Hateful protestors outside Eve Carson's memorial service
Submitted by Mojo Mom on Wed, 03/19/2008 - 4:45pm
My Mojo Mom blog readers know that death of Eve Carson and host of surrounding issues have been on my mind this week. I could not believe my eyes Tuesday afternoon when I was driving past the road that goes to the Dean Dome, where 10,000 people gathered for Eve's memorial.
There were about a half dozen picketers dotting both sides of the road. These Caucasian, supposedly "religious" people held placards with hateful messages on them--homophobic, "God hates America," and the worst, "God sent the shooter." I am not going to dignify this group by publicizing their name but you can read about them in this local news story.
On the same day that Barack Obama gave his brave and brilliant speech about race, it was like an arrow through my heart to drive past people spewing the most divisive, ridiculous bile.
My United Church of Christ pastor gave a challenging sermon last Sunday that I will link to when the podcast is up. She talked about the story of Palm Sunday, how it's the triumphant, heroic end we are all hoping for, the storyline we could all be really happy with. But instead, Jesus goes on from Palm Sunday to Good Friday and faces the cross. His call to follow him to that place, through suffering and death to a better place, is much more challenging than a feel-good "Return of the King"-style blockbuster.
Seeing those picketers outside a caring young woman's memorial created a challenge. Can we move forward beyond hate? Can we turn that rage into something that motivates more productive actions?
I encourage you to take the time to watch Obama's speech in its entirety (37 minutes). He explores the history of racism in America, and deplores the divisive comments his pastor made without denouncing the man himself. No matter whom you plan to vote for, his speech is a significant contribution to our American dialogue. He is more teacher than politician in this speech, showing courage by telling the complete truth as he understands it, and not just what voters might want to hear.
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The best revenge
You just know that these jackasses vote Republican.
I think the best thing to do would have been to, as dispassionately as possible, grab a video camera and ask them about politics. Get the people with "God hates America" signs to talk about what candidate(s) they support.
Let that Reverend Wright mud splash back good and hard on the wingnuts who spew it.
--
relocating from Indianapolis, IN to RTP, NC soon; got any advice for me?
I wouldn't recommend drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me. -- Hunter S. Thompson
No, no . . . no
These, unless I'm mistaken, are the same people (bless their tiny hearts) who picket/protest make the same asinine speeches about soldiers who died in Iraq. All they want is attention - and they pick their venues nicely.
They don't deserve, or rate, I promise you, any acknowledgement, much less bandwidth that would attribute influence and power to their voice.
They are led by a nutjob, but because said nutjob has latched on to the fact that the press will always, always, always go for the completely sensational, there is a sick, symbiotic relationship between their "church" and any media willing to provoke an otherwise unsuspecting audience.
Truly, they don't rate the space.
All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing
-Edmund Burke
Well said
n/t
I guess campaign tactics aren't my strong suit.
Be a while before I'm working for a candidate, then, eh? :)
--
relocating from Indianapolis, IN to RTP, NC soon; got any advice for me?
I wouldn't recommend drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity for everyone, but they've always worked for me. -- Hunter S. Thompson
The array of events and the difference in morality is stunning.
Thanks for bringing this over.
One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn't have to understand something to feel it. - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
I know the feeling
I am a voter in Texas. During the caucus voting I an other Clinton supporters were harrassed and intimiated at my caucus site. It was a sad sight. I am an African American male and being taunted because I was voting for Clinton and not Obama was shocking and sad. I just kept thinking we are all democracts here right. I glad NC has a primary because I can personally saw why Obama does so good in caucus voting.
Andy
That taunting stuff
really pisses me off. Thanks for stopping by.