The Nature of Protest...Is Rev. Phelps of Westboro Baptist Church Going Too Far?

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/03/12/060312122104.pgrezzqi.html

I would think the nature of protest has two functions.

• Calling attention to an issue
• Convert as many other people to agree with your opinion
• Convince as many of them to participate the next protest march

Rev. Phelps and others (currently I'm also thinking of Cindy Sheehan) may be successful gathering attention, but, over time, they are failing to gain converts and will fail in their efforts to gain a larger following.

My question is just how far should a protest go in making their opinion know? Is it within society's parameters for Anti War protesters show up at military funerals protesting the war. In the case of Rev. Phelps' followers, yelling to the parents of fallen soldiers that they too will go to hell.

What are the limits of protest?

 

I've heard about Phelps. He was planning on protesting the memorial service for the dead miners, but changed his mind.

I've heard that there are a group of Iraq vet. bikers who go to funerals to keep Phelps' folks away from the family.

What are the limits on proper protest?
I try to follow non-violence (Phelps challanges my commitment).

If the question is about official restrictions on protest, I worry about those in power defining and enforcing limits on how to disagree with the decisions of the powerful.

If you are asking what limits you should impose on yourself, I can offer the agreement I make with myself:

-My attitude will be one of openness, friendliness and respect towards all people I encounter.

-I will use no violence, verbal or physical, towards any person.

-I will not damage any property.

-I will not bring or use alcohol or other drugs, other than for medical purposes.

-I will not run.

-I will carry no weapons.

These are from a fairly common non-violence agreement. Different protests have different opinions about property damage.

You have to decide for yourself whether your actions are justified.
Did the start of the Iraq war justify blocking the streets of San Francisco and inconviencing people who had no part in the decision to invade? Does the ambulance that got stuck in the mob change that justification? (Even if it is an urban myth, its worth thinking about.)

You are the only one who can balance the nature of the protest, the issue being protested and your personal values.

 

Limiting protests would in turn be limiting free-speech. People should be allowed to protest however they wish (as long as no one is physically harmed)

 

I should have made my inital post clearer. I should have mentioned if the protest was peaceful and within the confines of the law is there a line that shoudn't be crossed? A legal protest executed without decency.

A example is the Rev. Phelps followers going to where they can be seen by the mourners burying a soldier killed in Iraq yelling to the parents that they are going to hell and carrying signs saying "Thank God for Dead Soldiers".
I don't recall such things occurring during the Vietnam War.
Another examlpe is posting the names and address of women seen walking into an abortion clinic on a billboard.

Rev. Phelps' followers and the anti-abortion tactic may be legal, but is it morally decent? Or does the ends justify the means.

 

Phelps is an immoral ass. I hope that when he dies, he finds a God kinder than the one he preaches.

 

Two functions, eh?


Anyhow, I couldn't disagree with you more. That is what protests have devolved into, these placard-waving, self-fulfilling affairs of supposedly 'calling attention' to an issue that really never, ever get anything done.

I would suggest that the function of a protest would be to facilitate palpable change, and unlike some of the others here (and I hope not to be misunderstood, now) I agree with Mr. X's creed of "by any means necessary". There comes a point, there comes a point when placard-waving and signature gathering will get you nowhere but under suspicion.


I lived in England for a while, and they had a great festival called "Take Back the Streets". They took over miles of highway with tens of thousands of people, tore up the asphalt and planted trees, and caused great and real havoc by stopping traffic in both directions along the main thoroughfares...and they were a great time, too!


Now that's a protest!

 

Phelps is protesting against gays, if i'm not mistaken, not the Iraqi war. Anywhos, i don't think that it should be made illegal to do ANY type of nonviolent protest (non violent is the key word here, even Mr. X changed his mind).
However, if you consider that by protesting at funerals and shouting obscenities to the mourners, you discredit yourself and what you are trying to accomplish. You are pretty much shooting yourself in the foot, and it is not in your best interests.
So, people shouldn't protest at funerals (for the beraved sake, and for their own sake) but it would be wrong to ban it (Just like flag burning).

 

They were supposed to come to a solider's funeral where I live, and someone egged the family's house. So the biker gang that came to protect the family from those protester's kinda scared them off and they didn't show. Plus, the governer signed a law that restricted protests to 500 feet away from the actual funeral. That's the first thing Mitch did right and probably the last...

Peace & Love

 

Want to get an idea of where the Westboro Baptist Church is coming from? Check it out http://www.godhatesamerica.com/ Apparently we're all going to Hell.

 

Do they have cable there? I hope they have broadband, dial up sucks.

 

In Hell there is no cable, strictly network TV with rabbit ears antennas. And not only don't they have broadband but all the modems are 28.8!

 

Ahh Fffauck!!!

 

If Phelps' God in charge of heaven, we'll have to discuss a change in management once I get there.

(Very random thought, wouldn't a protester's heaven be a screwed up place that needed improvement? Would a protester be happy in a heaven where there was never anything to complain about, forever?)

 

that reverend dude made a big mistake.i agree that a protest is meant to accomplish something,and i agree that waving placards,burning flags and gathering signatures is pointless.but things should be done in a way that attracts positive attention from the people.cursing mourning people is wrong,ethically and politically.

 

His message is that American soliders are being killed because our country SUPPORTS homosexuality. Was it my imagination or was Bush proposing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage by defining marriage as between a man and woman? I guess that by denying homosexuals the legal right to marry this country must support homosexuality? Yeah right! What about other countries who do give equal legal rights to homosexuals? Maybe this "reverend" should actual protest something that is really happening, such as the war in Iraq, instead of what he makes up.

Peace & Love

 

That would be the Patriot Guard. Most of them are veterans, but all are bikers. They show up and are *not* violent, despite the offensiveness of the Phelps group. I feel they do the families of the dead a great service.