Great job staying classy, Detroit!

So I was flipping through the Detroit Free Press this morning, looking at the local news, and I saw how this community stood up to the bullies of the Westboro Baptist Church. Needless to say, I am happy with how we as Detroiters stood up to hatred without resorting to violence.


Three women from a radical Kansas church protested in front of Grosse Pointe South High School and Christ Church in Grosse Pointe Farms on Friday. The protestors were drawn by the school's production of a play about the 1998 torture and beating death of a gay college student in Laramie, Wyo.

Westboro Baptist Church, which is not affiliated with the mainline Baptist church, has attracted national attention because of its intolerance of gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual individuals. The church also is known for picketing at the funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Westboro members say the military deaths are God's punishment for American tolerance of homosexuality.

The Grosse Pointe Farms protest -- hours before a performance of "The Laramie Project" -- was a quiet affair with little interaction between the protestors and the community.

About 100 Christ Church members stretched across the church lawn, symbolically turning their backs on the protestors' message of intolerance, said the Rev. Bradford Whitaker, the church's rector.

As school was dismissed at 3 p.m., the trio of protestors moved from the church to a street corner across from the campus carrying their signs with phrases such as "God hates America" and derogatory terms for gays.

"We're here to make sure those children understand the hatred of God for homosexuals," said protestor Margie Phelps of Topeka, Kan.

About 150 students quietly watched the protestors while a line of teachers stood in the street in front of them. A handful of students held counter signs, such as "My God doesn't hate."

Most of the teens expressed disbelief at the protestors' language and songs.

"It teaches me a lot of people out there can't respect people being different from them," said Katherine Bowman, a 16-year-old junior from Grosse Pointe Farms.

"I'm just surprised that people like this actually exist," said Christian Giancarlo, 17, a senior from Grosse Pointe Park.

A few of the watching students were to perform in the play that night, including Elizabeth Parker, 16.

"It helped us to see these beliefs do exist," said Parker, a junior from Grosse Pointe Park. "It's scary."

The church group also planned to protest at the Canadian and Mexican consulates in Detroit.

Canadian authorities have blocked their protests in that country. The Mexican Consulate was targeted because Westboro members say they believe there's a link between Catholic priests and homosexuality.


Let me reiterate a few things. The main reason they went after GPSHS was not just because this was a play about a gay man being murdered and the tragedy surrounding this act, but because of the fact that Westboro was humiliated beyond belief at the funeral. Christ Church was just a convienant target for them because they're right next door to the school and hold no ill will toward gays. Canada should be barring the WBC because I would want to ban hate speech, too. Of course, just imagine the Constitutional mess that would be, I think Canada has it down pat. And as for Mexico, grow up. Not every Catholic priest is a pedophile. You can't dismiss the entire bushel because of a few bad apples. In short, the Westboro Baptist Church is out of touch with reality, but thank God they showed so that people understand what barnacles are still latched on to the boat of the human race. Way to go, Detroit, on bringing peace and understanding in an otherwise voliatale situation. And if these filthy inbreds come around here again, I promise I will join you.

Before I go, two things of note. Number 1, I hate you, Butch, you lucky bastard.

Number 2, 500 POSTS! CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON!