The Westboro Baptist Church, the group responsible for protests outside military funerals using slogans such as “God hates fags,” has scheduled a picket of OU’s Jewish student organization Hillel from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Friday.
“[Westboro] is a group that spreads hateful messages about many different groups,” said Roberta Clark, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League’s North-Texas/Oklahoma regional office.
Westboro is based in Topeka, Kan., and regularly stages protests around the county. They have no affiliation with mainstream Baptist organizations. Targets of their protests include institutions they believe support homosexuality, Christian denominations they feel are heretical, Jewish organizations and high-profile funerals, according to the Anti-Defamation League Web site.
“We picked your campus because it is the time for the restitution of all things, wherein God is going to first finish his indignation against the Jews for killing the Son of God, their Savior, and then God will pour out upon 144,000 of those that survive that horrible affliction, a spirit of grace and supplications, and they will, in that hour, need help, and because of this work we will do there and all around this nation in calling out the Jews, I say, they will be looking for us,” Westboro member Shirley Phelps-Roper stated in an e-mail.
The Anti-Defamation League has been monitoring Westboro for years, Clark said.
According to the Anti-Defamation League Web site, Jewish organizations did not become a major target of Westboro until April. Since then, they have targeted dozens of Jewish synagogues and institutions with protests and anti-Semitic literature.
Clark said it is possible nobody will show up for the scheduled Norman protest. She said people only show up to Westboro protests about 50 percent of the time.
Hillel will not stage a counter-protest, said Keren Ayalon, executive director of OU Hillel.
“We are not giving this group, who’s looking for press, any additional reason for press,” Ayalon said.
Clark said she hopes no one attends the protest.
“We want it to be like a tree falling in the forest that no one hears,” Clark said.
Shayna Daitch, OU Hillel President, declined to comment on the protest.
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Sounds like Hillel is doing the right thing.
“We are not giving this group, who’s looking for press, any additional reason for press,” Ayalon said.
I was considering coming to counter-protest, but I'll do my part by staying out of it if that's what Hillel wants.
It should be noted that it is a testament to the general cool-headedness of the American people that someone with a pump shotgun hasn’t waded into their mists during such demonstrations and killed as many possible. The trial of such a gunman would make an interesting news event. I can’t imagine any life insurance company being willing to cover anyone engaged in such dangerously provocative activity. These people use their little children in these protests, putting their lives at risk.
An effective way to counter this group is to exercise our own freedom of speech in a distasteful manner, in a national dialog, speculating about such a scenario. e.g.
“ What if someone pushed over the edge by such incredibly inflammatory rhetoric were to attack this group with a gun or Samurai sword and kill even the little kids.
Surely his prosecution would be very problematic. He would be considered a national hero by many, garnishing instant fame and glory, and probably getting off light.
It would the near unanimous verdict of the country that these people got not only what they were asking for, but what they deserve.”
(If the Westboro people get hare-lipped over such discussion…. Well gee, freedom of speech can sure be a b*tch, huh..)
Fortunately, vigilantism isn't a legal defense.
I agree with OUSooners..i was going to do the same thing but i didn't want to give Westboro anymore attention
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