Should I counter-protest Fred "Whackadoodle" Phelps?

[TimCallahan]

I think if the media shows up and it's just Phelps and his little family with protest signs, they look even more pathetic than if there are counter-protesters there. Counter-protesters would convey the message that there is some kind of controversy, and controversy sells. I think it's much better for any news reporters just to find a sad little disturbed family with their hateful signs.

Here's where the media could show a little responsibility. Were they to boycott Phelps and company, then his demonstrations might die out entirely.

Alternatively, if someone could bait Phelps & co. into a some sort of violent action, then the police could wade in with batons swinging.

 

[Wildy]

Mainly because those were the two best examples of religious right-wingers receiving a justly deserved ass-kicking that I could think of at that moment. Also they are the two events that the kooks dredge up when they complain about the "evil, socialist, liberal, atheist, police state" that wants to take away their property, god, and, guns.

I love rubbing their noses in it!

That doesn't really answer my question.

Why Ruby Ridge?

 

[westprog]

What part of "I don't care" did you fail to understand?



Oh yes, the "you atheists are just as bad as the fundamentalists" meme. Typical.

Well if it's a meme, then it must be bad.

However, my observation - based on your posts here - is just that you appear to be as bad as Phelps. Obviously wanting to shoot people you don't like on an internet forum isn't as annoying or upsetting as shouting at funerals, but the opinions seem much of a muchness.

For all I know in real life you're a sober, sensible person who hardly ever shoots anyone for being episcopalian - and Phelps is barking mad in all forums. But I can only go by what is said.

 

[westprog]

Here's where the media could show a little responsibility. Were they to boycott Phelps and company, then his demonstrations might die out entirely.

Alternatively, if someone could bait Phelps & co. into a some sort of violent action, then the police could wade in with batons swinging.

The one thing the media never, ever do is ignore people who need ignoring. "Sorry sir, your conspiracy theories are boring and tedious. However, shoot up a school and we guarantee your picture on the 9 o'clock news, and two million hits on YouTube for your video."

 

[RenaissanceBiker]

Can you counter-protest with a wall of people carrying acoustic panels?

 

[Arcade22]

No, don't sink down to their level.

 

[CurtC]

Alternatively, if someone could bait Phelps & co. into a some sort of violent action, then the police could wade in with batons swinging.

While it would be entertaining, I wouldn't want the Phelps clan to be made into martyrs for the nuts. That's what's happened now with Waco and Ruby Ridge - the government stepped in with too much force and now the nuts see the fringe groups as heroes.

An example that the government handled correctly was the case of Ed and Elaine Brown a couple of years ago - a couple of tax cheats protesters who holed up in their remote property instead of giving themselves up to serve their time. The feds waited patiently until there was an opportunity to calmly arrest them.

 

[Hokulele]

I heard of a cool counter-protest once. Basically, you'd get people to pledge donations to a cause the Phelps were protesting (in this case, a local GLBT advocacy org). This pledge would work by the clock, meaning that individuals would pledge to donate a specific amount per hour the Phelps protest lasted.

The centerpiece of the counterprotest on site would be this huge counter thing showing the amount made so far, displayed so it would be easily readable by both the bigots and any cameras around.

I guess the rest of the counterprotest would just be people pointing and laughing.

Whatever you do, if you go there, have a good time and don't get angry. Do something fun or silly, preferably something you enjoy and they condemn. Wear mixed fiber drag, eat shellfish, have a beer. Arrange a gender-bender squaredance.

And the winner is ... ThatSoundAgain!

 

[AkuManiMani]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm a mean old wanna-be Nazi. I get that.

What I want is this to be OVER! I don't want to hear about the Phelps and their followers. I don't want to hear about the Texas School Board. I don't want to hear about the RCC, the LDS, Focus on the Family, the Catholic League, the Discovery Institute, NOM, The Family, Rick Warren, Pat Robertson, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Peter Poppof, Scientology, UFO's, ghost hunting plumbers, alternative medicine, global warming Deniers, post-modernism, "The Secret," Uri Gellar, James Van Praagh, Sylvia Browne, etc., etc., etc.... You get the picture?

I'm sick of going coming here, Pharygula, Atheist Nexus or any of the podcasts I listen to and find out that NOTHING has changed. It's the same battles being fought over and over and over again! Only the names and places have changed.

All I hear from skeptics/atheists is talk, talk, talk, debate, discuss, more talk, more debate, more discussion, yet more talk.

Talk doesn't shut down the woos forever and put them in jail or the asylum where they belong. It doesn't get science taught in the classrooms. It doesn't throw aside the thousands of years of magical thinking and incorrect information about objective reality. All we do is sit, smile, and voice our "civil" disagreement with the religionists/woos as they turn our civilization to crap!

I'm sick of talk. I want action. I want results, because I don't want to wait until AFTER I'm dead to see the slow and gradual change that everyone promises. Dead men can't enjoy squat. All they get to do is rot in the ground.

No matter how hard you try, you can't banish the stupidity of others; the Phelps will probably always be hateful loons and there will always be people who believe in ridiculous things. Just make sure you don't repeat their folly and focus on improving on what little bit of the world you can. If you wanna get politically active then do it. Pounding on your keyboard won't bring about any of the changes you wanna see in the world.

 

[fuelair]

Should I counter-protest Fred "Whackadoodle" Phelps?


I thought his middle name was Whacksizdoodle.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I understand the intent of ignoring him so he doesn't get more attention, and that's generally a good idea. But the press will be there, and you know how much they love to show one side and the other side, so if there are counter-protestors they'll get equal time. You may find that your presence eats into his media time.

But the real reason to do it is if it helps the target. If your presence there is supportive of them and lets them know that the hateful, evil, slimy bastards are not really the voices of the community. For that, I think a counter-protest is worth it.

How about a big sign then: 100,000 people protest in DC and all the news covered was a burning cart in the street, Phelps shows up with a dozen lunatics and gets full press coverage.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

There's only one way to properly protest this group but no one I've mentioned to would do it.

See if you show up angry then they get what they want.

What people ought to really do is show up in clow costumes and start a pie fight midway through the protest.

You don't really need real pies, just paper plates with whipped cream on em.

That way on the evening news, I mean really what would they be able to say??

So please gather some friends and go all pie on their ass.

I like this idea.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Ignoring them is probably the best bet in most circumstances.

But, making fun of them would be second best. Show up in clown outfits with signs saying things like "God makes fags" and lampoon them.

I like this idea too.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I'm not sure I understand why they care about Houston. Can it even be saved?

Phelps is an attention whore. Anything that makes the news (the new gay mayor elected) is all it takes to get him to attend your event.

 

[Thunder]

He is in Houston this weekend protesting the lesbian who was elected mayor. Of, course, Rev. Phelps is protesting more than just that. He plans to stop at the Holocaust Museum. His schedule page says

you may throw poo at him. you have my permission.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I heard of a cool counter-protest once. Basically, you'd get people to pledge donations to a cause the Phelps were protesting (in this case, a local GLBT advocacy org). This pledge would work by the clock, meaning that individuals would pledge to donate a specific amount per hour the Phelps protest lasted.

The centerpiece of the counterprotest on site would be this huge counter thing showing the amount made so far, displayed so it would be easily readable by both the bigots and any cameras around.

I guess the rest of the counterprotest would just be people pointing and laughing.

Whatever you do, if you go there, have a good time and don't get angry. Do something fun or silly, preferably something you enjoy and they condemn. Wear mixed fiber drag, eat shellfish, have a beer. Arrange a gender-bender squaredance.

I like this idea too.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Here's where the media could show a little responsibility. Were they to boycott Phelps and company, then his demonstrations might die out entirely.....

You are expecting a for profit company to alter their commodity (controversy sells) and sacrifice profits for what's best for society? Dream on....

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Isnt Shirley his daughter an attorney and knows just how far they can go?

IIRC, several of the kids are lawyers. Fred used to be, but was disbarred quite a few years ago.

On the plus side she's a hot babe.

I'd hit that.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Give a Christian the vote and they will vote for theocracy and when last I looked there were far more them than their are of GLBTs or atheists... and some of them are even Democrats, the so-callled party of American liberalism!

In case you haven't noticed, Christians already have "the vote". And we don't have a theocracy, now do we?

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

You are expecting a for profit company to alter their commodity (controversy sells) and sacrifice profits for what's best for society? Dream on....

Your anti-corporate shtick really has gotten stale. In case you haven't noticed, no one is listening anymore.