I’ve wanted to post about this for about two weeks now, but have put it off. It’s not a happy topic, that’s for sure. It’s an ugly, mean and disturbing topic. Which means it makes me angry and sad. And, chances are, it will make you feel angry and sad too. So I apologize in advance for that. It’s hard to write about this, but I know that I should. I should say something.
Intrigued yet?
Clear back in January, a young woman was abducted here in town. Her name was Brianna Denison. The thing is, stuff like this doesn’t often happen here in Reno. Not to a college student, at least. She didn’t attend the University here in town, but she grew up here and her family lived here and she had friends here. She was staying at a friend’s house one night when she just disappeared. Someone came in the front door (unlocked) and took her from the couch where she had been sleeping. A little bit of blood was all that was left on the pillow as evidence. As the weeks wore on, it became apparent that the blood on the pillow matched DNA from attacks made on several University students the last couple of months. It would appear that this guy was escalating his attacks. He started out trying to rape, then raping, then abducting and raping (and then releasing) and now a violent abduction with no end in sight.
The community was mobilized. You just about couldn’t go anywhere without seeing a sign with Brianna’s picture on it. Businesses, casinos, the side of the road… all carried the same message: “Bring Brianna Home”. Search parties gathered every weekend to comb parks, fields, open areas… anywhere that might give clues. Vigils were held and prayers were made in her honor. We discussed her at our own church, though her family had never been to services there. The thing is, it was an issue that mobilized this community.
I’m assuming you’ve all heard of the “Westboro Baptist Church“? Chances are, you have as they have spread their bile all around the country rather efficiently. Most recently and most high profile is the death of Heath Ledger and their promise to picket his funeral with their disgusting signs and chants simply because the guy starred in “Brokeback Mountain”. This is an anti-homosexual group like no other. Plainly put, this group hates EVERYONE and EVERYTHING in our country. Every tragedy is deserved. You can read that Wiki-Pedia page I linked to above if you want more details but trust me, it may just make you want to puke. The people are filled with nothing but hate.
After Brianna’s disappearance, this group released a statement saying that “God Hates Reno” and Brianna’s disappearance was clear evidence of that. When her body was found (as more and more people were starting to fear the worst for the girl), they planned to picket and protest her funeral. My pastor brought it up at church on Sunday and I was glad that he did. He told us that he was greatly disturbed that this group used the word “Baptist” in their name (as they are in no way affiliated with ANY Baptist convention anywhere in this country) but even more so that they used the word “Church.” He worried what people driving by our church, who heard the horrible things the WBC had been saying, would think when they saw our church sign, calling us a Baptist church. Would they think we felt the same way? Would they think that all Christians felt this way? What could we do to fight this reckless hate?
Last week, Brianna’s body was found in a field in the south part of town. It was the moment that pretty much everyone was dreading. How awful for her family. How awful for everyone who has spent countless hours trying to bring her home safe. And how awful that the maniac who took her and murdered her is still on the loose. I can’t imagine how scared some of the students at the University must be. I went to school there myself, I can only imagine how I would feel. And amidst all this? The WBC plans, still, to protest her funeral (our pastor, in fact, is quoted at the bottom of that article).
This upsets me greatly. That this family who is going through a singularly agonizing time and could use every ounce of support they can get will have to worry about this cult of nutjobs using their daughter’s funeral as their own bizarre and disgusting platform. There is no happy conclusion here, unfortunately. I certainly don’t have any answer for this. No way to make myself or anyone else feel better. Still, I felt I needed to share the situation. Because I DO believe that the truths about this group of haters must be spread. Others need to be aware of what this group is doing. They may come to your town next.
{ 9 comments }
Pocklock (42 comments.) 02.22.08 at 9:14 am
Wow. I hadn’t heard they found her body, but I remember when they reported her missing. Her poor family. I had no idea this church existed. It’s hard for me to accept people like this take up space on our planet — and so close to our lives.
Disgusting.
Pocklock’s last blog post..Hear That?
Sarah Lena (17 comments.) 02.22.08 at 9:16 am
Here in Huntsville, AL, we had a horrible school bus accident where a bus full of high schoolers fell off of an overpass and four young students lost their lives. The Westboro Church picketed all of their funerals, denouncing the arts school the bus left “full of fags” and the obvious reason God sent the bus over the overpass.
Our mayor and police department were BRILLIANT. Obviously, they have every right to picket. (And sadly, in AL, we get visits from the KKK and the like as well, so we’re not unaccustomed to it.) But we have every right to park eight Greyhound buses around the space they declared their “safe ground” and keep the running the entire protest. No one could see or hear them. Fabulous.
Loralee (5 comments.) 02.22.08 at 9:27 am
I wrote about them when they picked the funeral of Gordon Hinckley, president of the very conservative Mormon church at the beginning of the month.
I hadn’t heard of them really before that and man, I would be disgusted that they stick “Baptist” on their name as well.
Seriously, I can’t make heads or tails about what they hate and not. I think you’re right…They hate everything.
It must be a truly dark soul that walks around with that much hatred inside.
Loralee’s last blog post..Shades of Gray
brit (97 comments.) 02.22.08 at 10:28 am
I’ve written three really long responses to this…and erased them all. Mostly because I’m afraid of being misunderstood.
I think I can sum them all up briefly with…that…sucks….
not as eloquent..but whatever
witchypoo (4 comments.) 02.22.08 at 12:14 pm
I hope that municipal government and church leaders of your community will be proactive to protect the family and friends of this poor young woman.
At least the nutjobs announce their intentions.
witchypoo’s last blog post..Duh
cagey (95 comments.) 02.22.08 at 12:17 pm
Everytime I see “Westboro Baptist Church” my blood begins to boil. Seethe. With. Hatred.
I am trying to not spew vulgarities all over your blog, but truly. I hate this group. They are from Topeka which is near Lawrence where I went to college and where my parents live. So, over the years, we have been subjected to this group’s stupidity.
Most recently, they picketed my brother’s high school graduation because the school has the audacity to have a gay and lesbian student alliance. I was 8 months pregnant at the time and was so upset when I saw the picketers, I had to sit down when I entered the fieldhouse to collect my sanity. All I could see was red.
cagey’s last blog post..Where’d the moon go?
Pam (1 comments.) 02.22.08 at 4:05 pm
It is really sad for me when people say this and that happened because he or she is gay or some other trait. Let the people live their lives. I didn’t see the news about the discovery of the body, terrible.
michelle 02.23.08 at 3:29 am
Yeah. Nice. Use God and religion as the hammer for your predjudice. Just remember who controls the lightning.
Valerie (6 comments.) 02.24.08 at 12:36 pm
I love what Sarah Lena’s community did and that’s exactly the way the situation should be handled every single time until the people affiliated with the group get tired of not getting the attention they so badly crave.
What angers me to no end is that the media has made deals with them, giving them airtime in exchange for not protesting. I see the point behind it, but it’s only giving them more of an audience. And I’m jaded enough to believe that the media’s motives aren’t completely selfless. Controversy brings ratings, after all.
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