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God Hates Nobody
Jun. 18th, 2005 04:48 pmI have a genuine question. Who actually funds Fred Phelps and Co.?
The thing is that Fred and his clan - since most of the regulars are members of his family - are all over the country. One day they're protesting a school over here, the next they are at a soldier's funeral there. From someone who had to watch his budget for his last trip, and is looking at what he can spend for the next, I just wonder how these guys can afford it.
Sure, I know that when they go out on one of their attention grabbing romps they do seem to schedule several protests in a general area before moving on, but these folks still must have more frequent flyer miles than a chair on the Springer show.
Obviously they must think they are getting somewhere with their constant protesting, but really, is it? He and his group at Westboro Baptist Church seem to be the laughingstock of the whole backlash. He's too far out there for even the more conservative faction that would like to take away our rights. It's probably because he puts his message out far too bluntly and openly for many to follow. Most are scared now to go that far out on a limb, probably because if they are seen endorsing Phelps they will be labeled as too extreme for any other purpose.
Phelps small group of protesters, usually about 20 at any gathering almost always are met with a larger group of counter protesters at any given locale. It seems only when a message is mediated, where the message is sightly turned from "God Hates Fags" to "Protect Our Family" is it judged safe enough for a larger crowd to take part in.
Although there is a long way to go, it seems that there is one triumph of tolerance that has occurred, the masses won't tolerate an all-out hateful message against gays or any other group. The messages of bigotry that we've heard in the past now have to be so watered down, filtered or spun to reach the masses, that it's sometimes more of a subtly brainwashing than the pounding messages of even a few years ago. Even the word "abomination" seems only to play to one crowd - or at least the only crowd that's willing to stand up and cheer for it anymore.
The continuing push for Gay Rights, now a hotbed with the battle for Same-Sex Marriage and other equal treatment does it's best work when it brings the true bigots out of the woodwork, and shows them for who they are. It's good when these people are truly seen by the public. Hopefully they will listen to their words and understand how they are being used, and twisted to promote one thing, but deny others their rights. It's the people who are more subtle, working in the mainstream that can be the most troublesome.
Of course, it works in both directions. They have their Phelps, we have our Act Ups and such. they are the loudspeakers while many more of us go about our everyday lives, making little changes when we can. Many of us are mainstream men and women living our lives who occasionally make mention to our fellow straight coworkers that we are gay, or live with our larger families, or in our churches and organizations. We are subtly changing the landscape too. Not everything is done with a broad stroke of a pen, and vote or a shouting match in a street.
Still, you have to admit that the pride parades seem to be winning out over the protests, probably so much so that the protesters have been staying away. Is it because no one is there to listen to the protester's message, since media rarely puts that on among the snips of leathermen and drag queens on the spot on the 10 o'clock news, or that there isn't much worth to it when they aren't preaching to the choir?
It seems to me that groups like Phelps' are protesting more to rally his own than truly expecting that any change will come from it. Sure, there's a lot of work to try to gain a sliver of media attention, like Donald Wildmon's recent boycott (and retraction of it) for Ford. the word did get out, but it's already known that these boycotts rarely stir many people to action. Is it all just a hope that another supporter will find them for all of their grandstanding?
It seems that Phelps thought that his notoriety from the Matthew Shepard case made him a bigger figure than he really is. His group still pickets several productions of The Laramie Project, which really produces more publicity for the play itself. Now phelps will picket a supermarket opening if he thinks one gay person works there. He's become a caricature of the man he was. of course the signs, almost funny in their offensiveness, don't help.
Still, no matter how far Phelps goes, here's always supporters. Probably ones that won't be showing their faces anytime soon, but are willing to put money to the cause, and keep this guy and his family going. They are out there and it will be our continuing fight to make sure that we show his message is extreme and hateful.
I just wonder if we could get him on the terrorist watch list.
The thing is that Fred and his clan - since most of the regulars are members of his family - are all over the country. One day they're protesting a school over here, the next they are at a soldier's funeral there. From someone who had to watch his budget for his last trip, and is looking at what he can spend for the next, I just wonder how these guys can afford it.
Sure, I know that when they go out on one of their attention grabbing romps they do seem to schedule several protests in a general area before moving on, but these folks still must have more frequent flyer miles than a chair on the Springer show.
Obviously they must think they are getting somewhere with their constant protesting, but really, is it? He and his group at Westboro Baptist Church seem to be the laughingstock of the whole backlash. He's too far out there for even the more conservative faction that would like to take away our rights. It's probably because he puts his message out far too bluntly and openly for many to follow. Most are scared now to go that far out on a limb, probably because if they are seen endorsing Phelps they will be labeled as too extreme for any other purpose.
Phelps small group of protesters, usually about 20 at any gathering almost always are met with a larger group of counter protesters at any given locale. It seems only when a message is mediated, where the message is sightly turned from "God Hates Fags" to "Protect Our Family" is it judged safe enough for a larger crowd to take part in.
Although there is a long way to go, it seems that there is one triumph of tolerance that has occurred, the masses won't tolerate an all-out hateful message against gays or any other group. The messages of bigotry that we've heard in the past now have to be so watered down, filtered or spun to reach the masses, that it's sometimes more of a subtly brainwashing than the pounding messages of even a few years ago. Even the word "abomination" seems only to play to one crowd - or at least the only crowd that's willing to stand up and cheer for it anymore.
The continuing push for Gay Rights, now a hotbed with the battle for Same-Sex Marriage and other equal treatment does it's best work when it brings the true bigots out of the woodwork, and shows them for who they are. It's good when these people are truly seen by the public. Hopefully they will listen to their words and understand how they are being used, and twisted to promote one thing, but deny others their rights. It's the people who are more subtle, working in the mainstream that can be the most troublesome.
Of course, it works in both directions. They have their Phelps, we have our Act Ups and such. they are the loudspeakers while many more of us go about our everyday lives, making little changes when we can. Many of us are mainstream men and women living our lives who occasionally make mention to our fellow straight coworkers that we are gay, or live with our larger families, or in our churches and organizations. We are subtly changing the landscape too. Not everything is done with a broad stroke of a pen, and vote or a shouting match in a street.
Still, you have to admit that the pride parades seem to be winning out over the protests, probably so much so that the protesters have been staying away. Is it because no one is there to listen to the protester's message, since media rarely puts that on among the snips of leathermen and drag queens on the spot on the 10 o'clock news, or that there isn't much worth to it when they aren't preaching to the choir?
It seems to me that groups like Phelps' are protesting more to rally his own than truly expecting that any change will come from it. Sure, there's a lot of work to try to gain a sliver of media attention, like Donald Wildmon's recent boycott (and retraction of it) for Ford. the word did get out, but it's already known that these boycotts rarely stir many people to action. Is it all just a hope that another supporter will find them for all of their grandstanding?
It seems that Phelps thought that his notoriety from the Matthew Shepard case made him a bigger figure than he really is. His group still pickets several productions of The Laramie Project, which really produces more publicity for the play itself. Now phelps will picket a supermarket opening if he thinks one gay person works there. He's become a caricature of the man he was. of course the signs, almost funny in their offensiveness, don't help.
Still, no matter how far Phelps goes, here's always supporters. Probably ones that won't be showing their faces anytime soon, but are willing to put money to the cause, and keep this guy and his family going. They are out there and it will be our continuing fight to make sure that we show his message is extreme and hateful.
I just wonder if we could get him on the terrorist watch list.
