“We’ve Got Your Back” Campaign Pledge

This afternoon many of us received an email from the President of Diversity Affairs regarding the new ” We’ve Got Your Back Pledge”. In case you haven’t had the chance to read the pledge, or you didn’t get an email (there is a link below) the “We’ve Got Your Back Pledge” is a campaign that is committed to welcoming and supporting all people into the community of Miami University. The campaign is sponsored by the Miami University Associated Student Government and the goal is to get 100% student participation. It is their hope that the campaign will create a community in which everyone feels free to stand up for what they believe in and celebrate individuality.

I think that this pledge is an excellent non violent way to approach the upcoming visit from the Westboro Baptist Church. Many people suggest that we interact with the protestors but I think the easiest and most painless way to react to their picket is for all students to pledge that they will not participate in the protest in any way. I believe that they have every right to be here however I also think that they picket to get media attention and by boycotting them we will  show that we do not support the values and morals they stand for.

Here is the pledge which will be printed out and posted before the Westboro Baptist Church arrives on campus October 25. “Therefore, I pledge, out of respect for the Miami and Oxford community, and to show my support for the “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign, to avoid directly engaging with the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) during their planned protest on campus. While I fully support their First Amendment rights, I do not support hatred or oppression aimed at members of our community.”

Click here to sign the pledge

We Aren’t Doing Anything Wrong

Every day we have soldiers putting their lives on the line so that America can keep it’s freedom and the people of Westboro Baptist not only show hatred toward these peopel but abuse the freedom those soldiers provide them with.  Don’t get me wrong I think they have the right to do it, but it sickens me that they find enjoyment from it. This video is a segment of a program called the Hannity & Colmes show on Fox. The main issue they are talking about is the most recent protest of the church after new legislation was passed in the state of Iowa.

The Westboro Baptist Church was protesting as over 1,000 people gathered for the funeral of National Guard Sargent Daniel Sussner who was killed while on duty in Iraq.The day before the protest the state of Iowa passed new legislation that prohibited disorderly conduct from being closer than 500 feet from a military funeral or memorial service. Mrs. Phelps-Roper is claiming that the church is not doing anything but bringing awareness to the fact that God is punishing us because we will not obey his law. According to the church, one of the many ways he is doing this is by sending home dead soldiers from Iraq.

She continues to talk about how the wrath of God is coming down on America because we will not obey his law. She gets one thing right when she informs Hannity & Colmes that her church is hated by America. Yes these people have the right to protest but I think its sick that they can do it at such a sensitive time in a families life. I thought it was really interesting that Mr. Hannity points out that the fact that they use “religion to justify hatred” is disgusting. For someone who speaks so much about how there are no innocent people Mrs. Phelps-Roper gets very defensive when Mr. Hannity tries to ask her what her sins are. I cannot say that I don’t hate these people and everything they believe in, but if we are going to sit here and say that they need to tolerate gays, Jews, Catholics, etc. we must tolerate them in turn.

Westboro Baptist Church Infamous Signs

“America is doomed”, ” Blame God for 9/11″, “God hates fags”. The Westboro Church of Topeka, KS has long been recognized for their controversial signs filled with discriminatory  and anti- gay language. These signs are widely displayed at their weekly pickets of various organizations across the naiton. Usually the signs are directed at homosexuals, however they also blame God for many of the recent disasters such as 9/11 and hurricane Katrina.

Personally it doesn’t bother me to see these people protesting but when I was researching and found images of their kids standing on the side of the road I got really irritated.   Little kids, no older than six or seven holding up signs that say ” you hate your children” and “fag” is somewhat of a disgusting image. I find it ridiculous that this church is already brainwashing the next generation before they can even understand what is happening.

I don’t know about you but this is not the childhood I would want my kids to remember. These kids will never get to experience the world for themselves because they are tied down to these ideas. Some of my and my parents homosexual friends are the most genuine and caring people I know. These kids will miss out on all sorts of opportunities because of the way their lives have already been shut off from this contact. It’s disheartening to know that these people will sacrifice their own kids childhood just to make a religious statement.

 

 

image from godhatesfags.com