Sometimes doing this list forces me to do new things and sometimes it just facilitates it. Number 93 is to go on a demonstration. In this case, I'm not going just to check off a list item. I was moved to go and it just happened to be a list item. Our fair town of Savannah will be visited this weekend by a hate group. In particular, the infamous Westboro Baptist Church will be on our shores on Sunday to spread their message of intolerance and I have decided to participate in the counter protest. If you are unfamiliar with this group, here are some photos from previous protests:
I felt the need to do my civic duty and go throw rocks at them but them I remembered that I live in America and we have the freedom of speech and all that good American stuff.
I REALLY liked this idea
but, again, America...even these douchebags have the right to be heard (sigh). So, the counter protest was pretty much my only option.
Now... for my sign (because it's not enough to just stand there.) Here are some ideas I found from some of the other counter protests against the WBC:
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This was a popular one   Profound...  and...  I am certainly not bold enough to go with this last one and I promised my mom I would behave myself according to the way I was brought up so I'll have to think of something milder. Hmmmmm....still thinking May 22, 2011- They're heeeeeere! We were reminded again and again that ours would be a peaceful counter- protest and they asked us not to say anything nasty so I decided to only be a bad hostess during their trip to the Hostess City. I would offer them no refreshing beverage nor a comfy chair. So there! We received an email this morning warning us to wear any medic alert bracelets or dog tags we had in case we passed out from the heat; it was supposed to be close to 100 degrees today! Didn't care; off to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist! With me on this adventure was my friend, Gaby, who told me she had always wanted to go to a demonstration. She said she couldn't go in the past because of risk to her husband's military career. ( For those who don't know, before 1983, a soldier's evaluation report included a place for his wife to be rated). Her husband retired and then passed away so she figured it was safe to go now and I was able to take this five-foot stick of dynamite with me. Here we are in Lafayette Square before the demonstration with our signs:  Her sign says" Love is Greater than Hate" in symbols and mine says "God Hates No One" in Latin.  I was rather sad that all this nastiness was occurring right here in this particular spot. I had my very first teaching assignment at Notre Dame Academy here on this square. Our first art project of the year was always to draw this fountain in the square (above). You can see it behind Gaby and me in our photo. We used to wave to the trolleys and have picnics in the square and we learned about the Hamilton-Turner House and the Andrew Low House and the Flannery O'Connor birth house, all on this square, as well and, of course, we attended mass at the cathedral. I had lots of good memories here and I didn't like strangers coming in and saying this was a bad place. Still...America... first amendment...if I wanted my rights, I had to honor theirs. We got there about half an hour early and chatted with other protesters and the Savannah Police, people from the cathedral and some of the news reporters. Here, we are in the news report from our local NBC affiliate: |
The counter-protesters lined up and waited for the hate group.
The group arrived surround by police. I heard on the news that there were over 200 police assigned to this protest. I couldn't believe the audacity of these guys!! The leader got out of their vehicle with an American flag, held up one end of it, dropped the rest on the ground and STOOD on it
Many in the crowd asked the police to stop her but they said nothing could be done. She continued to abuse and desecrate the flag in ways I won't honor with blog space. The organizers of our group pulled someone with a flag up to the front and everyone cheered.
The hate group continued to try to bait the crowd but it remained peaceful and dignified on our end.
The monsignor, my old boss, stood on the stairs of the cathedral during the whole protest. A weird photo effect happened in this photo. Look at the people beside and in front of him. They have "halos."
They left exactly at the scheduled time (again escorted by the police) to a chorus of "Na na na na, na na na na, hey, hey, GOODBYE!"
Here we are after the protest trying to cool off in the extreme heat at The Mellow Mushroom
Good for you! It's definitely something worth protesting for. I hope you can think of a funny sign. All the best with the rest of the list, chocs ;)
ReplyDeleteWhat a great opportunity to cross this off. Good luck and I hope you get a great sign!
ReplyDeleteI really hate that I didn't find out about the counter demonstration/line of love held against Westboro during Elizabeth Edwards funeral here in NC but I'm sure I'll get another chance. Now I really want it to be against Westboro though.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember where it was but I saw a rather recent counter protest where the highway was lined for MILES with community members welcoming the fallen soldier home. I read that most of the Westboro people couldn't even make it out to protest because their cars were "mysteriously" blocked by trucks in their hotel parking lot and as it would happen, all the tow trucks in the area were busy for several hours. Those protestors that didn't get blocked in were taken in and held by the police under suspicion of being involved in a recent crime. They were found to be innocent and were released several hours later.
It's sad to think that there are people that are STILL that ignorant here in America. I'm glad you were there to counter their actions/words. I loved the "f this guy" sign... too funny!
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