How to handle haters
Perhaps you are already familiar with a certain Kansas-based hate group masquerading as a church. It’s become well known for picketing the funerals of prominent gay people, carrying signs that say “God Hates Fags,” and lately for picketing the funerals of American soldiers. (I can’t remember exactly why they hate the soldiers, but then again, it’s not as if their reasoning makes a whole lot of sense.)
Starting last spring, these haters have turned their seemingly inexhaustible, zombie-like attention to the Jews. Apparently we killed Jesus, and some other stuff. A logical argument, such as pointing out that Jesus was Jewish, won’t get you anywhere with them. Their approach is the pseudo-theological equivalent of “I know you are, but what am I?”
A few months ago a handful of them picketed Temple Emanuel of Tempe (with little to no reaction), and starting this Friday, Dec. 11, they’re baaaack, with a jam-packed schedule that begins with Hillel at ASU and ends with the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center. Our paper, Jewish News, is in there in the middle somewhere, as are Chabad and the big AIPAC event on Sunday morning. And, for no fathomable reason, they are also picketing the US Airways Center — “God Hates Your Sports, get that?” — and Independence High School, in Glendale.
We ran an editorial on the subject the last time they were here, and we’d like to repeat the same message loud and clear: Do not engage these people. Pretend they don't even exist. They are a fringe hate group looking for legitimacy, and their M.O. is to piss people off so that they react and the event escalates. That’s how they get news coverage, and that’s how they get other people arrested for harassing them. Their worst nightmare, having come all this way to draw attention to themselves, is to be entirely ignored – which is why I’m not even going to mention their name here.
10 Dec, 2009 >
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Hi Deborah...these simpletons are not hooked-up right. Their screws are loose. Any attempt at legitimate debate,conversation etc. would be futile. Yes, ignoring them is the best way to go.
Steve Hinders - 10 Feb, 2010 - 21:58:44
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