Templeton

I never thought I’d find myself agreeing with anything that came out of the mouth of Margie Phelps from Westboro Baptist Church, but when she referred to a room full of my fellow student journalists as “seals,” she was spot on. Phelps recently argued a monumental case before the Supreme Court regarding the First Amendment – and she won. Weeks later, several members of The Bulletin staff had the privilege to travel to New York City for an annual college media conference where we had the opportunity to hear from Phelps herself.

From the beginning, it should have been obvious to any so-called journalist that Phelps and her entourage were attempting to “bait” the conference goers. They began the festivities that morning by picketing in Times Square. Unfortunately, their tactics worked and about an hour before the session began, someone tweeted that they were “about to do battle with Westboro,” which showed up on the giant screen the conference arranged to display Tweets at the conference. That tweet was the catalyst that started a chain reaction which had no business at a journalism conference.

The interview with Phelps started out civil enough, despite her blue T-shirt that read, “God Hates the Media Dot Com.” Things got heated when Phelps poked fun at pop culture by using terms like “fo’ rizzle” and “BFF” (this should have been recognized as another obvious attempt to bait the audience into heckling). But it wasn’t until the Q&A portion that my fellow pseudo-journalists really showed sea mammal qualities.

A one point, an audience member was in the middle of asking his question, which was really an attempt to counterattack the remarks coming from Phelps, when the crowd erupted in cheers. After the clapping and yelling died down, Phelps asked him to repeat the question because she couldn’t hear him “over the seals.”

She was right. The audience did sound like a herd of seals barking and clapping their fins. Never had I been so disappointed in a group of my peers. We’re supposed to be reporters, neutral when it comes to the news, but there we were, letting our emotions succumb to Westboro Baptist Church, and Margie Phelps called us on it.

As reporters, we leave our emotions at the door so we can get the job done the right way. As students, we don’t necessarily need to be void of emotion, but as I was sitting in one of my larger lecture courses this week, I was reminded of that interview with Phelps. She was trying to get a rise out of the audience – and it worked.

Similarly, this guy in my class kept shouting out obnoxious answers to every question the professor would ask, an obvious attempt to sound humorous, when in actuality, they were quite offensive. Just like those “seals” at the conference, several others in the class let their emotions get the better of them and a pointless debate over childrearing ensued. The guy’s arguments made absolutely no sense, but he presented them in such a way that his opponents were so frustrated they couldn’t even form a coherent response.

I’m not saying you can’t have a personal opinion, but you can’t expect to prove someone wrong or make them feel low by simply badgering them. The next time you’re caught in a situation where you completely disagree with someone on a fundamental issue, don’t lose your cool. Use the intelligence you were given and act like an adult.

Kenzie Templeton/The Bulletin

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Ryan

After the March 2006 funeral of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, who died when his humvee crashed in Iraq, was picketed by members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, a series of events led to a legal battle ending at the United States Supreme Court.

The events the day of the funeral at St. John’s Catholic Church in Westminster, Md., included members of the Westboro Baptist Church picketing outside the funeral with their typical signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “God Hates Fags” and “You’re Going to Hell.” Albert Snyder, Snyder’s father, sued. The case, Snyder v. Phelps, made its way to the Supreme Court, which issued its decision yesterday in favor of the Phelpses.

But had the Supreme Court ruled against the Phelpses, the state of the First Amendment in the United States could have been in jeopardy.

In an article from McClatchy News Services, Margie Phelps, attorney for the Westboro Baptist Church said, “It’s not a First Amendment case, it is the First Amendment case… It’s the ultimate test on whether this republic is real. The point of a republic is to protect from mob rule the dissenting view.”

She was right. Had the Court ruled against them, our country would face a tyranny of the majority. And there’s little doubt that the Phelpses are not exactly popular. Protests by the Phelps family have sparked lawsuits and legislation in 43 states to restrict funeral protests, with Kansas being the first state to enact legislation limiting protests at funerals.

In Kansas, we’ve had our fair share of the Phelpses, and while I don’t agree with what they say, we must, must allow them to continue to say it within the confines of current law.

Several organizations filed amicus briefs in support of the Phelpses, including the American Civil Liberties Union, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

In the ACLU amicus brief, the importance of protecting First Amendment speech, even if it is unpopular, was stressed. The brief brings forth several First Amendment cases that have set precedent in American law, including New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, Dun & Bradstreet, Inc. v. Greenmoss Builders, Inc., and Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell. The ACLU also made clear in the brief that they do not hold the same views as the Phelpses.

When this case was first being heard, I realized there were many questions the Court had to answer and that the implications of the decision would be far reaching.

Will the Supreme Court overturn its decision made in Hustler? Will it now look at actual malice as part of the argument for a private figure? Will the legal definition of “fighting words” be changed? Will the media be looked upon as complicit if it broadcasts or publishes reports of hate speech? Will the Court find that freedom of religion is trumped by freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of the press, or vice versa?

No matter which way this case went, someone was going to lose – be it the families of soldiers that have died overseas or the Phelps family, the media or the average American.

Kelsey Ryan/The Bulletin

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Beth Wegemer, freshman sociology and psychology major, and Ashley Williams, freshman history major, hold signs in counter-protest against Westboro Baptist Church picketers Monday afternoon at Flint Hills Technical College, across the street from Emporia High School. Wegemer and Williams were two of nearly 100 counter-protesters that gathered in opposition of WBC members, who preach against homosexuality./PHOTO BY KELLEN JENKINS

Members of P.R.I.D.E. protested alongside other Emporia State and Emporia High School students Monday afternoon against picketing held by Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka outside of Emporia High School.

“With the appearance of the anti-Christ, that is the beast Obama, in the White House, the time is so very short,” said Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church attorney and member. “The Lord is coming, America is doomed and they have only one course of action that will do at this hour. (They must) put away their idols, put away their false gods and put away their filthy manner of life and obey their God.”

Approximately 15 members of the WBC attended to protest and about 100 students counter protested. Members of WBC were protesting in Emporia in reaction to a being “put on trial for trumped up charges brought by a criminal D.A.,” their Web site said.

WBC members said that they speak out primarily against homosexuals and consider them to be evil.

“What they were doing was they were down here, picketing the high school to educate ‘our little brats’,” said Luke Wolford, sophomore sociology major and president of P.R.I.D.E. “We came out here because it’s only fair that they hear both sides. The goal of P.R.I.D.E. is to promote respect, to promote diversity and not to have that kind of hate, that kind of discrimination.”

But WBC members said they do not consider their picketing hateful or discrimination – they said they consider what they do to be loving.

“You call it picketing because that’s just the vernacular that’s used in this generation,” Phelps-Roper said. “But really what it is, is the preaching moment. We do it so we can warn this generation, so we can fulfill the royal law in James 2:8 and that is to love your neighbor as yourself.”

The counter protest open not only to members of the homosexual community, but to all those who support the cause.

“Even though I’m not gay, I have gay friends and I think everybody should coexist,” said Kris Benitez, freshman math major. “I see no reason why I should have to push my beliefs on other people or why other people should push their beliefs on me.”

Police guarded the roads that led to parking areas and made sure that neither side group of protestors stepped off of the pavement, the only place they were allowed to protest.

“Loving your neighbor is to not suffer this sin upon them,” Phelps-Roper said. “You warn them that their sin is taking them to hell, and then it says that if you don’t do that, you hate your neighbor in your heart. You’re not supposed to do that, you’re not supposed to be hating on your neighbor. So that’s why we do it. We do it because it’s our duty.”

But many of those dissenting against the WBC do not consider the actions of WBC to be beneficial ones.

“I hope that Emporia, at least Emporia, is more accepting of everyone,” Benitez said. “I think (Phelps is) really ignorant, just like any other kind of racist, sexist bastard.”

WBC members said they do not consider themselves hateful or racist, only that they are trying to save those they feel are in danger of going to hell.

“You’d think that they wouldn’t oppose us, wouldn’t you?” Phelps-Roper said. “I mean, if they were blind and they were heading towards a cliff, and we lifted up a really loud voice and said, ‘don’t go over the cliff, hello,” do you think they would really be hating on us like they do now?”

Members of the WBC left earlier than they had anticipated, saying that it was too cold to stay.

“I hope to send Fred away which, clearly, we did,” said Brittani LeMay, sophomore elementary education major and member of P.R.I.D.E. “They weren’t here for very long and we had a lot of support from the high school and a lot of people from the university came out and gave support.”

Alex Pedersen/The Bulletin

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