How to Start a Monday Well

I missed getting my daughter up and off to preschool, this morning, but had a pretty good time anyway.

Roger & Jan Barnes, Jane Porchey (at right in white cap), K Wentzien (just beyond Jane), and I headed for Clayton High School at 6:45 a.m. to be part of the counter-protest by that school's Gay/Straight Alliance of students and faculty against Westboro Baptist Church which had announced its intention to protest there, after having had the school on its "radar for quite some time."

The WBC spidey-sense may have been turned on when a son of Fred Phelps spoke at the school, last year, in support of the GSA.

WBC is a confusing organization for many people, protesting not only organizations that support equal rights for all citizens but also military funerals. Claiming homosexuality to be an abomination and an affront to God, they protest the funerals arguing that an American military defending the freedoms established by civil rights groups on behalf of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and questioning people therefore deserve protest as well.

At Clayton High, our contingent was happy to meet two more church members - Kin & Peggy Lavender - and members of numerous other Open and Affirming churches. Kirkwood UCC's Pastor Betsy Happel (pictured at left, center) was being interviewed by local TV news when Evangelical (soon to be Peace) UCC's Pastor Katy HawkerSelf and I spotted her. Pastor Jeff Groene of Samuel UCC, Pastor Allen Grothe of Pilgrim Congregational - St. Louis, members of their churches, and members of First Congregational - St. Louis all were there in force (that last bunch identifiable below a sign that read, "First Congregational Supports Clayton HS Students!" I, of course, thanked the bearer of the sign for having represented First Congregational of Webster Groves as well.). Eden Seminary was also well represented by faculty and students in attendance.

The event included quite a range of demonstrators - from our humble selves to a student group silk-screening "Love Conquers Hate" t-shirts as the event went on, and with characters from a Wookie to a Pretty Pony to some fellow skipping in rainbow-striped socks and sneakers wearing a black hooded, full-length cape!

For the students there were commemorative "Love Conquers Hate" t-shirts sold in advance of the day and a "Phelps-A-Thon" website inviting people to make donations per minute based on the length of time the Westboro Baptist protesters either were scheduled to protest or on the length they actually stayed. Both of these efforts were designed to turn a day potentially fraught with hatred into a very positive event in the lives of all those who participated (in the counter-protest, that is).

At 8:04, the crowd of about 1,000 (by my estimate) observed a moment of silence, and the class bells rang to summon students at 8:05. The older members of the group then turned to the students. The young people walked off to their classes to the applause and admiring shouts of an appreciative admirers.

At 8:15, as the protesters departed, the remaining counter-protesters bade them a cheerful farewell with drumming.


God bless Monday.