Sweet revenge. Westboro Baptist got run out of town. The citizens of the ‘Show Me’ state showed the Bastions of Hate the door. Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell did not die in vain.
Now the mongrel churchand their sleazels plan on coming to Prince William County to protest at Woodbridge Senior High School on November 15. After that, they will go to the Coast Guard Recruiting Station. Why is Woodbridge Senior High School any worse than any other school? Casual Observer posted their schedule. I won’t provide a link to their hate site. No free advertising here. They should be ignored. Unless they go on private property, the school won’t see them. Knowing the traffic in Old Bridge Road, they will be lucky not to get run over. Maybe they should go out to Nokesville and protest Ken Cuccinelli’s home. Actually, they should love him. He didn’t sign on the amicus brief against them. 🙄
This is kinda in the realm of what we Manassas area folks have been dealing with, regarding sexually-oriented material. We all have different thresholds of tolerance/offense. Clearly, the WBC protesters have a 1st Amendment right to free speech, because the speech in question is social/political in nature. However, a reasonable member of the community may see the WBC protesters intent to incite or offend. I know I see it this way. So, the challenge is to balance their rights to “free expression,& assembly” with the rights of the families of deceased family members to bury and mourn the deceased. I feel their “right to swing their arms in public” ends where my nose begins. I don’t see this as a religious freedom issue, and the fact that they are organized under the banner of a church, merely clouds the issue. I would feel the same way if a group of social anarchists were doing the same thing.
This is an example of how things should work. WBC does have a 1A right to protest and anyone not aligned with those beliefs can counter-protest.
I think in the end the town was better off for the show of unity against speech that is protected but that I don’t agree with.
And I don’t care if they demonstrate on a school. Big deal. I do care if they demonstrate at military funeral. That to me is our ‘national nose’ that they violate.
I don’t see it as a religious issue either. I see it as shouting fire in a crowded theater. Free speech is not without limits. I do agree somewhat with Steve that I don’t care about their banner. I care about their complete and total offensiveness.
It probably isn’t illegal to urinate on the American flag on Main Street. However, I am also willing to bet that you are going to get the unholy crap beaten out of you before you can get someone to defend your first amendment rights to do it.
Marin, I still think you preach anarchy. We can’t have people demonstrating on everything. In the first place, demonstration is not a very productive means of protest, in this day and age. Military families deserve, no, have EARNED the right to bury their death without these misguided, demonic, perverts attempting to soil and defile the fallen hero’s memory.
I don’t like it when Jihadists use our beief in freedom against us nor do I like these nasty people doing it.
“It probably isn’t illegal to urinate on the American flag on Main Street. However, I am also willing to bet that you are going to get the unholy crap beaten out of you before you can get someone to defend your first amendment rights to do it. ”
Why do I get the feeling that the line to do the beating would form behind MH?
It should be painful to be stupid. Perhaps we have gotten too civil. Back in the day, people that did crap like that got the &*(O) kicked out of them. I am not so sure that wasn’t the best cure.
I am not advocating vigilantee-ism but ……
Steve, let’s put it this way…if I was driving over near Old Bridge Road on the 15th and saw someone pounding the living daylights out of one of those Westboro folks, I would stomp my cell phone to death so I didn’t have to call the cops to save one of their worthless butts.
Steve, at my age, I like to recruit those to dish out the beating…but a girl can fantacize that she is out there meting out a little whup arse.
“Marin, I still think you preach anarchy. ”
MH,
What I find ironic is our (the collective application) tolerance is “issue dependent”, in certain things may enrage one person, while another will say “what’s the big deal?” We (again collective) are going throgh a public debate on obscenity in Manassas. Some are outraged that such things are being sold in the community, while others are outraged that the first group is trying to prevent the sale of something that offends them. Some are ambivilant. Yet here we have what is, on its face, political speech. Very offensive to the “reasonable member of the local community”, yet it is clearly protected.
But the SCOTUS has ruled that there can indeed be reasonable limits on speech. Speech intended to incite, inflame, or provoke can be limited. There used to be a class of speech called “fighting words”, which were considered so provocative to the “reasonable man”, the individual utterring these words lost a certain degree of legal protection if they ended up getting beaten down. In our PC world, we call this hate speech.
MH,
Back in 1970, my Mass. State Trooper uncle was detailed to protect an anti-war demonstration in Boston. The protesters were shouting anti-US, anti-military rhetoric, and dragging Old Glory in the gutter, spitting on her, etc. They passed a construction site. A lot of those hard-hats had American flags decals applied to them. The troopers took the opportunity to admire the local archetecture, and when they directed their attention back to the protest, lo and behold, all of the protesters were beaten and bloody, lying in the street. Can’t say it was the construction workers (all union guys), as the Mass. State Police hadn’t seen a thing.
Will be interested to see what the student body at Woodbridge HS thinks.
I don’t understand how advocating for two sides to be able to have their say in a public forum is advocating for anarchy. I just don’t get the logic of that.
Mr. Thomas has the right to demonstrate against KK or any other business that he disagrees with. I have the right to demonstrate against his demonstrations by either counter-protesting or buying a product from that company.
I think pro-lifers have a right to demonstrate against abortion and I think pro-choicers have a right to demonstrate against those pro-lifers.
I’m not sure how any of that adds up to anarchy.
@marinm
“I’m not sure how any of that adds up to anarchy.”
I’d say it adds up to democracy, provided the demonstration in a lawful place, and conforms to the (few) limitations placed upon speech by legal precedent, doesn’t breach local obscenity laws.
Marin, perhaps it was a collective of all your sentiments that made me say that. I just don’t think everything can be reduced to demonstrations. I would like to see Westboro stopped by court action. 2 sides demonstrating cannot prevent the family members of those that get protested against from being irreparably scarred and hurt. When does a demonstration become a gun fight?
When does a demonstration on any business start to harm that business? When it harms the business is there recourse in the courts?
Cindy, I am not sure what time they are demonstrating. If it is during the school day, the students won’t see them. That is a fairly windowless school set back off the road. They picked the wrong school to make an impact.
I would agree. That’s why I’m perplexed on why I’m an anarchist. 🙂
We can all agree to disagree. I think you and I for example our on the oppisite sides of the KK debate but I respect your right to protest as I think you respect mine to counter.
I think WBC’s idea of protesting a recruiting station that was shot up only a few weeks ago is bad form but coming from an organization that is as hateful as WBC is – I guess I can’t expect much. I think the organization as a whole is beneath pond scum on the evolutionary chart but that doesn’t allow govt to step in and say that can’t spread their hateful message.
@marin, I just sometimes think that you would like no govt law and order and its every dog for himself. That would be what I mean by anarchist. I didn’t mean to insult you.
I also don’t think that we disagree on k ks. I have said nothing about peaceful protest other than when people ask merchants to shut down their business. I would also take very strong objections to photographing people entering and existing.
I think it is plain stupid for Westboro to go protest a place that has been the target of a sniper. What if he/she comes back? I don’t care if they spread their nasty message as long as it isn’t at military funerals or disasters. If they want to go out in the middle of I 95 and spread their message….have at it.
I’m pretty confident that I got photographed when exiting KK and I just hope they got my gunside (its the prettier side of me). A picture isn’t going to intimidate me nor would a live data stream sent to a website or anywhere else. I don’t abide those that would use any such means to threaten or harass people.
For the record, I’m OK with government. I am good with laws and I am good with the institutions we use to safeguard society. To an extent I’m even ok with some social programs to assist citizens. However, I’m not OK with an over reaching government. I’m not OK with an unconstrained government that continues to grow simply to fuel itself. I’m not OK with a government that has enough power and desire to delve into our personal lives. I do not abide that. I do want a government that is constrained by and follows it’s own laws.
Mr. Thomas’ story about hippy bashing did make me laugh as does the idea of a Carmegeddon on I95 (except if I’m stuck in traffic). But, outside of the abstract of laughing about it on a website I side with the 1A. Sure you’re gonna have a lot of blowhards that are just evil but I can’t see us tainting the 1A to protect us from that speech. I think it’s important for people to be able to tune those people out because eventually they’ll get tired of screaming at an empty room and just go home.
“It is easy to defend freedom of speech when the message is something many people find at least reasonable. But the defense of freedom of speech is most critical when the message is one most people find repulsive. That was true when the Nazis marched in Skokie. It remains true today.” – ACLU
They screw up the 2A something fierce but they understand atleast 1 part of the 1A. 🙂
And I am for any government that governs from a firm Constitutional foundation (no stretching, bending spindling or mutilating). Big on all Bill of Rights, ESPECIALLY the 2nd, ’cause it garantees the rest.
And if someone is photographing folks entering or exiting KK’s, please let me know. Really.
I most surely will let you know if I learn of it. @Steve
I am an alumni of Woodbridge of High School and they choose this school, ive heard, is because it is the Center for fine and performing arts and presumably/ignorantly that means it has gay students and that school in general seems to have a higher gay population (no real way to know that obviously) than surrounding schools.
Welcome Drew. How would they possibly know that? They sure picked the wrong school if it is visibility they want.
Know which part?
How would Westboro know that WSHS has more gays than most high schools. Do you think some kid sent them the information?
OMG, a clip from ……….. wait for it……… Fox News, and you believed it? I thought everything they broadcast was fabricated ; ) Just thought I’d throw that in.
SA, I have put many clips on here from Faux News. It all depends on who says it and if I see it elsewhere.
In 2006, Mundy Township in Michigan put an interesting twist on a planned WBC protest at a local funeral home. They sent an advance bill for $5000 in security costs to the WBC, claiming that the WBC had violated a verbal agreement on security. The WBC suddenly cancelled the protest, even though they had already bought their plane tickets. I understand that their reason was that the “Holy Ghost” had advised them not to make the trip. Just in case, however, the township surrounded the funeral home with a number of fire engines and called in police officers from surrounding jurisdictions. After the WBC failed to show, the township stated that they would not pursue payment of the $5000.
I cannot believe these a-holes are going to a school! MH, I am surprised you aren’t having a cow about that, too. How dare these people get anywhere near our kids!
I’m not into violence, so I propose we all go to the school and carry rolls of duct tape with us. MH can restrain. I’ll start taping.
@Pinko–that was my initial reaction. Then I started thinking about the layout of WSHS. The immediate turn off of Old Bridge is private property. They won’t last long if they try that. There is a nic3e copse of trees that shields the school from the traffic on Old Bridge.
They are best ignored. That will hurt them worse than anything. The school is practically windowless. They can’t even get close. They should have done their homework.
The kids are safe. And Westboro are A-holes for sure.
@marinm
What did you buy at KK’s, Marin? And did they card you?
@Moon-howler
Well that’s some relief, anyway.
As far as counting gay people…I doubt there is some kind of census. Drew seems to think Westboro assumes people into drama are gay and that because Woodbridge High houses the drama program, it makes for a good protest site. That kind of assumption and reaction on the part of Westboro wouldn’t surprise me.
Pinko, a video. Was a spoof of a popular sitcom we watch on CBS involving 4 nerds. You can figure out what the video was probably called from just that. 😉
I can’t imagine what the WBC are thinking if they had watched tonight’s airing of Glee. I can invision heads exploding right now.
@Marin,
Glee was great tonight.
Part of me wants to go to WSHS and just smirk in their faces. But ignoring is best. Plus they send their kids out to do their dirty work and I hate that.
WBC are a bunch of anti-American, troop-hating a-holes.
Moon/Cindy,
These idiots will definately be protesting at Woodbridge High when the kids, parents, and staff can see them. WBC will be at WSHS from 7:00am to 7:30am, and at the the Coast Guard Recruiting Station from 8:00am to 8:30am. Here’s the article from the Journal Messenger.
http://www2.insidenova.com/news/2010/nov/09/westboro-baptist-plans-two-local-protests-ar-642805/
@Lafayette, I am sure they will not be allowed on school property. Any idiot in the world is welcome to stand on Old Bridge Road and make fools out of themselves. Maybe they will be there when the buses turn into the PRIVATE PROPERTY where the school is. Wouldn’t want to be them with some of those kids.
Do we really trust the teens of PWC not to throw something out of a bus window at them?
If they show up 7-730 they might just miss the mighty fleet of buses going in. I don’t think for one minute that PWCS are going to allow them down that driveway towards the school. That school is set fairly far back off the road.
They would have been smarter to have aimed at Hylton. That school has lots more visibility from the road. Smoketown vs Old Bridge? If I were white trash looking for a place to hold up a nasty-sign, I would pick Smoketown each and every time. Every person approaching Pot Mills from the Parkway would see me as well as those people going to that huge church over there. They should have done their homework.
Moon,
I don’t doubt they won’t be aloud on school property. I’m not sure why you said that to me. If you ask me standing anywhere on Old Bridge Rd on that stretch is a DEATH WISH. There’ve been several killed along there over the past few years.
I have no idea what teens may or may not do. They’ve been brought up in a PC world and are very accepting.
WBC is not a smart bunch. They clearly didn’t do their homework, but they will be at a location where a couple of thousand are sure to see their stupid a$$e$.
@marinm
LOL! That’s really sick, Marin.
Personally, I hate the location of that store, but I’ve beaten that horse already.
I am asking seriously if you got carded, though, because again, the owners cannot tell if many teens are 18 or over. “Kids” are bound to get in there and possibly purchase.
@Moon-howler
I might throw something at them myself! Grrrr! And these jerks are going to Arlington Cemetery tomorrow?? I hope the motorcyclists show up wearing leather and chains. They’ve protected events like this before.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/10/04/AR2010100406662.html
“Do we really trust the teens of PWC not to throw something out of a bus window at them?”
That would be a feature, not a bug!
@Lafayette
It wasnt AT you, but a continuation of what you were saying.
Razor soup? 😉
@Posting as Pinko
I seriously doubt that would happen. How many kids will go in and buy fancy lingerie? They can’t afford it. We aren’t talking about Walmart prices here.
And I don’t see why the location is bothering you. How do you feel about Spencers at the mall?
Pinko, I don’t mind anyone’s opinion on the store as long as they have been in and seen the situation for themselves.
I totally respect Steve Thomas’s opinion because he went to the store himself and introduced himself, rather than relying on rumor. He and I actually don’t disagree on the subject. We probably disagree on how to handle it only.
@ pinko,
I didnt realize they were coming back to Arlington. I feel confident Rolling Thunder will stop them in their tracks. I am so sick of this white trash group.
I seriously hope they lose in the courts.
Pinko,
I don’t recall if I got carded or not to be honest. I don’t think many 17 year old boys would roll into that store with a firearm on them. I also don’t look like a spring chicken but your free to check out my facebook profile to see if I look ‘young’.
I guess it’s an excuse to go back and buy something else. 🙂
I saw on FB that some people are organizing a counter protest. *sigh* It’s just going to get WBC the media attention they want.
I guess I will go look also Marinm. I would say from the shot of you I saw in 9500 Liberty that you don’t look 17, but to me, everyone looks young.
Hope someone took my photo leaving KK’s Temptations with the Romance Basket (value $200) Kim donated for the Dominion Woman’s Club Red White and Blue Jeans Dance and Silent Auction this Saturday.
Still interested in seeing how the Woodbridge High School student body handles this protest situation. It’s their turf. Here’s how folks in Dallas-Fort Worth handled it:
“The victims of these protests have requested NO ONE show up to stage a counter protest. (However, feel free to show up to their public services & programs.) Making donations to the target organizations is a much more effective way to counter protest. Remember hate breeds hate, so please, don’t attack ANY group. Instead, show love and support to the targets in a loving, effective manner.”
http://ourgiftofmusic.com/wbc/
For example, you could make a check out to Woodbridge High School, c/o their performing arts department and mark your donation “WBC counter protest.” Ask the Coast Guard recruiting station to name their charity and do the same.
There needs to be a way to let them know.
Check this out, too! Gunn High School Sings Away Hate Group
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEiwBCpiA0E&feature=share
Here’s another great one! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmnsH22zYc8&feature=watch_response
@Moon-howler
I don’t like Spencer’s either.
Here’s the principal’s request:
Go to the WSHS page and click on the link under “Letter from Mr. Huckestein – November 10” http://www.woodbridge.hs.groupfusion.net/
@Pinko,
Would you like Spencers more or less elsewhere?
I wish you would drop by KK’s before pronouncing it a den of iniquity.