The woman who posted is from a fairly conservative church and even they got picketed once according to her.
You guys, in all honesty it is best to just ignore Fred Phelps and his gang as they can't be reasoned with. They will stand there and argue until they are blue in the face, they are so brainwashed. We use to live in Topeka, Ks. and you learn pretty quickly to either ignore them or act civil with them...one time they tried to pickett our church because a college associated with our denomination was supposedly too liberal and supported Gays ... some of our deacons went outside and invited them to come in and join our church service and it was so funny they immediately left ... anger doesn't get anywhere, but kindness burns them.
What really burns them is to ignore them though, they do all this for public attention and if you don't give them any public acknowledgement they will feel slighted
They have to go other places now, because they don't get the rise in Topeka like they use to be able to...the more places ignore them, the sooner they will start to fade into the woodwork of the local looney bin.
First of all I did know (not well and haven't seen the person in a long time maybe 7th grade) in the crash. I can't imagine what it would be like to be someone in the direct family. You are looking forward to seeing them and then this happens. Dealing with that is tough enough. But then on top of that you have people saying that your loss of a loved one is because God is punishing you.... I can not imagine what I would do if I was one of the people in one of those families. I would hope that I could deal with it, and not lose it, but I wouldn't blame anyone who was there and saw a protester and decided to go after them. That is why I think the Angle Idea is such a good idea. Yes it is a very respectful and symbolic gesture. I think is also helps guard the family of loved ones of the people who where lost.
Now in terms of the News coverage of it. That is where things get tricky. I think people need to know the entire story. The problem is how do you do it in a respective way that isn't "Dirty Laundery" yes sometimes the news exploits victims for their own gain. What I would suggest is news copter up high enough so you can't hear them and they all zoom in. Then each station sets up maybe a few thousand feet away and they set up places where if people want to talk they can on camera. I will admit it is a tricky thing and there is a lot of gray area on it should be covered. I think the news stations need to understand that if they just film the protesters a certain way that could make them more fired up and get things out of control. The news is there to record what happens and not make the news.
This disaster isn't really all that distant. I know of at least four people personally who knew someone on that plane and I also know that two within Roswell have lost family members. I didn't know anyone so I will not be attending the service but will be outside of it.
(e:janelle), I certainly didn't intend to imply that you haven't thought about this. I just wanted people to think of that point that I was trying to make and that is that this is a way to honor the victims as well as to protect them. I am also praying for the families and for the people who have died and I also decided to take action. You have too and I respect that. I don't know if I completely agree that the news should not include something which I actually think is newsworthy. I do think that the news should not focus as much on the hateful messages of a few but rather the communities response to this hate and the show of support that was caused by it. Of course, the most important thing for them to focus on is the stories of the lives that were lost. Those people were valuable to this community.
I feel much the same way.
I am not affected by the crash, thankfully. It is a disaster like any other, distant and unfamiliar. I feel bad for the people involved, but going to the service serves no purpose. I would go to the service entirely out of spite for Phelps.
(e:Paul):
I ultimately decided to stay away because I don't know a single person who died in the crash. I would have never considered going if it weren't for Phelps.
Friday, I e-mailed Buffalo ABC, CBS, and NBC news stations asking them to keep the focus on the loss of lives and to not report on Phelps and his group because they thrive off of the media spotlight.
I'll also be praying for the families on Sunday; praying for the people who are going to the memorial to show support; and praying for way to turn the evil into good.
How are you going to react to it Janelle? I am at the point where I don't even think I can go because I feel like I couldn't handle myself.
(e:Libertad) - "Think about it."
I have thought about it. I think a lot of people are thinking right now about how they would feel if they were the families; how they feel knowing that this person is coming to town; how they feel that this group says they are Christians.... how they would or should respond to it....
I think there are a lot of valid responses to this situation. I'm not judging anyone's decision how to handle it. I just thought I would share one person's very real and personal experience with this group and their resulting opinion.
I've made my own decision how to respond to it after a lot of thought generated by all these posts. The beauty of e-strip =)
Oh the other hand, if I had lost my family and went to a service for them, I would feel miserable if people were shouting slogans against my family. :(
So if I knew people were showing up in support, I would definitely feel a little better.
This really isn't a protest. This is just going to be a show of support for those who have lost loved ones. These people are coming from out of town with a goal of hurting people who are already suffering. The way that we respond is essential here. What that woman said is important. These people can not be reasoned with. I have a lot of experience dealing with religious extremists already, although the ones that I have dealt with wouldn't sink this low.
I feel fairly certain that those attending the services will feel some comfort knowing that so many people can mobilize within days in order to respond to this evil. The times that I have been hurt the most by hate is when others knew that it was happening but didn't come to my defense. Think about it.
I agree with this in a lot of ways...it is best to ignore them...however, they like to show up to things were people want/need to be...ie, they came to New Paltz when people where getting married... are you just not going to show up to a wedding? And same with this...going to a memorial service where people want to show their respect to the dead...therefore, I think the best way to deal is SILENT protest...don't give them any attention what so ever. It's tempting, but they've been at this for years and haven't changed so why bother?
So maybe this angel protest is misdirected?