Westboro Baptist Church Picketing in NYC
Matriarch Shirley Phelps Roper (middle) and Daughter Megan Phelps Roper (right) protest homosexuality in NYC. Megan and her younger sister, Grace (not pictured), have left the church.
I remember very well the day that I shot this and the original reasons for seeking out this group. There was a massive counter-protest on the other side of the street, far outnumbering the Westboro group. There was also a massive NYPD police presence and they would not allow anyone on the street, on the Westboro side of the street or to stand in place. The NYPD was very aggressive about moving people along and it was very difficult to shoot this group. Having said that, I've had a great deal of experience shooting with formidable obstacles, including the NYPD, and have learned how to get the shots I need.
I first learned of the Westboro Baptist Church via Louis Theroux and his wonderful, fair and calm look at them for his BBC documentary. I was intially reviled by the Westboro Baptist Church's message and angered at what I considered to be their total bastardization of the potentially positive messages that religions often impart.
After learning more and reading every article I could find about this group my anger gave way to pity. I feel bad that the children are raised in this family the way that they are, indoctrinated literally from birth and secluded from the rest of the world. The love and approval of a parent and/or family/community is a very powerful force and one that would likely become more so if a person was essentially cutoff from all outside influences.
My initial concept in shooting the Westboro members was to put the images out there with little commentary and let their horrible, ugly messages speak for themselves, the rational being that the more people saw them and the hate they were spreading, the better it would be. After thinking on this it occurred to me that publishing my photos would essentially play into their plan of "getting their message" out. The less said and shown on groups like this, the better was where I ended up on this.
So why publish this now? Well, I read tonight that two of the young ladies that are part of the Westboro Baptist Church/family have left the fold. Think for a moment how incredibly difficult it must be to leave your entire family and social network behind and to be cutoff from everything you've ever known and believed. It is an almost impossible thing to conceive of and one that I think most people would have tremendous difficultly doing.
I wish these brave young ladies well and hope that they are able to find a better, more positive path to continue on. I personally would offer them any help possible and I would hope that others would as well.
Hope springs eternal...
Westboro Baptist Church Picketing in NYC
Matriarch Shirley Phelps Roper (middle) and Daughter Megan Phelps Roper (right) protest homosexuality in NYC. Megan and her younger sister, Grace (not pictured), have left the church.
I remember very well the day that I shot this and the original reasons for seeking out this group. There was a massive counter-protest on the other side of the street, far outnumbering the Westboro group. There was also a massive NYPD police presence and they would not allow anyone on the street, on the Westboro side of the street or to stand in place. The NYPD was very aggressive about moving people along and it was very difficult to shoot this group. Having said that, I've had a great deal of experience shooting with formidable obstacles, including the NYPD, and have learned how to get the shots I need.
I first learned of the Westboro Baptist Church via Louis Theroux and his wonderful, fair and calm look at them for his BBC documentary. I was intially reviled by the Westboro Baptist Church's message and angered at what I considered to be their total bastardization of the potentially positive messages that religions often impart.
After learning more and reading every article I could find about this group my anger gave way to pity. I feel bad that the children are raised in this family the way that they are, indoctrinated literally from birth and secluded from the rest of the world. The love and approval of a parent and/or family/community is a very powerful force and one that would likely become more so if a person was essentially cutoff from all outside influences.
My initial concept in shooting the Westboro members was to put the images out there with little commentary and let their horrible, ugly messages speak for themselves, the rational being that the more people saw them and the hate they were spreading, the better it would be. After thinking on this it occurred to me that publishing my photos would essentially play into their plan of "getting their message" out. The less said and shown on groups like this, the better was where I ended up on this.
So why publish this now? Well, I read tonight that two of the young ladies that are part of the Westboro Baptist Church/family have left the fold. Think for a moment how incredibly difficult it must be to leave your entire family and social network behind and to be cutoff from everything you've ever known and believed. It is an almost impossible thing to conceive of and one that I think most people would have tremendous difficultly doing.
I wish these brave young ladies well and hope that they are able to find a better, more positive path to continue on. I personally would offer them any help possible and I would hope that others would as well.
Hope springs eternal...