Effects on DePauw
By: Ellen Kobe
Issue date: 2/26/10 Section: Features
On Wednesday, the DePauw administration was informed that this Saturday, a group of members from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., will travel to campus in protest of the DePauw theatre's production of "The Laramie Project."
A fundamentalist church dedicated to preaching against homosexuality, Westboro is known for conducting anti-gay protests across the country. DePauw University is currently on its upcoming picket schedule.
Two actors in The Laramie Project, a male sophomore and a female junior, e-mailed Westboro informing them of this production and inviting them to visit campus.
In the e-mail, the two students said their intentions were to allow a peaceful protest on campus. They initiated contact without consulting the director of the production or any university faculty.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred Phelps, the pastor of Westboro, is grateful that these students contacted Westboro.
"We're thankful to know about it because that is a golden opportunity to help a nation that is sprinting to their eminent destruction," said Phelps-Roper.
Phelps-Roper explained the goal of Westboro's visit and her expectations at the protest this upcoming weekend.
"We're going to tell you the word of God, and [President Brian Casey] needs to be sure he does his duty…Since you've raised a violent mob of rebels, he better have his security force, whatever that's called at your university, to do their job and keep the peace," said Phelps-Roper.
Casey promoted that the univeristy is a place to peacably exchange ideas.
"If you're a university that welcomes ideas and debate, well then you have to welcome, perhaps not agree with, but welcome those with provocative thoughts and ideas," said Casey. "So, we will do what we can to make sure they have a reasonable way to express their thoughts, but certainly not in a way that impedes the production of "The Laramie Project."
It has not been confirmed whether Casey will speak to the audience of Saturday evening's performance of The Laramie Project.
- Meredith McGrady and Stephen Kendrick from WGRE contributed to this article.
A fundamentalist church dedicated to preaching against homosexuality, Westboro is known for conducting anti-gay protests across the country. DePauw University is currently on its upcoming picket schedule.
Two actors in The Laramie Project, a male sophomore and a female junior, e-mailed Westboro informing them of this production and inviting them to visit campus.
In the e-mail, the two students said their intentions were to allow a peaceful protest on campus. They initiated contact without consulting the director of the production or any university faculty.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred Phelps, the pastor of Westboro, is grateful that these students contacted Westboro.
"We're thankful to know about it because that is a golden opportunity to help a nation that is sprinting to their eminent destruction," said Phelps-Roper.
Phelps-Roper explained the goal of Westboro's visit and her expectations at the protest this upcoming weekend.
"We're going to tell you the word of God, and [President Brian Casey] needs to be sure he does his duty…Since you've raised a violent mob of rebels, he better have his security force, whatever that's called at your university, to do their job and keep the peace," said Phelps-Roper.
Casey promoted that the univeristy is a place to peacably exchange ideas.
"If you're a university that welcomes ideas and debate, well then you have to welcome, perhaps not agree with, but welcome those with provocative thoughts and ideas," said Casey. "So, we will do what we can to make sure they have a reasonable way to express their thoughts, but certainly not in a way that impedes the production of "The Laramie Project."
It has not been confirmed whether Casey will speak to the audience of Saturday evening's performance of The Laramie Project.
- Meredith McGrady and Stephen Kendrick from WGRE contributed to this article.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Mike
posted 2/26/10 @ 6:10 PM EST
To call Westboro a "fundamentalist church" is a bit of a misnomer. Most of the leading civil rights organizations such as the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center classify them a hate group. (Continued…)
Al
posted 2/27/10 @ 11:39 PM EST
Westboro Baptist Church has actually very little to do with the Word of God. They take His word out of context and use God as an excuse to spread hate and sue people. (Continued…)
Kimbo
posted 2/28/10 @ 10:59 PM EST
As big and bad as Westboro says they are, they didnt even show up at DePauw.. WAY TO GO!
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