Sarcasm Alley

One man protested the protesters. "You are what you protest!" he fumed.
- Sarcasm Alley

That's one of my favorite lines from my magical mystery novel. And if I had made a sign it would have said exactly that: You Are What You Protest. We are a funny, funny people! Blindly fumbling around seeking approval, desperate to keep our truths inside all the while desperate to free them. That, of course, is the source of all war on this planet.

And frankly, that's what I feared when I headed out to Westboro Baptist Church's protests here in Arlington today. For those who haven't heard of these clowns yet, here's a little Wiki blurb:

The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an Independent Baptist church and hate group known for its anti-homosexuality and its protest activities, which include picketing funerals and desecrating the American flag. It is headed by Fred Phelps and consists mostly of members of his large family. Located in Topeka, Kansas, United States, its first public service was held on the afternoon of Sunday, November 27, 1955.

The group came into the national spotlight in 1998, when they were featured on CNN for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepard, a young man from Wyoming who was beaten to death by two men because of his homosexuality. Westboro has protested at the funerals of people ranging from Fred Rogers to Coretta Scott King to Jerry Falwell.

They hate pretty much anything that breathes but really it's obvious they loathe themselves above all and these protests are a cry for help. But I don't mind free expression as long as it's nonviolent. Don't mind it all, and in fact I find it refreshing. I know a lot people have gotten riled up about them but I can't get really upset over flat earthers like this. They're not persuasive, just pathetic. And I see all sorts of patheticness every day, some just more socially acceptable than the rest.

Two protests were planned today in Arlington. You can see the Westboros entire protest schedule at their website: godhatesfags.com. (Earth 2010 AD, you just can't make this stuff up). The first protest was truly ungodly as it started at 9 AM and that was just too early for my lazy bones and I only caught the tail end of it.

I got there in time to see the Westboro clan escorted out by the police.

Later, another protest was held at a Catholic church. I made sure I was early for that one.

Approaching the church, spotting a couple of cops.

The Westboro picketers were just getting set up

But a much larger counter protest was waiting for them!

Like I said, I was expecting contention, ill will and bad vibes. I found just the opposite! It was hard not to walk around smiling. Felt more like church camp than anything else - maybe a hyper-inflated version, though. But it was great and a lot of fun and I wished it had lasted a lot longer than the usual 30 minutes these protests do.

It was tough taking pics without a 35mm camera. Mine was overwhelmed by glare and fuzziness anytime I tried to zoom. I ended up circling around, taking as many shots as possible hoping I could get a couple of good ones. But I made out OK, finally getting close enough for some clarity. First I wanted to check out the Westboro signs and see if I could decipher how their minds - or whatever - were wired.

As much as I love psychological puzzles, I gotta admit I'm stumped on being pro oil spill. It certainly wasn't an act of God. The other sign is pure Bill Maher.

These pretty much run the gamut. I wonder if they protested the [anti-Christ 43rd President] same way as they do Obama (though the "Coward" sign could certainly be a reference to our infamous Dallas resident). These signs certainly speak of those at war with themselves.

Poor dumb kids didn't know what they were doing, they just want mom and dad's approval like all kids do.

Here you can see the approximate distance between the two. The police wouldn't allow any interaction.

The other side was much more fun! Many of the signs had me chuckling out loud and despite feelings running very high it never ran over the top to the point of verbal violence. If so, the Westboros would have truly won. I really, really wanted to interact with all this passion but I had made a mental commitment to be Switzerland in all this. I'm too much the advocate.

When you got a cop talking to Wookie, you know it's a fun protest!

I got in behind them for a closer look.

Church members were inside, services still going on.

While outside was pure chaos! I was nervous about the impending reaction of the churchgoers. Dogma breeds more dogma and I would hate to see that circle begin here.

Passing motorists were targets as well.

This car gave the counter protesters the finger but there were many honks and thumbs up from passers by. A loud cheer would go up whenever that happened.

And then out came the church patrons!

They're having a WTF moment!

Now, I despise the Catholic church as much as anyone. Any organization rooted in witch burning is a bent one and by God if you come to my front door with a torch I'm going to gun you down. But I don't hold it against anyone for being Catholic or anything else, just so long as, you know, you don't expect me to think it's important or anything.

This little group of Catholics gathered behind the counter protesters and were very cool and supportive, staying the whole time. It was a beautiful thing to see.

Although interaction with the Westboros was forbidden, this camera crew somehow managed to snag an interview. I asked them later if they were going to put it online and they said yes, at http://www.liberalmediafilms.com/.

This woman took serious issue with the presence of the counter protesters, asking the cop if he could do something about them. He explained that the church knew the Westboro picketers were coming (who stayed on the public sidewalk the whole time) and gave permission to the counter protesters to be on their property. He also explained about that pesky First Amendment. She reluctantly understood but left with a loud declaration of, "This country's going to...heck!" I could tell she really wanted to say "hell".

So who won and who lost this day? Nobody and everybody. The Westboros made fools of themselves but got the attention they wanted (though one suspects they were itching for verbal violence). Certainly the church acquitted itself well, allowing events to unfold and not be bottled up. The cops were professional and restrained. But most of all the counter protesters won the day, not responding to hate with hate (though a few of the signs went too far). The tone was happy and cheery, with chants and singing. You should have been there!!!

I leave you with a few of my favorite signs. You can see all the pics at my Flickr site.

In the end, this says it all:

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Looking for a sign in the middle of the night