Jun 132013 5 Responses

Stop Giving Them What They Want

There is a group who wants one thing—attention.

They don’t want it to encourage others, make the world a better place, or to remind people of God’s love.

They want attention for fame and they desire it so much they are willing to go to any length to get it.

The length they go to is hate.

Although they use the name, they are not Baptist.

Although they claim to be, they are not a church.

They are a small family getting attention in the only way they know how. They garner attention by shocking others with messages of hate.

And they double their shock by sending those messages at the most difficult of times—funerals.

  • They shout at the widows of fallen soldiers.
  • They mock the children of lost police officers.
  • The heckle the parents who are burying their children.

They do the worst things imaginable all in hopes that we will shout back. We often give them what they want.

It is easy to do so. They should be shouted at. They should be spat upon. They should be threated. Even in America, if any freedom should be taken, it is the freedom of those who use their liberty to mock the ones who sacrificed their lives to give us freedom.

Yet we must stop. We must stop giving them what they want.

We are giving them a platform and we must stop.

So I am making a plea. I am asking that we make a pact to never mention their name again.

To the media: Pledge to never do another story on them again—no attention, no interviews, no announcement of their schedule, no reporting of their activities. They want attention and they do not deserve it.

To the law enforcement: Do what is necessary to protect their freedoms, but refuse to comment when asked. As an American, we believe they have a right to use their freedom for evil. We will protect that right, but we will not give them the fame they desire.

To everyone else: Do what is necessary to buffer grieving families from this group’s hate, but do not interact with them. Do not shout back, spit, protest, or engage in anyway. If you do not support them, do not give them what they want. Some would say wherever this group is present, we should increase our attendance to show our support for grieving families. But the presence or absence of this group should not affect our actions. No matter if this group is present or absent, we should do everything in our power to show our respect for those fallen soliders, police officers, and fire fighters who have given their lives in the line of duty. With or without protestors, we should form a shield of love as families attend the funerals of our heroes. This is our task, not because one family might protest, it is our task because these grieving families have lost a loved one who gave their lives for our safety and freedom.

As an American, I must protect their freedom to protest, but I do not have to highlight it.

As a Christian, I must love my enemy, but I do not have to make them famous.

They only want one thing. We must stop giving them what they want.

5 Responses to Stop Giving Them What They Want
  1. […] Stop Giving Them What They Want was born from a protest that never was. Rumors spread across social... https://www.kevinathompson.com/top-5-most-read-posts-for-june

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