Dustin
Curry
Contributing
writer
www.dustincurry.com
They’re hated, reviled and detested. Simply saying the name “Westboro” stirs up emotions of anger and resentment. If it were up to many people, the WBC would not be able to picket and preach their offensive messages.
The first piece I ever had published in this newspaper was an opinion article concerning how upset I was that people on campus who have opposing viewpoints from mine were pushing their “offensive” beliefs on me and my fellow students. Since writing the article, I’ve done a lot of personal reflection and found that, in many ways, I was just as wrong as those people—and just as right.
In America, the freedom of expression is a human right guaranteed not just to those who have the “correct” opinion, but to all people, regardless of their opinion. We’ve seen this freedom tested more and more each day with the increasing prevalence of social media. Our world is fueled by conflicting ideas, and, thanks to the broadening of the public forum, we’ve been able to make leaps and bounds in social progress simply by starting new conversations.
Last month, I published a highly controversial opinion column that I’m proud to say has received nearly six thousand hits online and has been read by countless people in print. I’ve received a huge outpouring of support, as well as plenty of hate mail.
One of the first responses I got came from a guy named Michael and it began with this line: “Alright hot-shot a friend of mine from southeastern just posted your little blog of crap.” Five to ten paragraphs later, the guy had thoroughly trashed my article and everything I believed in. I responded by thanking him.
As a matter of fact, I’d like to take the time to thank everyone who has ever had an opposing opinion to my own, especially if you went out and said something about it.
Conversations like that are exactly what make America such a great place to live—be you Westboro Baptist or not.
During the Penn & Teller magic show, Penn Jillette quips that “nothing can make you love the U.S.A. more than overseas travel.” I recently saw an image on the Internet of a man in the Middle East wearing a balaclava and holding a sign that says “Freedom of Expression is Western Terrorism.”
When I see images like that, it reminds me of how lucky we are to live in a society of opinions and ideas. Frank Zappa once said that “without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.”
People get really heated when they see the Westboro Baptist Church in the news. I’ll admit, I hate their message and I wish they were different, but just as I support everyone else’s First Amendment right to freedom of speech, I will fight and argue for Westboro’s right to speak what they believe.
My favorite quote by British comedian Ricky Gervais is “just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right.” In the past few months, I’ve reflected on what it’s like to be an American and have a human right that is rather new in the grand scheme of history.
I get really offended by a lot of the things that I see in the media and in the world around me, but just as people have the opportunity to offend me, I have the opportunity to offend them.
The good news is that the more we are offended and talk about it, the further we are from settling into a society with strict doctrines of how we are supposed to express or not express ourselves.
So please, argue and offend away. Just remember that I’ll be arguing and offending right back.
And Michael, thanks again for writing.