Morgan Harrington Murder: Protest Group To Preach Hate At Virginia Tech

Posted by BOC Staff | Dan Harrington,Gil Harrington,Morgan Harrington,Murdered | Tuesday 30 March 2010 8:40 am

Blacksburg, VA– I wish this was an early April Fools Joke. It is Not.

Excerpts from yesterdays Collegiatetimes.com.

VT

Virginia Tech and Blacksburg leaders are preparing a response to an upcoming protest from the Westboro Baptist Church in relation to slain Tech student Morgan Harrington.

A calendar post on the Westboro Baptist Church’s Web site, godhatesfags.com, says the group will protest April 9 in downtown Blacksburg, outside Blacksburg High School, and the Virginia Tech branch of Hillel.

Among the propositions discussed were whether or not a counter-protest should be organized and if T-shirts would be commissioned. Carroll said that the SGA had proposed $250 for a counter-protest. Carroll also created a Google group, HokieNationResponse.

While some at the meeting proposed blocking the group’s proposed protest location, members of the group pointed out the action would be illegal under town code.

“If my radio show can prevent a circus atmosphere of protests, counter-protests, police protection, and media coverage from taking place in front of churches where grieving families are trying to say good-bye to their loved ones, then I think that’s a good thing,” Gallagher said, in an April 22, 2007 post on townhall.com.

Church officials said they were not protesting the 2007 shootings, saying they were “coming for the event that happened last month,” referencing slain student Morgan Harrington. A 20-year-old education major, Harrington was found in late January 2010 after going missing in October 2009 while attending a Metallica concert in Charlottesville, Va.

 

The LGBTA community has also shown outrage about the church’s protest. Aimee Kanode, a senior humanities, science, and environment major at Tech and president of Tech’s LGBTA said she would not attend the protest, as she has work on the day of the protest.

“These people are awful, appalling, despicable,” Kanode said. “My method is to just ignore them. Me wasting energy on those people is not worth my time.” Kanode said that while the group would not officially organize for the protest, several members and officers would be in attendance. Kanode said she advised her members to “be smart about it.”

“Be safe and know what you can and cannot do,” Kanode said. Jean Elliot and Ken Belcher, co-chairs of Tech’s LGBT Caucus, declined a request for comment on the protest.

The Westboro Baptist Church will start its April 9 protest at 1 p.m on the corner of North Main Street and East Roanoke Street. The church will then proceed to Blacksburg High School at 2:15 p.m., and the church will finish in Blacksburg with a 3 p.m. protest at the Blacksburg Jewish Community Center on East Roanoke Street.

From the Editor: This may be about the most egregious example of outright bad taste in my recent memory. There is a hate group attempting to exploit the name of a murdered woman whose killers are currently at large, on her campus.

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219 Comments

  1. fish says:

    Redhill and totalam:

    I ask cause if it is all about the LLL then it would make sense that he\they have really close ties to the area. Maybe a secret he-man, woman-haters club! Not to be flip, but haters stick together. Maybe a case of beer and some smokes would be all one needs to get in. I knew of a pretty racist and woman-slamming club where I grew up. They were a bunch of hoods that stole, were mean to animals, and yes, no offense, hunted. They ran all ovr everyones land. Knew ways in and out! So, my question is not that much different here in VA. Either I’m way off and he is a loner or he has friends of his ilk! Since, LLL is so important to Lt. Rader, then I, as a parent would want every inch combed and every question, whether silly, stupid, or in my case, without any professional merit, asked! Guys. Not all so don’t jump my case, like to hang out in barns and shoot the shit, talk big, and even form little-man gangs.

    We all should be at ground zero! No offense to North Garden but it is where she was found. I personally, think he acted with help and his family knows.

    Make no mistake, THEY always do!!!

    I just wondered if there was behind the scenes talk of such in NG. That aeriel view just keeps me wondering why there?

    Ps. my sister divorced the **ick, just not soon enough. And, I’m just tryin’ to shake the tree again, even if it is a coconut one! Good guys always beat the bad ones!

  2. skyler says:

    morning, all — this is weird — I just had to look something up on google — and you know how they do the logo all artsy — this AM, the logo said: Topeka

    what is up w/ that ? Or was final four last night and the team from Topeka won?

  3. Susan says:

    For some reason I am in a movie mode today, probably because of Easter approaching and therefore contemplating Jesus (and The Passion).
    I have three movie recommendations to make for anyone to watch when they are feeling weakened by the fight, tender and bruised, and needing a little couch time at home alone.
    1. Life is Beautiful by Alberto Benigni–a father devotes his every second to keeping his son from realizing the evil around them in a concentration camp. It is the most beautiful act of parenting I’ve ever seen in a movie. And a decent capstone to holocaust studies. Heavy tears, so arm yourself with lots of kleenex. Hopeful, ending, imo, (but my husband disagrees) because it shows the survival spirit and ultimately how good prevails.
    2. Blue by Krzysztof Kieślowski, which is part of a movie trilogy. Blue is about the survival journey of a woman after her child dies. Beautiful film. Heavy tears, but hopeful and again, shows the survival spirit.
    3. Finding Nemo–I love this film for the optimism and the deep insight. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming.

    I hope you all have a peaceful, loving, healing Easter.
    Namaste,
    Susan

  4. total amateur says:

    Fish- thanks for the response. I was just wondering as per the question could be interpreted as a little specific. Valid question, none the less.

    I always want to ask Red Hill Local what word on the street is… what he or she (sorry Red Hill Local, not sure…lol) hears “around the way”. I’d want to ask if he/she knows of Cheddar’s family- and what public perception of them are. Also, if there are any rumors floating around- you’d think there’d have to be talk around town about the case. I guess I’m trying to gather a sense of the area- maybe a hint of what people are like. Things you can’t find on the internet or in newspaper articles. Ya know? Things like: are there any “rumors” floating around that cheddar was at the concert? Or that he works until 9:00 pm? Has his family become more “seclusive” since October? Things like that pertaining to them and/or anyone else. Stuff that relates to Location x3.

  5. Susan says:

    Skyler, it is an april fools joke. lol. I did the same thing when I saw it. :O)
    I heard on NPR this morning that the first majorly syndicated april fools joke was a BBC documentary about spagetti farmers 53 yrs ago.

  6. DMB says:

    skyler says:
    April 1, 2010 at 12:02 pm

    morning, all — this is weird — I just had to look something up on google — and you know how they do the logo all artsy — this AM, the logo said: Topeka

    what is up w/ that ? Or was final four last night and the team from Topeka won?
    ______________________________________________________________________

    Sylar – It is an April fools joke. The city of Topeka changed its name to Google(for a contest). So Google decided to change its own name to Topeka.

  7. Moonchime says:

    This is where I mailed my rock to:

    fish says:
    March 31, 2010 at 10:28 pm

    “Morgan’s ROCKS”

    P.O. Box 4492

    Charlottesville, VA 22905

    I’m not certain if the rock is coming to your PO Box Fish–or Observer’s.

    I’m sorry for any confusion. Thanks!~Moonchime

  8. Saramom says:

    Good day Everyone,

    Blink has posted new info on this site about the boots that Miss M. was wearing–includes a picture.
    Thank God she is able to sort through all the conflicting info and present us with facts. Thank you B.

  9. lizzy says:

    Also, thank you for giving us a new thread.

  10. Observer says:

    TO moonchime/all: The following P.O. Box is the one I set up to receive any “rock donations” for Morgan’s memorial on the Copeley Rd. bridge. [I just drove by there at lunch. The memorial shown in the brilliant sunshine.]

    Morgan “ROCKS”
    P. O. Box 4492
    Charlottesville, VA 22905

    Moonchime, I checked the box earlier and your rock (I believe you said originating from Nevada) hadn’t yet arrived. Will check again tomorrow before I bail out of this ‘burg for the high seas.

    TO Dan and Gil Harrington: I remain in awe of the amazing-yes, amazing–grace you both have displayed in the face of such incredible adversity. Gil, may your upcoming travels to Africa be rewarding and offer a time of renewal and healing. Dan, may you know that during Gil’s absence you will be held up on the wings of angels like your sweet Morgan, along with many here who care deeply about you, Gil, and Alex.

    Kindest regards,

    Observer

  11. Moonchime says:

    Thank you so much Observer. It’s wonderful to hear that Morgan’s Memorial shines. I will send more rocks for Morgan when you return.

    I’m trying to paint something meaningful on a nice rock.

    Thank you again for setting up the PO Box for us to be able to send rocks to our shiny girl’s memorial bridge. Hugs,~Moonchime

  12. Observer says:

    You are more than welcome, Moonchime; it is my privilege.

  13. doug says:

    Maybe someone local has something like a Houle pit pump, a tanker, and a fire hose. Give them a nice warm welcome. It’s biodegradable. ;) http://www.htequipment.net/houle.asp

  14. Dan Harrington says:

    Thank you, Observer.

  15. TDBone says:

    Blink – you have a PM on FM.com

  16. palerider says:

    Susan says:
    April 1, 2010 at 12:04 pm

    RE: movies

    Wonderful choices!!!

    Namaste, Pax, Peace, Hope, and above all Love

  17. Bearlyhere says:

    I cannot believe how someone can take a good person like Morgan and announce that she is a devil worshipper because she was wearing all black, and announce that it is true because the band before Metallica are into satinism, and there is an altar of some kind being built because there are rocks on the bridge where she was last seen.

    Do these people see evil everywhere because they themselves are evil and that is the way they think? Is it because they are paranoid? Or is it just to start trouble?

    I have tears streaming down my face right now after reading how someone can take someone good and slant things to make them look evil. I have never ever thought these things about Morgan, and I think any normal person would think the same.

    Blink, you can delete this if you want because it is Morgan’s thread and she does not deserve to have this on her thread, but I thought people might want to know how much evil is actually out there and therefore, how someone can demoralize a good person making it okay in their head to hurt them. I will never understand why these people think as they do or what it takes to make your brain go right away to the dark side.

    Now some people are going to protest Morgan–for what reason? What has she done to anyone that would deem having a protest against her? She has worked with women and children who are hurting, she has volunteered doing missionary work. What does it take to be seen as a good person? There is no arguing with these people as it has the same affect of banging your head againt the wall and expecting another outcome than you got the first 10 times.

    How does anyone first of all pretend to know exactly what God is thinking? They are not God. Second of all, how can anyone think God is evil enough to have an innocent woman hurt. God is like an incoming wave gushing with goodness, God is not evil, nor does he promote evil. God also gave us free will. To say someone is killed by God, means God broke the agreement giving us free will. Do they think God goes back on promises? Am I just in a really bad dream where good is bad and bad is good and I am going to wake up in a sweat any minute?

    I sure hope so.

    Blink, how can you be in so many places at the same time? Thanks for having this site and bringing us the information you do. I know that some of what you know cannot be released, and I am hoping we took a huge jump forward this week, it sure feels like it.

  18. mynamehere says:

    So proud of the Hokies and Mr. Harrington today. What a beautiful counter-protest. What amazing support and loving hearts the students there have. I am so touched by their efforts. {{{{{{}}}}}} to all Namaste

  19. Jessica says:

    That is horrible. My cousin is also a victim of violence. She was stabbed four times by a stranger (probably on drugs). It’s a good thing she survived and no major nerves were damaged. I’m still hopeful that this world will be crime-free someday and that justice will prevail in all ways.

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