UW Stout Responds to Westboro Protest & Bigotry

4/10/08, WBC decides to Picket at Stout because we lost 3 students in a house fire last weekend--they feel the need to invade our lives and profit from our suffering...

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• phelps
• stout
• menomonie
• protest
• picket
• westboro
• baptist
• church
• bigotry
• hate
• speech

[Thanks4Nutin]

I don't understand, if you guys completely circle them why the hell don't you atleast take their signs from them. Even if they have cameras they probably wouldn't see. Even if they can't arrest an entire student body.

[mLswanson]

Because despite their redneck appearance--don't be fooled--most of these people are either lawyers or have lawyers in their family. They know EXACTLY what they can get away with and still be able to sue your ass over... they get you riled up so that you'll touch them or say just the right things--and then they slap you with a law suit--sadly, they usually win too! My fellow students did just the right thing in this situation, though a few came close to crossing the line here and there...

[Emyrald317]

Everytime these cowards go out and picket with their hateful messages they should be charged with inciting a riot! Their actions go beyond freedom of speech, How about the families who lost loved ones rights when these cowards are out picketing?! The cops should stay away! They deserve any street justice they were met with!

[mLswanson]

I couldn't agree more. They do everything they can within the current law to incite and encourage violence against them. They are shameless martyr's for a worthless cause. I truly hope that someday, someone shows some bravery and changes the legal system to protect the innocent and peaceful victims of their abuse of the first amendment. The law should not allow them to do what they do. They are filthy hate mongers and I am truly amazed they have been able to operate as they have for so long.

[mvpriebe56]

I'm a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. We attend the funerals of American servicemen and women (only when we have been invited to do so by the family). We show support for the family and we honor the fallen soldiers, and when these sick and twisted, and yes, evil WBC freaks show up we shield the family from them as well. I am proud of the U W Stout students who stood outside in the cold yesterday. I pray for the families and loved ones of the students who perished in the fire. God bless.

[graniteballoon]

I'm a retired Stout professor, and I want to say that I'm Very, Very proud of you guys for shaking your fists in these wingnuts' sorry faces! God, I love you all!

[locke2523]

....Please, don't take these insane bigots as examples as Christians. I don't even consider them as such. What they're doing is... wrong o.o But sadly, its not all that hard to warp things until they sound the way you want them too. It scares me that people actually... believe in this nonsense, and openly support it. I can't help but hope karma kicks them in the ass.

[tycoonmike3]

The problem being you've already done it. You've already taken them on and, as the video shows, won. You didn't defeat them, though. As I said, only by using their own theology against them can you win, and what's better is that they cannot sue you for doing so in a calm, reasonable manner because you can turn right around and sue them for doing so in an offensive, unreasonable manner.

[mLswanson]

Nobody will ever take them on... they have a church full of in-bread lawyers who make a living out of exploiting loopholes in the law by suing the very people they go out to picket and intimidate. It's a sick and twisted perversion of the legal system and it's how they fund their discrimination and hatred efforts around the nation. It's scary what just a few dozen wacko's can do to ruin things for everyone!

[GeoWing2]

well see thats the thing they cant do this shit anywhere else. i mean where would they go the would get arrested for this shit

[tycoonmike3]

The beauty of their protests is that they are all illegal according to the US Supreme Court Case of Hustler Magazine v. Falwell. The idiots at WBC intentionally cause emotional distress with their picketing and thus, under the ruling, could be sued for libel.

[scorpianofthesun]

You have a really good point. I'm not trying to make up an excuse, but I think it's a lot easier to get mad at the person rather than what youy should really be getting mad at.

[analyticSynthetic]

I'm not saying I believe that by the way. I'm not a Christian.

I'm just saying that the Bible says alot of evil and hateful stuff and the Phelps aren't actually lying about what it says. People should stop getting angry with them and start getting angry with their religion.

[analyticSynthetic]

What they're saying may be incredibly insensitive and offensive, but the point is that they are only saying what is in the Old Testament.

It says God hates all these various people and that he sends punishments and death and that everything that happens, happens thanks to God.

It seems to me that people shouldn't be shooting the messenger, but having a look at what is actually in the Bible.

America is a bit schitzophrenic over Christianity. They don't seem to want to acknowledge all of it.