldiers in Iraq? If you have no idea what I'm taking about, take a minute or two and watch the following videos.
There you have it, nuts in a nutshell. In any case, these people came to my town's Mayor's Cup, and decided it'd be a good idea to protest against our gay mayor and say that he's doomed to hell and the like. This didn't bother me too incredibly much. After all, while Phelps was essentially protesting our mayor's sexuality, he was also protesting the town, and by doing that we united, backed up our mayor, and many joined the "Stop Hate" program. He eventually left... but guess what! He's coming back.
This time, he's not attacking the mayor (who's now out of office), he's attacking our schools. My high school and SUNY Plattsburgh are his new targets. My high school likes to promote tolerance, and therefore started a GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), which a friend of mine was head of, and one of the founders for our school. Many students are members.
SUNY Plattsburgh also has a similar program I believe called the Laramie Project, which they focus on Matthew Shepard, the man who was murdered and tied to a fence for being gay.
All these programs do is promote peace and acceptance. Phelps and his little followers believe however that the people involved in this program are "sinners". So now they're planning a trip back here to protest at our schools.
This infuriates me. Kids, regardless of what gender(s) they want to sleep with have every single right to go to school without being hassled about who they decide to love. I wish I still went to that dreadful little high school, just so I could show them a thing or two. The thing that really gets to me, is the fact that what these people are doing is perfectly legal! This shit needs to end. Protesting should be preserved for things that improve the quality of life for other people, not for things that make people feel shitty about their lives and to promote hatred to a minority.
These people are part of the reason I'm an atheist. I don't want any part of some religious cult or otherwise. I like knowing that I have control of my life. I like believing that you're not a sinner for loving someone. More importantly, it's nice believing that masturbation isn't a sin either... If it is, I'm certainly going to this alleged "hell" faster than anyone else. I accept everyone regardless of their race, religion, orientation, whatever.
I'm not saying people who have a solid religion are all crazy like these people... That's certainly not what I mean. I have the upmost respect for any religion that doesn't preach hatred. These people, however, have not earned that respect.
Anyway, I felt I needed to say something about this. People like this who believe in causing torment in the lives of other people should be locked up and put in a looney bin if you ask me. I think lighting them on fire is a more fitting answer, but who am I to decide their fate.
I more than welcome your thoughts and opinions about anything mentioned in this blog.
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6 comments:
Phelps are his church are nothing new. It's best to ignore them - they are going to keep getting more and more ludicrous until they destroy themselves in the fashion of Jack Thompson.
While it's true that these people are nothing new, I certainly thought I wouldn't see much of these people outside of Maury and maybe MTV's "True Life: I'm an Idiot", but these people are coming to my small town in upstate New York and protesting at a place I grew up... again.
It's just surreal to think these people exist, much less actually coming to my town.
I fully believe it's probably best to ignore them, but I definitely support anyone out there who wants to stand out in the cold and support their friends or themselves that are gay. If Phelps and his fellow crazies are going to exercise their right to protest something as obscene as they are, I certainly think people should protest back, even if it doesn't accomplish anything.
It's just the extreme form of what has been running this country for the last 8 years...ideology over intelligence. I believe Dr. Drennan said "A leader that leads through ideology, doesn't lead at all" or something like that but worded better, I wrote it down.
My best friend's parents are activists in Hong Kong, who often go against several of the Hong Kong government's policies. I think it's perfectly alright for it to be legal if the cause is for the betterment of society.
But this certainly isn't, and being bisexual myself, I appreciate schools that promote tolerance. I just think these are a bunch of extremists, like Wendy said. I'd be willing to hear their accusations and beliefs if their judgment wasn't derived from completely ridiculous premises, and if they were willing to acknowledge the fact that these our sensitive topics to us, and that we have strong feelings concerning this issue, too.
Oh well, I tend not to listen to anyone that protests nowadays. There are too many people that act loony.
Michael.
"People like this who believe in causing torment in the lives of other people should be locked up and put in a looney bin if you ask me" That sounds about right. Like you said, I think it's great if people have a soild religion and something to believe in, but when they use their religion to make others people's lives suck, thats just not right.
Stop Hate wristbands and stickers can be purchased for $1 at:
Under One Roof Video Store
267 Margaret St
Plattsburgh, NY 12901
www.underoneroofvideo.com
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