John Chaney, hall of fame coach, brought the "Winning is an Attitude" mantra to the Acres of Diamonds on North Broad Street.
Westboro Baptist Church and Traveling Freakshow decided to set upon North Philly on April 1, 2010.
The rhetoric ratcheted up this week with their "victory" in court. A victory that the country has said in unison to their faces, "Here's your blood money, but we stand with the Snyder Family against YOU."
But what happened on April 1st?
Westboro didn't show !
Why?
Could it be the 1,100 or so students who kept peaceful control of their campus?
Could the Westboro folks have realized they were over matched when driving thru the streets of North Philly? They realized they weren't in Kansas anymore.
I don't know about that, but I do know you need to read what the Temple News Online said, (link) !
The journalism majors did a great job of covering this. (There is hope?) What really surprised me is the lack of any other coverage by the regular media. I get that there are quarters that want to extinguish Westboro by cutting off their media oxygen, but something else got strangled here.
As I searched the local media outlets - no stories. There were a few lead-ups to this thing, but I still can't find any of the usual suspects broadcasting this.
The images from the Temple site made it a different story on a number of levels. I would have loved to have been at the counter-protest. It sounded like a real fun party. Students standing up responsibly to something that really is evil. It would have been great for the media to catch people doing the right thing and telling us about it.
Is this the real recipe for stopping these folks? Massive counter protests - fight hate speech with good speech?
Has Westboro left themselves open to something else here? They stated they would be showing up on campus and requested security for their antics. Should they be billed for the security that came out to protect them? Why should Temple University (read the parents and students) and a cash-strapped City of Philadelphia pay for protecting this congregation?
If the University is passing on these costs to the students and parents, can each student and parent go to small claims court and file a claim against Westboro?
This is kind of like walking up to Pat's Steaks' window, ordering one "wid, wiz, mushrooms" and walking away. Very uncool, why should Jim's eat the cost of what was ordered. This is what Westboro did. Freedom of speech - ok, but they need to take responsibility for what they did here.
Can the City charge this outfit for the services rendered? The Parking Wars TV show is based on the Philadelphia Parking Authority. Release the hounds !!!
BTW, looking at the Westboro Church's picket schedule, http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html, the entry for Temple is long and rambling. At least I include paragraph breaks to help with context. But it goes to the core of what they are after.
Yes, that is what this nation needs, more pushy loud-mouthed professors yip-yapping lies about Matthew Shepard. What part of SHUT UP do you silly wise (wo)men NOT understand?
This organization now admits it is about shutting down the First Amendment for other people. Can they be legally stopped using the same laws that has allowed them to survive this long?
Another quote is just as disturbing.
You will eat your babies!
Is that a command? Is that what this organization wants us to do? Is that what this organization will ultimately force us to do? Are they advocating murder? Does this make Westboro, by their own admission, a terrorist organization?
Going back and looking at the images of "the protest that wasn't" makes me realize that Winning is an Attitude. We all won on April 1.
I have never been prouder to be an Owl.
In the interest of being fair and keeping things in context, this is the entire Temple entry. Westboro has already changed their page...
04/01/2010 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM Philadelphia, PA Howard Gittis Student Center of Temple University 13th St. & Montgomery St WBC to picket the Laramie Project where they hate their brother in Filthydelphia. Yes, that is what this nation needs, more pushy loud-mouthed professors yip-yapping lies about Matthew Shepard. What part of SHUT UP do you silly wise (wo)men NOT understand? Listen up false prophets, if not for you Matt would not be in hell - right now! You did that, and instead of being ashamed, you sin more and more behind it. Our message for Filthydelphia, and DOOMED american theatre troops is this: Matt Is In Hell! God Hates Fags! God Hates Fag Enablers! You will eat your babies! Bloody Obama! Hell Is Real - Ask Matt! Judy Sent Matt To Hell! That is correct, if not for that disobedient woman lying to the little boy. I say, if she and her capon (now divorced from him) husband had one time told little Matthew some truth from the Bible - he would be alive To Day! Hebrews 4:7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Before too long, there will be no more "To day"s. Obama is on the move, people, and that is all there is. See you in Brookfield! Praise God! AMEN!
04/01/2010 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM Philadelphia, PA Tomlinson Theater of Temple University 1301 W. Norris Street WBC to picket this Filthydelphia hot spot as they put on "Rent". Happy April Fool's day, how very fitting that you would need to be reminded of what fools you all are for messing with the God and King of Kings by flaunting and promoting filth to your generation. You will not be laughing or mocking God as you fly through the air as God spues you from that land with his hot displeasure. Leviticus 20:22 Ye shall therefore keep all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: that the land, whither I bring you to dwell therein, spue you not out. The SPUEING time, she comes! Antichrist Obama will leave you to wallow in your own filth as he escapes clean away to become King of the World, and God will be laughing at you! Praise and FEAR Him! AMEN!
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