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Countering Westboro Demonstrators with Love, Love, Love

Countering Westboro Demonstrators with Love, Love, Love

The Westboro Baptist Church group was stationed in Atlanta at the corner of Chamblee Tucker Road and Henderson Road, a block or so from the church where the funeral was being held. Their signs said things like “God Hates You,” “America is Doomed,” “Pray for More Dead Soldiers” and various other anti-government and anti-gay sentiments. One sign portrayed stick figures wearing Santa hats and engaging in anal intercourse. This seems pretty typical, judging by some of the photos on Flickr. Drivers couldn’t really see the Westboro group until they were right up on them. This is very near a highway exit. It was really interesting to watch the cars going by. I got a few thumbs up and smiles. They got a number of shouts and some old-fashioned flipping off. However, most of the people in cars were either studiously pretending not to see what was happening or talking excitedly on their cellphones.

It was actually pretty low-key as these things go. DeKalb police guarded the entrance and exit to the church, and the demonstrators were about half a block away. If you came in for the funeral on Henderson Road, you wouldn’t even have seen them. I suspect that it was a different sort of scene at the other, probably more prominent, Atlanta event at the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church – maybe that’s why the demonstrators here were mostly female. They didn’t seem to have a serious interest in personally provoking anyone at this particular event. They laughed and jeered a little, but it was very easy to disregard them, partly because I stood on the corner across the street on Henderson (on the same side of the road on Chamblee Tucker).

It was a little scary for me at first and I was shaking for the first ten minutes or so, but then it got better when I started focusing on love. I let my favorite songs of love play in my mind, and I imagined beaming with healing, caring energy. It was wonderful.

My sign was clearly a home-made sort of thing, just one of the big posters we use for my son’s school projects. The details at the bottom probably weren’t readable at a distance, but that’s all right.

And the greatest of these is Love

I was the only one there with an alternative message. I maintained silence and simply held the sign up to cars driving by.

On my way home, I passed the officers guarding the entrance and exit of the church where the funeral was being held. Knowing why they were there, I slowed and gave them a thumbs up. To my surprise, they returned the gesture! That felt really… really good – an unexpected thing.

Thank you to everyone who helped me decide what was best.

It was very much worth doing.

Sometimes I Just Want

Sometimes I Just Want

Sometimes I Just Want

To fly through the sky, carefree, in freedom.
To heal anyone of anything.
To know, understand, and be able to communicate in every language.
To sing well enough to make other people cry.
To leap through the air like a dancer.
To skip and not worry if I look absurd.
To play, mingling imagination and reality like a child.
To run at full speed, for as long as I want to.
To hide anywhere by fading into my surroundings.
To huddle, warm and cozy, by a fire.
To sleep in total comfort, with sweet, sweet dreams.
To stomp my feet and get my way.
To scream in frustration.
To cry, giving meaning to feelings of helplessness.
To read great books for days and days.
To write better… much, much better.
To articulate the half-formed thoughts that escape so easily.
To inspire others to think and ask questions and wonder and care.
To be more courageous.
To take a risk.
To trust.
To loathe.
To feel more comfortable in my own skin.
To be graceful.
To be awkward.
To shake someone and scream “what is WRONG with you?”.
To pick a fight, for no real reason.
To hear laughter.
To take off and be by myself for a couple of weeks.
To have superhero tools, especially the lasso of truth.
To have a teleportation device.
To have a time machine.
To have a holodeck.
To have a device that could make anything out of anything -free.
To have enough money never to have to think of it again.
To never have to clean anything but my own body.
To travel safely and comfortably – anywhere.
To open everyone’s eyes – including my own.
To have a working magic wand.
To suddenly notice that I’m happy.
To have a good tree to climb.
To go on a ferris wheel.
To go ice-skating.
To go skiing.
To go camping.
To be wise.
To be silly.
To be fun.
To be frivolous.
To be loving.
To be loved.
To be cruel.
To be petulant.
To be unreasonable.
To be logical.
To be disciplined.
To be unfettered.
To be irresistible.
To say exactly what I’m thinking.
To be completely selfish.
To be sweet, for no particular reason.
To live in that happy spot between desire and ego-lessness.
To find the ideal balance between order and chaos.
To be left alone.
To get attention.
To slap someone right across the face.
To do something meaningful with my insights before I forget them.
To have something more than insight.
To see for miles and miles.
To let go and trust the cosmos.
To float downstream.
To laugh naturally, untainted by any history.
To dream vividly, in color, and with all my senses, and remember everything.
To be able to play any music I’ve ever heard or can imagine, and on any instrument.
To experience the world in terms of wonder.
To create visual works of art that turn out just the way I imagine them.
To kiss and be kissed – with passion and tenderness.
To be held and comforted.
To believe that everything will be all right.
To make love for hours and hours.
To hold hands and walk together.
To talk for hours about everything and nothing.
To be more likable.
To be witty.
To be as bitchy and cantankerous as I please.
To be sneaky and sly.
To throw down the gauntlet.
To do the dozens.
To alphabetize my books.
To find the book I was looking for.
To remember the perfect word for that.
To know everyone’s name.
To make everything all better.
To have a plan.
To see real justice in real life.
To feel sorry for myself.
To feel sorry for someone else.
To always look like I was exactly 28, but live forever.
To talk to God, and get it, and like it.
To confer with the minor deities, and emerge unscathed.
To discover the perfect energy source.
To discover the cure for greed.
To read – at will – anyone’s thoughts.
To live in a more civilized and caring country.
To have friends in all the imaginary kingdoms, but no foes.
To die.
To really live.
To be immortal.
To understand and forgive.
To hold a grudge like it was a piece of treasure.
To be more realistic and pragmatic.
To keep an even keel.
To keep a stiff upper lip.
To keep my cool.
To express everything.
To be silent.

Universal Light Award

Universal Light Award

I am pleased (and a little floored) to be among the very first recipients of the Universal Light Award!

I created this award to honor those sweet souls that share the light.

Love and light to you.

I have received several awards from some of my favorite blogs in the last few weeks. I’m honored and blessed by the women and men that inspire me through their blogs, as well as share their thoughts and comments on mine.

Sharing light is simple and free. It costs nothing.

The more we inspire others the more we are placing goodness in this world.

We all need a little encouragement to continue our journey. Pass it on to people that share the light!

Much gratitude, Kimmy! I love the idea of the light circuit that is implied here, and so I give your award back to you!

Universal Light Award
Universal Light Award

Among those who blog, these are the ones that come to mind right away when I think about what lifts my spirits, encourages me, and provides the kinds of questions and thoughts that help me to thrive. Gratitude to you! Love, light and laughter!

And I’m holding one for you Elainna, whenever you start a blog! (smile)

Power Blog Award

Power Blog Award

Bingkee from I Love/Hate America has bestowed the Power Blog Award upon VirusHead. Thanks Bingkee!

Power Blog Award 2008
Power Blog Award 2008

I love these awards that circulate among fellow bloggers. It’s a graphic nod of the head to enjoyable blogs. The original Power Blog award required all sorts of rules to be posted and ten other blogs to be named. All that has dropped off, and that’s for the better. Awards like this have become a bit less viral. I don’t think many people really try to use them as marketing tools as they used to do a few years ago.

When I receive an award like this, I take it as a simple compliment. I won’t name ten blogs. Here are three from amongst my faves – three that I fervently hope will not blast me for sending a cute cartoony award (grin). Here ya go!

Yeah, I called it!

Yeah, I called it!

I’m ecstatic today! Happy happy joy joy!

Thanks to Vance for reminding me in the comments that I had predicted Obama’s presidential win in July four years ago after his speech at the Boston Democratic Convention.

Barack Obama – An Amazing Example – 7-28-2004.

And as rushed as I am, I have to document a prediction for the future here. Barack Obama will someday be president of the united states. He will have to pay his dues in the Senate (and he will be a great Senator – although he’s not yet even elected!) and prove himself over and over. But he’s the real deal. A newcomer, he zoomed right up there. His speech was candid, electrifying, and inspiring. He transcended all the divisions, he touched on all the great issues – and he did it in a way that created confidence and caring in all who heard him.

Ok, I was blown away. I was already in a near-rapturous state from Monday’s convention, and the Tuesday line-up was wonderful too – so much so that I couldn’t tear myself away no matter how much I really should have. I was already “pumped up,” no doubt about it.

However, in a very special way, Obama’s intelligence and talent seems to beam right through screen at me. It really was amazing. Whatever it is, whatever it takes, he’s got it. And his message, like Bill Clinton’s, represents a politics of hope.

I didn’t expect it to be so soon, but I knew he was the real deal. Recognition!