The Most Hated Family in America

This one could turn into a rant folks. Have you heard of the Phelps family? No, not Michael Phelps the famous swimming champion...the family in Kansas who protests dead soldier's funerals. You heard me right: a family with little kids who go and protest funerals.

Here is the start of a documentary on the family by BBC (if you're interested all 8 clips are on YouTube...and the journalist doing the documentary is amusing as well.)

It pains me to see these kinds of people are alive and well in America. They believe that America is "doomed" because we allow gays to live and be free here. Their signs often include derogatory statements such as "God hates fags". First of all, I hardly think God would use an offensive word like "fag" nowadays. Second of all, this family seems to completely change the Bible to fit their ignorant views. They tell the journalist that they are the only people who are going to Heaven and the rest of us are doomed to Hell and that no one knows the Bible like they do. They have the righteous hats on their heads and seem to think God is in their ears.

In the documentary, they were also seen protesting a Jewish synagogue. Their reasoning? Jews are "fags" because they killed Jesus. Ummmm, hello? Jesus was a jew. And I'm pretty sure that whole Jesus dying on the cross thing...yep, the Bible tells us that needed to happen for our sins to be cleared today.

As for their signs, they were completely ridiculous. Some had Bible verses at the bottom so I had the liberty of looking up one. Psalm 2:4 was at the bottom of a sign that had God laughing at "fags". The verse is as quoted: "The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them." I can't give you a definite definition of this quote, but no where do I see any word on homosexuality.

It simply distresses me that these people are so ignorant and will not listen to anyone else. And how much they hurt others without really realizing it. I think of all the mothers whose sons have died at war and how devastated they must be. And to have these people galavanting with their signs, protesting your son's death...it is just plain awful. My only wish and hope for our world is that people have more respect for others. If they put themselves in another's shoes and listen to what the world is telling them. The world is not always in black and white. I call myself a Christian and I understand the Christian world is often against homosexuality. But, I am also a human. I know people who are gay and I don't judge them for that. I see it as love and nothing else. I don't think you can help who you love and I wish people would just live their own lives and stop judging others so much.

So what do you all think about the Phelps family or this topic?

News Media Annoyances

I hate to say but I constantly question myself as to why I am a Journalism major. Unfortunately, the answer is not that I love it. The answer is that the college I attended because "I wasn't ready to leave home" does not offer anything close to what I want to do. Which is creative writing. Journalism does offer teaching to help my grammar and writing skills and I enjoy those parts. Sometimes even interviewing is not that bad. But I must say: I hate the news media for the most part.

This whole "Swine Flu pandemic" only increases my hate. Yes, people have died from this. Yes, it is something we should prepare ourselves with knowledge of. But the news is having a field day. It is all they talk about and they do everything in their power to shy away from chatting about our dying economy. Being about half of a hypochondriac myself, luckily my common sense is taking over and realizing... okay, this is not the end of the world. NO, news media, we are in fact NOT all going to die a slow and painful death. But I can't even imagine how full-blown hypochondriacs feel. I guarantee a good portion of the world's population are glued to their televisions, drowning in every word, pouring hand sanitizer over their bodies and flipping out every time they see someone sneeze.

So I for one am taking a stand for my own well-being. I am convincing my parents to watch something other than the news at dinner or I will not be eating with them. I refuse to check news sites and am trying to stay away from the constant bombardment of the media, no matter what kind. Being informed is healthy, but I am sick and tired of the news media telling me to worry about the swine flu, the economy, and if I hear the word Twitter one more time.... well, my TV just might be out the window. Sure, I might just get kicked out of my Journalism class for being a poser, but my brain and my heart will feel a little bit happier inside.

I found this video funny and true. I only watched about the first 2 minutes because she goes on to talk about other things after, so just watch the part making fun of the Swine Flu. You'll enjoy it.