COUNTER PROTEST in IA - Westboro Church @ Drake University, Saturday April 10th

[Shoush]

The Westboro Baptist Church is coming to Drake University to protest the "Same-Sex Marriage Divide" forum held by the law school.

Here's the plan:

6:00 AM (yes, it's early, but we can do it)- meet to make signs and discuss our PEACEFUL counter-protest. Location TBD (we're looking into Parents Hall in Olmstead)

7:30 AM- Walk to the law library and start our counter-protest. During the counter-protest we are going to raise money off of the WBC’s hate-speech. Every time they use hate speech, and/or for every sign they have using hate-speech someone will donate a dollar. Bring your singles!

8:30 AM- End counter-protest. For those who want to follow the WBC to the synangogues around town, now would be the time

10:00 AM- Showing of "The Laramie Project" in Olin 101

OR

10:00 AM- Activities such as tie-dying t-shirts and games. Location TBD (hopefully the same location as the sign-making)

12:00 PM- Lunch served for those who have participated.

Any suggestions for activities would be greatly appreciated. We want to give people an alternative to watching the movie, if they so choose, but we need your input on what you’d like to see happen.

Profits from t-shirts and donations will be sent to OneIowa, AIDS research and Al Snyder, the father who sued the WBC and is now being forced to pay part of their court costs, as well as his own. We will be taking any donations beyond these two methods that people would like to give, so feel free to bring extra money.

Please leave suggestions for activities on the wall, and any other ideas you may have. Remember, keep it PEACEFUL.

This is totally worth getting up on a Saturday morning for and you know it.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=104483389592259&ref=nf

[Demoiselle]

1. DANG! If I lived anywhere near you I'd be there!

All the best.

[Toasterlad]

2. You're Giving Them What They Want

They LOVE when people show up to "counter-protest". It increases the likely-hood that they'll be on TV, and it validates their existence. The best thing to do with these assholes is ignore them. If you want to raise money off them, there are websites that will enable you to take donations for every minute the WBC is out there. Or, you could set up your own. No ones needs to actually be there (other than one person, to time how long they stay). You don't have to acknowledge them in any way, save to leave a sign for them to read:

"Dear Westboro Church,

Thank you for coming to Drake University today, and aiding our fund-raiser for Lambda Legal. We are taking donations for every minute you are with us, so please stay as long as you can! While you're here, here are some other passages from the bible you may want to use in future demonstrations:

'Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord'

'Judge not, lest ye be judged'

'Love thy neighbor as thyself'

Thanks again for you help in supporting Lambda Legal, and have a wonderful day!"

[crumb77]

3. So true

so true. They were in my home town of Long beach recently and the more protest they received, the worse they got. They actually profit and make a hefty sum of those who, understandably, retaliate by means beyond their legal rights. ,

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/carroll/bal-md.protest30mar30,0,5037470.story