Counter-protesters surrounded the Westboro Baptist Church on the corner of North Main and East Roanoke Street.
Correction: This story has been modified from its original version. — Josh Olinger was misquoted. The quote should read "Nowhere in the Bible does it say God hates fags." The Collegiate Times regrets this error.
Lanes of honking traffic and a handful of police officers divided an angry church and rowdy crowd in Blacksburg Friday.
Westboro Baptist Church members staged three protests Friday, targeting the Jewish and gay communities and the death of Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington.
The group traveled in a Kia Sedona van to Blacksburg’s Jewish Community Center, then down the block to the corner of North Main Street and Roanoke Street. Next, the van made its way through a pack of school buses to Blacksburg Middle
School as middle school students left and displaced Blacksburg High School students arrived at school.
There were no arrests or violent incidents. Police intervened to keep community counter-protests across the street from the WBC members in front of the middle school, as the crowd momentarily advanced to the median.
PROTESTERS
The WBC protest was directed at the community for causing the death of Morgan Harrington by tolerating various groups the church interprets as sinful.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, eldest daughter of the church founder Fred Phelps, led the six protesters. The group consisted of three adults and three children.
The group was armed with signs bearing slogans such as “The Jews killed Jesus,” “Fag Hokies,” and “God is your Enemy.”
Phelps-Roper hailed the protest as a successful endeavor.
“It’s a 10,” Phelps said, before quickly correcting herself. “Out of 10, it’s a 12.”
A few feet away, Tommy McDearis, pastor of Blacksburg Baptist Church, looked on quietly.
“God is not a god of hatred,” McDearis said. “It’s been embarrassing. For two weeks people have been calling me asking what I think about them.”
“They don’t represent the God I speak about.”
Blacksburg Middle School eighth-graders Alanah Flad and Gabrielle Meek stood on the edge of the school property after their school day was over and watched the WBC protest.
“I think it’s crazy, especially since they have kids,” Meek said.
Phelps-Roper brought her two kids along, seven-year-old Luke and 11-year-old Noah. She said earlier that Luke was the group’s second most active member, after Phelps-Roper herself.
Ben Phelps also brought his daughter, six-year-old Anna.
Flad said the day was anything but average inside the walls of the middle school, as students stood up for the groups the WBC members targeted with their protests.
“Everyone I know was wearing gay rights T-shirts and yarmulkes,” Flad said. “That’s all we talked about.”
The group left BMS at 2 p.m. Phelps-Roper said the WBC members had protested in Charleston, W.Va., Thursday night. The WBC Web site said the next protest is scheduled for Des Moines, Iowa.
A version of this article appeared in the Apr 13 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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Way to give 'em hell!
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Glad the Hokie Nation showed them what we are about
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Hokies are all about painting themselves Orange and whooping and hollaring at folks they don't agree with? Don't get me wrong, I do not support these people, but I think some of the "protesters" didn't help anything and only tried to draw attention to themselves.
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I think the outcome of the protest was fenomenal. No "Hokies" aren't all about painting themselves just Orange. It's Orange and Maroon. Virginia Tech is a close-knit family, always has been, and always will be. It's not about the attention, but about the bonding between fellow students, staff, and the locals of the area. Your thought process was directed in the wrong direction...
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Yeah, that is exactly what I thought. On one hand side of the street we have 6 people from out of town spewing their rhetoric. On the other side of the street we have half-naked idiots running around like they are in a San Fransisco bathhouse. Absolutely disgusting. This country is definitely going to hell. I agree with the Westboro peeps on that one.
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I should have stated that I would rather have had no one show up than something the Media can turn into a circus. We gave the Westboro people exactly what they wanted: attention. There are two ways of dealing with bullies: 1) punch them square in the nose 2) ignore them. While option 1 seems appropriate to many, it is not legal or advisable, but option 2 is easy and doesn't require anything other than going about your day.
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why dont you become un-anonymous and then say this? -- the point was to draw attention away from the WBC -- regardless of who it was drawn to, we didn't want them having it. i think everyone in attendance did a wonderful job of supporting the community as well as Morgan and her family -- Morgan we love you and i am so proud of my fellow Hokies!
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hey ya'll check on the video report on the hub about the positive protest!
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The point of the protest was to draw attention away from the WBC. So, by turning the cameras on the counter protestors, we achieved our goal. The group lives off of lawsuits but none on the counter protestors gave them grounds to do so, we achieved our goal.
It is not possible to achieve any goal through inaction, therefore a peaceful protest was a complete success.
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Mr. Ianni, you forgot option 3, which is to ridicule them and turn their message of hate into something positive and fun. The WBC is controversial, the media will cover them no matter what they do. This way they're marginalized exposed as a tiny fringe group.
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So I walked down to the Jewish center and saw the protest. It's like 6 freaking people, 3-4 of which are underage. Virginia Tech - you really got THAT worked up over this? Boring. I stayed about 3 minutes and went home. Yawn.
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Yeah, we're going to get worked up. You can't just say that all these people deserved to die and walk away. You mess with one Hokie, you mess with us all. Clearly you have not seen or understood the support that the people have offered to the victims of April 16th and Morgan's family. However, I see your point. If everyone had ignored these idiots, things would have been just fine but quite frankly, I'm proud.
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What is Virginia Tech now, a Communist utopia? What is with all this collectivist "we" nonsense? No offense, but I'm here to try and learn while I get a degree. I am not part of some collectivist community. Take a look at the photo gallery of the counter-protest. I AM NOT standing with that crowd and I am not part of that crowd.
Instead of running around acting like hoodlums (which brings even more media attention to this ordeal), maybe the town of Blacksburg should at least consider what these folks have to say. For example, they are correct to point out that Obama is a fraud, with his continuance of illegal wiretaps, email snooping, torture, holding humans indefinitely without trial, and disrespect towards the Constitution. Plus he has expanded the wars by sending more private mercenaries to Iraq (to replace the troops he took out), sent more troops to Afghanistan, bombed Yemen and Pakistan with unmanned aerial drones-- killing thousands of innocent civilians in the process.
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So instead of dressing in drag maybe the "hokie community" should come together and ask itself, "what makes people come to our town and say this stuff?" Why do people think that we have no morals? Why do people think that spend the weekends getting liquored up and defiling ourselves with people we are not married to? Why do people think that we dress like prostitutes in the summer? Why do people think all we care about is celebrities and sports instead of important things like faith, morals and values?
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You don't want to be part of the community, fine. But having support from whatever people live in Blacksburg makes a huge difference. Maybe you weren't there April 16th. I was. It was hell. You were not sitting in a small classroom locked in waiting for hours to find out what was going on. You didn't go home and find out that people who were a part of your life 24/7 are gone. You think this is a communist society? go look at china. This is love. These people are showing that they care and if you disagree with their method, fine. But all you are telling me is that you're ignorant and uncaring.
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Anyone who didn't wanna be out here to support this has no soul or wasn't here during 4/16. For most of us here at VT, this is a family. Do I know many of my fellow students first hand? Not that well. But I have spent 3 years with them sharing the same campus, the same food courts, and the same library. The whole point of the counter-protest isn't to make them go away, it's a way to nullify the hate. We were there to have fun, get some laughs, and show our support. So if you don't wanna be a part of the community, go right ahead, but don't criticize those who do just because you don't agree.
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"Anyone who didn't wanna be out here to support this has no soul or wasn't here during 4/16."
Aren't we judging. I had zero desire to be out there and I would like to think I have a soul. Also can we please get away from this "You weren't there! You can't possibly understand" mentality? Parents, siblings, and friends were all affected without actually being there.
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What, parents and friends were affected? Wow I had no clue. Thanks for opening my eyes about that.
If that is the best response you can come up with then maybe you should have tried not opening your mouth at all.
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"Anyone who didn't wanna be out here to support this has no soul or wasn't here during 4/16." I was there on 4/16 and I bet you weren't Anon. I'm not getting worked up over a group of people that retarded. It's not a matter of not having a soul I saw the cultists for what they were attention seeking morons. They weren't worthy of the effort we put into counter protesting. They made you guys do all that because 6 people from their side showed up. It's just plain stupid to counter protest, there were only 6 of them and no one takes their message seriously it was a non-event.
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Chris, so instead of getting all mad, tell us why do _you_ think the WBC said those things about Tech, and the Blacksburg HS? Are they right? Are we really all doomed to eternal pain and suffering because we allow differences to exists side-by-side?
The 'Hokie Nation' is a great idea, and I for one am very glad it exists! Yes, I am one of 'those people' the WBC was protesting against, despite the fact that I am usually regarded as one of the nicest kindest, and generous people any ever meets. Although from what you wrote, you would care to find that out. I hope you never become part of protested against group, and cry 'foul play' if nobody stands by your side...although the Hokie Nation, of which you _are_ are part, would never do that!
I for one _am_ a bit thankful to the WBC, in that this is the first time in teh 5 years I've lived here, that Tech _and_ the community worked this closely together!
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"in that this is the first time in teh 5 years I've lived here, that Tech _and_ the community worked this closely together!"
Amy, that is a true statement and is a perfect example of why I am not part of the "Hokie community." Last year the Collegiate Times ran a headline "Largest anti-war protest in Tech's history to take place tomorrow." I went to that protest. Guess how many people showed up? About twenty. Roughly half the campus believes the war is wrong, and therefore we are murdering Iraqis, yet only twenty are motivated enough to get off the couch over it? Pathetic. I have also joined Tech's pro-lifers as they protest Planned Parenthood. Roughly half of campus believes that abortion is murder, yet less than ten show up to the pro-life events and meetings this group holds every week. Pathetic.
The ONLY time the tech community was motivated enough to turn off the TV and protest something... WAS THIS? Bringing attention to WBC and running around dressed like freaks? That is why I said everyone should at least consider why WBC is protesting us. The tech community is sad.
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"I was there on 4/16 and I bet you weren't Anon."
There I am named, now go (rhymes with truck) yourself with these kinds of statements. I was there and I sat with friends and sat and watched it unfold and you are going to tell me what I did and didn't do. Next try not being a giant tool before accusing people of something you obviously don't know anything about.
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I just consider the SGA a bunch of crap after this. I despise the WBC just like the rest of you, but really? SGA direct the counter protests? I thought they were above pointless garbage. Apparently not. Ridiculous.
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I was proud to be a member of SGA, but after their involvement today with the counter-protests, I am not anymore.
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get a life -- the SGA was supporting the community and the voices of thousands of kids at the school .. we can't please everyone and if you guys had an opinion you should have came to the meeting where as a nation we decided what was going to be our reaction to this -- i dont feel sorry at all.. what we did was for all the right reasons.. we showed them they cant break us
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yeah, the meeting where 30 people showed up? that is really the voice of the nation. 26,000 students, but 30 people can represent us all. you're really not that bright if you think that. the sga wasn't supporting the community nor the voices of the majority of the community. the best action is inaction. look at what they said, they loved it. so why don't you get a life.
and btw, if we did nothing, they wouldn't break us. idk why we HAD to do something. just stupid.
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I believe Martin Luther King Jr. can shed some light on this situation: "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
If you think silence means you win, you're delusional. The WBC don't want or need attention. They're all lawyers, and they're not stupid; they know the entire country hates them. They probably are well aware of the fact that they're twisting the bible to provoke people, and I'd say there's a good chance they don't believe what they're saying.. They want money. Money from lawsuits. It's all just a brilliant BUSINESS. This is common sense.
Today was about Hokies protecting and supporting each other. The Hokies who were present and committed to peace and unity ensured that the WBC didn't take any money from us. We proved to ourselves, the world, and the WBC that we are united, and won't be broken by provocation.
Today, the Hokies were victorious.
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"Today, the Hokies were victorious."?? Victorious over what?? A few nut cases. WHOOOO Congratulations.......
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Yes, the Hokies were victorious over "a few nut cases," and much more. We were victorious over the despicable business they represent. They make their money and living by provoking people to criminal assault, battery, and harassment on the premise of their religion and backed by their freedom of speech. The reason many advocate slight over action is because this business has been notoriously difficult to outmaneuver, given our countries religious background, support of our soldiers, and desire for equality--all of which they protest against. Our ability as a community to come together and, through the strength of our bond, overcome their hateful message, when so few have been able to, was our victory.
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I'd rather go to hell then go to WBC's heaven.
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Kevin, well said.. Way to go VT HOKIES and BLACKSBURG!!
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Just saw the protest on the news. Well the WBC got what they wanted...attention. Apparently it looked like there was only like 6 protestors......6 protestors....really? Virginia Tech got worked up over that?
If Vtech just ignored them, the news media probably wouldn't even care to come down to Blacksburg which would have been a fail for WBC. Instead we gave them the attention they wanted as well as making us look like a bunch of united clowns.
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Indeed. WBC was successful thanks to VT and their SGA.
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Hahah, um, no, from the standpoint of someone who works in the media. They would have been covered regardless. Yes, more came because there was "conflict" in the sense of two sides. But if other news group followed as we did, we gave our attention to the Hokies and their peaceful and productive counter-protest. Bravo Virginia Tech.
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The CT doesn't really count as media. They have a valid point if we didn't counter protest than all the attention they would have gotten was from the CT and maybe a quick mention on local news. By turning it into what we did national news outlets will pick up on it thus giving WBC what they want national exposure they wouldn't have gotten it without the counter protests.
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Great job you effing media. You gave them exactly what they wanted: attention, interviews, and their name all over the campus.
If nobody was paying attention to them, they would have achieved NOTHING. I see babbling homeless preachers in richmond all the time, but I dont see VCU's media all over them? Just ignore them and keep walking....
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Proud of the Hokies and Blacksburg to stand up and come together for peace and love. Regardless of the WBC, it shows how we can come together to support each other. Very proud to be a Hokie.
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I'm not a Hokie. I don't live in Blacksburg. But I drove from Roanoke to Blacksburg today to stand side by side with the VT students and Blacksburg community to counter-protest WBC. I wanted to show the public and Blacksburg Middle School students that my Christian God is not the God that these nuts preach. My God is a God of Love, Mercy, and Peace. It was disgusting the things they twist and warp of what is in the Bible. I wanted to subject the community and the Middle School students to what the real God in the Bible is about, and I hope and pray the 3 WBC children there saw my sign that read My God is a God Love, Mercy, and Peace. I was proud of the VT students today and was proud to stand among them.
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I am a parent of a Hokie (and I'm actually a Hokie) and happened to be in Blacksburg to witness this event. I agree that the WBC did not deserve any attention but let's face it,their "voice" is despicable and our human nature leads us to counter such nonsense! I was proud of the way that each and every VT student and community member conducted themselves - what a great community! My favorite counter protest sign, "Do you just need a hug??" I think they need a lot more than that, but that might be a start for those crazy people!
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This is Josh Olinger, I was quoted in this article but the reporter got some of my words incorrect.It says I said, "No where in the Bible does it say God loves fags" when I really said, "No where in the Bible does it say God hates fags". And it says I went to Radford Virginia Western College, which really is Radford through Virginia Western Community College. Sorry if this seems unnecessary but I just wanted to make sure people understood what I really said because the quote sounds confusing.
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its the CT ... the mess up a lot of things
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Say what you will about the CT. Their coverage of this event was far better than that of the Roanoke Times. For those of us who chose to avoid this event, that coverage is appreciated.
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A little self centered, arent WE.
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At least they warned us they were going to come.
They could have just come all over us without warning and ruin the day.
At least with this, we came too! We came lots more! In different places!
I don't think the SGA has ever gotten so many people to come, especially simultaneously!
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the sga didnt do this. facebook did. dont give them credit where its not due.
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It was through direct e-mail that I knew and came. Not FB!
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The WBC spews rhetoric that is intended to provoke. They were a very small group here today that should have best been just ignored. If they hadn't any audience, they would have whithered away.
To be honest, I'm surprised WBC didn't seize upon the words of Seung Hui Cho in his infamous videos that came out after the massacre. He was clearly mentally ill but he did criticize the perceived debauchery he perceived as existing amongst students in Blacksburg. That would seem right up the WBC line of thinking.
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A lot of BHS students wanted to join the counter protest. We were yelled at, told to go inside once off the buses, then if we tried to leave the teachers blocked the doors with their bodies and held them with their hands. One student was told, and forced, to get inside even when he wasn't on school property. Another student, who kept walking while outside, was threatened to be arrested.
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Thomas, We as teachers had a legal obligation to make sure you did not leave school property. This was made known to each and every student that as soon as they stepped foot on school property they were not allowed to leave. Students were told that if they parked off campus they could join the protest, in fact one of your school-mates procured a permit to counter-protest. And in case you were unsure, school property begins immediately after turning off of Price's Fork or cross the sidewalk on the side of the school.
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"We as teachers had a legal obligation to make sure you did not leave school property." Statements like this make my skin crawl. Once again reaffirming my decision to homeschool my son.
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Why does it make your skin crawl? As soon as a student steps foot on school property, teachers become "in loco parentis" and are legally and morally bound to make sure they are safe. Allowing students to leave school grounds puts the students at risk. I am sure many parents would not want teachers to just allow their students to leave the school grounds. The parents put the students on the buses and assume they will be in school, not off campus. Home schooling is a wonderful option for many kids and families, but the schools in Blacksburg are some of the best in the state.
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I wake up this morning feeling really good. Extremely proud of the people in our town.
Students, professionals, university and local community - everyone has proven once again
why this truly is a unique place. We all hold different views, different beliefs and arrive
here with literally a world of different experiences. Yet for all of the sh*t we've endured in
the past few years we still come together with promise, optimism, realism, and most of all
the truth. The truth that love overcomes hate. That compassion overcomes aggression.
That every single person who contributes to the good of Blacksburg, Va Tech, Montgomery
County is an important part of revealing the good in humanity. Thank you.
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Westboro brought it's "B" team to Blacksburg for their performance, old women and little kids.
None of the young adult women such as (now former member) Libby Phelps or Jael Phelps showed up. Just put a mute button on them and the male Hokies would be all over them like a frat party!
They have a video on Youtube if you want to know what you missed.
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Are you kidding? The WBC's main player is Shirley Phelps Roper. She's the one that is always on TV and basically runs the whole protesting operation. She was there, so I definitely wouldn't say it was their "B" team.
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Shirley may be their leader, but appearance wise she is for sore eyes. Jael Phelps is a cutie as is former member Libbey Phelps. Check YouTube and you'll see what I mean.
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Dude you need glasses.
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Oh God, Ianni is my latin teacher. Look Mr. Ianni, school wasn't in session and many of us did not have any other means of transportation than bus. We should at LEAST have had to opportunity to have parent notes allowing us to protest. Funneling everyone into the school and blocking us in is just wrong. And none of us were in danger AND, before they had to more across the street, the counter protest was on the sidewalk adjacent to the school---we could have stayed on school grounds for a while anyways. And maybe that one student did to that, but reguardless, another parked at foodlion, walked on the sidewalk, and then was forced inside. Those of us who tried to get out and would have accepted punishment for it were doing the right thing--expressing our freedom of speech in support of blacksburg and the tech community while opposing hate. Any animosity generated that day should have been at WBC, not the teachers.
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As always I applaud your vigor and desire to engage the world as an adult member of society; you are a great example for your fellow students. I would only ask that you think about what a parent would think if something did happen to their child when they thought they were "safe" in school. Ask your own parents what they think, it would be a good discussion at the dinner table.
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That's a good point Mr. Ianni, and exactly why I could compromise with 3 things. 1. Students get parental permission in the form of a note or phonecall. 2. Students who are 18 are adults, and have the right to choose, regaurdless of their parents wishes. 3. A student who isn't on school property is not at all under any obligation to obey any teacher, principle, etc.
I still wouldn't have been able to participate actually; I was directly going against my parents on this one, but it'd still allow for more freedom for others, and it just would have been right and just.
And before teachers begin barring the doors with their bodies, (even with those compromises I still would have taken punishment and left) perhaps they could have notified the PTA in advance that those would be their tactics?
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I hope God forgives those pour kids for having such hate fill parents. How could parents put their parents on such display like that. I commend Morgan Harrington's Dad for being such a peaceful man, if I were in his shoes and lost my daughter I don't know how I would have handles myself. Our day of judgement will come.....
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first of all if you dont want to be a part of the hokie family, thats fine, stay by yourself in your misserable little book filled world. But we are the HOKIE NATION!! college isn't just about learning from books, it's about learning how to be a real human being! if you have that big of a problem with normal college behavior why don't you go ivy league? just couldn't cut it there i suppose...NOW on to the real problem the WBC i hate that some people cant see the Bible for what it truely is, a compalation of stories, sagas, and legends (though some may be based in fact) to help mankind learn to live humble, more peaceful lives... and theres nothing wrong with that, just dont use it's words as literal interpretations to fuel your hate filled messages... Mark 11:14 states "Then Jesus said to the Fig Tree, may no one ever eat fruit from you again.And his disciples heard him say it". so, according to the WBC God hates people who eat figs! FIG EATERS BURN IN HELL!!!
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