Let me start of by talking about the show itself. It moved me. I'm sure just about every member of the audience was moved to tears at one point or another. It documented the exact happenings of the case, where Matthew was found, how he lived for a few days in the hospital, the police officer who first came to the site. It also outlined the trial of both accused assaulters. This is a show I would recommend to anyone and everyone, no matter your believes. It may just strike you as it did me.
Like I said, I was disappointed that no one from Westboro came to Howell. It would've been very, very interesting to speak with some of them and at the least see their signs. Some of their opposers who were there supporting gay rights and gay marriage claimed maybe the weather scared them off. I don't see any reason not to believe this is true, which I find makes them seem pretty weak. As far as these Westboro protestors go, as much as I disagree with their strong message of hate, it takes all I've got not to feel that way about them.
As I came to Howell High campus, I was greeted by a mass of protesters carrying signs with varying phrases. Their main banner read "Standing on the Side of Love."
Other signs said things like, "God loves gays", "It's not about tolerance, it's about acceptance", and "God makes no mistakes."
Those were just a few of many messages the protesters conveyed. There were a few more racy signs I'll chose not to disclose, however, they were very powerful.
There were a couple of people that stood out to me who I spoke with. I saw a lone man with a long white beard carrying an american flag and a sign that said "NAM VET FOR AMERICA!" This sparked my interest since he seemed to be quite different from the large group of picketers gathering maybe 100 yards away. The man was quite cold toward me and refrained from looking me in the eye. He simply told me he is absolutely not affiliated with the church that attended and did not support their beliefs. He said "I'm in my own little world here, just trying to fight for the troops." He said the only reason he came out that day was to show his patriotism and how much he was against Westboro's actions at military funerals. The look in the man's eye was painful. You could clearly see how strongly he felt about the matter.
After that, I spoke to a few people involved with the church. All of them were extremely passionate, yelling about peace and love and waving to every passing car. This made it pretty difficult to speak to anyone in particular but I did get a good sense of how the group felt overall.
Passion was the only word that came to mind. Also, love.
As I was leaving the site of the protest, I happened to run into two young men carrying signs but looking pretty timid about the whole situation, very unlike the rest of the people I'd encountered. They were in there mid-20s, just out of the Army. They were out there for the same reason the old man was but had a different perspective. They said they were appalled by Westboro's actions. They said it made them sick to see people acting this way. They said how could these people take a stab at something they know nothing about. They aren't over seas for years on end fighting to live and protect their country. The one thing these men said that stuck with me most was, how could Westboro be protesting the death of a man or woman who fought to give them the very right to protest. Sounds like the ultimate irony to me.
Overall, this experience moved me and opened my eyes to the passion people have out there. It makes it obvious to me that I am not alone. It gives me strength to keep fighting for what I believe and prove that God is love and he loves all whom he created, gay or straight.
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