Fred Phelps and his group to protest at University of Southern Mississippi

[Maddy McCall]

http://www.printz.usm.edu/

continued on http://www.printz.usm.edu/church.html

snippets:

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. will march their way into Hattiesburg Saturday protesting USM’s support of homosexual organizations on campus.

“We want to make sure the people at USM and the University of Memphis don’t live like the devil himself and to let them know that God does not love everyone,” said Shirley Phelps-Roper, church member and attorney, during a recent phone conversation.


Phelps-Roper and her clan have spent the last 13 years travelling the country protesting near areas that support gay and lesbian events and organizations. She said about 15 members from her church will be near USM on Saturday picketing because of USM’s support of a gay/straight alliance, an ALLIES organizations and a chapter of Amnesty International.


“It’s wrong for two reasons,” said Phelps-Roper. “One, these organizations are in defiance of God and two, the university has no business using taxpayers dollars and allowing organizations like that to publicly exist.”

[bluestateguy]

1. I'd love to see a gay militia

something like a Black Panther organization for gays, which would be composed of gun-wielding gay men and women which would show up at these homophobe picnics just for a show of force.

[Doug Decker]

2. We could never decide on a uniform...

that looks good on all of us.

Just kidding.

:hi:

[trogdor]

7. ROTFLMAO!!!

You're too much. That was funny. Robin Williams should use it in his standup routine.

[apnu]

11. Henry Rollins already has

Check out some of his spoken word about the "Klan disruption team" Now that's funny!

[comsymp]

3. Ask and ye shall receive

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=pink+panthers+gay

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

4. There is a group like that called the Pink Pistols

The Phelps family story is interesting. Fred Phelps apparently was a civil rights attorney in Kansas whose "ticket was pulled" by the state bar. He was a Democrat at the time..not certain if he would still consider himself so except to embarrass us. Anyway, he apparently went on a crusade after an episode involving one of his grandkids at a park in Kansas and that's when he got on his vendetta. Not sure of what the park incident was whether it was just seeing gay activity in the park or something actually occurred.

http://www.pinkpistols.org/index2.html

[Rowdyboy]

5. This sounds like too much fun!

I live 2 hours north of Hattiesburg and I grew up about 30 miles from there. My partner is going to be off tending to his elderly mother so my time is up for grabs...

[Maddy McCall]

6. Mississippians who may want to join Amnesty if they protest....

If you live within driving distance of USM and want to protest, should Amnesty decide to counter the Phelps demonstration, then you can pm me with you email addy, and I will put you in touch with the Amnesty faculty director on the USM campus.

USM's Amnesty chapter will decide whether or not to counter protest tomorrow. If they decide to protest, you may want to coordinate with them, for safety reasons, because if USM's Amnesty is there, you can bet that the University Police will be forced to protect them.


I will be having surgery Thursday, but if I am anyway nearly able to travel, I will drive over if Amnesty decides to protest.

[gratuitous]

8. A couple of tips if you decide to go and confront these maniacs

First, put on your best sense of humor. These folks are grim, fascist and meaner than a box of snakes. They won't hesitate to say the most vile, wretched things right to your face. Be sure you're ready to deflect even the most personal barbs.

Second, you're not going to "reach" them in any way, shape or form. They are utterly invested in hatred, and see opposition or disagreement solely as heavenly vindication that they're absolutely right and correct. Their hatred has become their identity, ordained by God, and sanctioned by the Bible and Fred Phelps.

Third, don't get too close; some of them spit when they talk.

[Jack The Tab]

9. A great way to protest these idiots...

I read this somewhere awhile back, but someone was in their white underpants standing beside them with a big sign that said something like "This guy secretly loves my body" or something like that. It was so hilarious. I really wish I could remember the specifics.

Do they still sell those awful nasty "stink" bombs. They were like these little sulfur capsules, and they were the bane of our high school. They were absolutely awful. It would be a shame if someone dropped them by the Phelps crew.

[John_H]

10. I'm a former USM grad student--If you are going to counter protest, please

PM me for helpful contacts.

[QC]

12. Too bad they're not coming to Oxford.

Would love to "welcome" them with a nice, homomade pie.

[Garage Queen]

13. "We want to makre sure people ... know that God does not love everyone."

Wow. From a "Christian," no less. Pretty much sums it up, eh?

:wtf:

Edited to add: I was not commenting on Christians in general, but on the wholly un-Christian attitude of the Phelps people, who claim to speak for God.

[Parche]

14. Phelps

He is in defiance of God the almighty, by being an ignorant
moron

[Giuseppe]

15. On Counter-Protests...

One clever way of counter protesting I found was having a Phelps-a-thon.

Say you're a member of the Gay Alliance at USM. Find sponsors to donate money based on the time and/or number of people that the Phelpses put in. Have people pledge a dollar per minute or whatever, then when the last sign is packed up, announce how much $ Fred Phelps and Gang raised for your organization.

Good luck.

[Dulcinea]

16. "God does not love everyone?"

Go back to the Bible & read the parts about Jesus's companions being the tax collectors, prostitutes & "undesirables" of society.

And whatever happened to "Love one another as I have loved you" & "Judge not, lest ye be judged?"

Are these people on crack?

I still say Phelps is a closet case.

[veganwitch]

17. jesus *sigh* fucking hippy

probably just said that to piss off his father. adolescent rebellion, nothing more.