Gunn High School Sings Away Hate Group | Page 2 | Not in Our Town

Gunn High School Sings Away Hate Group

Gunn High School Sings Away Hate Group

When the Kansas hate group known as the Westboro Baptist Church (Fred Phelps' family) announced they would picket Bay Area schools and Jewish institutions, students at Gunn High School decided they could not sit quietly. (3 min 34 sec) 

Check out our Local Lesson, Helping High Schoolers Take the Lead, which features an interview with Gunn High School Principal Noreen Likins.

 

Comments

 The students of Gunn High School should be extremely proud! Their peaceful response to the hate group demonstrates maturity, confidence and love. Also. this film was made beautifully!

-Ruby Betten

You guys did  a really great job on the video. It was interesting! All the b-rolls and the cuts were smooth and well edited.

-Student from Bay Area Video Coalition.

Hi my name is Jonathan Sanchez I am a student at Digital Pathways Program under the Company of Bavc (Bay Area Video Coalition). I want to say that i thought what the students did at Gunn high school was an amazing thing they did fighting towards the hatred protestors. Keep up the good work!

 

MAYBE THERE IS FINALLY A LIGHT THAT IS BEGINNING TO SHINE THROUGH

 

CONGRATULATIONS GUNN HIGHSCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

YOU MADE ME PROUD

Usually what I see at public schools is un-happy and non-inspired teachers. Thank you for allowing these teens to express themselves in a positive way. 

You all are wonderful!! 

My daughter-in-law posted a link to the video on her Facebook page.  I just want to let you all know you have given me renewed faith and hope.  I'm a Christian but WBC doesn't speak for me or my God.  I can only thank God that it will be people like your students who will graduate into positions of responsibility and authority and, because of your witness, there will be more love, peace and justice in the world.  Keep up the good work and THANK YOU from St. Paul, MN. 

AMEN Gunn High School students!!!  I too am a Christian and the injustices that have been done are just that, plain wrong.  I am given more hope and faith when I see God's work continuing as it should.  Thank you!!  A Henry M Gunn alumni from the class of 1981 now in Lakeville, MN!

Though the would never admit it, I don't doubt that deep in the scarred and hate-filled hearts of the WBC folks who protested your school, they were actutely jealous of the love, companionship, and unity they witnessed in your counter demonstration!!! 

Elizabeth Massie

 

I would like to express my highest regard to the students and teachers at Gunn High and

 as a Christian and a member of a Baptist Fellowship I am appalled at the behavior of WBC

 and the Phelps family.

They do not represent the Baptist Faith or Christianity. I can't imagine our Lord or any of His

Disciples behaving in such a manner. God hates sin but absolutely loves Sinners and I am

 like the Apostle Paul when He said, I am Cheif of all sinners and thank God He loves me.

 God will judge the world some day and in His own manner but, we as Christians need to remember

 love is the greatest gift and if we have not love we are none of His.

 These people at WBC have not love and are anything but Christian. Please don't believe for a second

 that these people represent the rest of us Bible believing Christians in any way, shape or form.

 As a Christian I want you all to know my Savior and Friend, Jesus Christ. He loves you and Died for

 you. He wants a relationship with you and me. Not some whacked out Religion.

 

 

 God Bless you all,

 

 

Randy Tucker

I attended a protest to WBC when they came here to Seattle to disrupt a memorial service for gay man at a local Catholic church.  I have never felt such venom from any group as I have from WBC.  I will never for get it.  Bravo to you at Gunn for the way in which you countered that venom.  You are beautiful examples to the rest of us.

Just caught this video from a friend of a friend on Facebook.  I was amazed how your school, students and community came together to support the marginalized and to celebrate diversity.  I am so proud of you for speaking up and standing up for what is true and right.  Your words and deeds support me and my family of two moms and two kids.  Thank you.

Kristin in PA

 Great job for showing the Westboro church what our country is really about.  You really made me proud when you sang a song my people have been singing for years and will be singing for many more as long as there is hate and racism in this country.  We Shall Overcome Someday!  Thank you young people of America.  My faith is restored.

Nice to hear stories of inspiriation by young people.  So badly needed! Thanks to Gunn students and administrators.

 

This is very inspiring! Cheers! Those people are making a difference and they do inspire countless others to do so. Bravo!

@Marcome

THANKS FOR HELPING TO PLANET TO EVOLVE BETTER!

Wow, Gunn, you've done us all proud today. Let those haters know that there is no room for hate, and counter hate with the love in your hearts. Hymns tell us that "All creatures great and small" are loved by God, if you believe in god. No hymns, and no religious tracts tell us that "All creatures EXCEPT the gay ones" are the recipients of this love. After all, if you believe that god created us, he created us all, gay and straight.

The courage to stand-up to what looks like a 'hate group' under the guise of a church is highly commended! Stay strong...

What a great response. Sadly, these people persist, and the best you can do is simply show why they are wrong.~adimike55

Bravo to all of you for showing what America is really all about!

 UNBELIEVABLE!!!  What a perfect way to handle the WBC!  I am so proud I cried!

Good for all of you! I've been feeling saddened by all the hate in the country, and everwhere else. I'm proud of all of you! Thank you for making me feel a little better.

Stephen in San Diego

Beautiful!

I am tired of hearing people say "Don't show up & they will go away" or "Do Nothing" If done the proper way a counter protest against the WBC is an experience of bringing people together,you have a voice USE IT........ When the WBC came to Dallas Texas I was a part of a group of people who came together to let them know NOT HERE,NOT NOW,NOT EVER.I stood there with great PRIDE holding my sign,I made friends with some of the best people & together we let them know how we felt.The crowd grew bigger & bigger as each protest moved around town & I will remember that for a long time.Way to go Gunn!

Hi- Thanks for sharing your sory. If you have photos fron tge Dallas, texas peaceful response, feel free to post them here so others can be inspired as well!

Best- Kirthi (Not In Our Town Social Media Coordinator)

Look at these students show Fred Phelps and his Foolish family of hate, how the world is tunring. We are growing into a world of love slowly. But we are getting there. :) well done! Westboro Baptist Church Westboro Baptist Church can go to hell. :) and i mean that with love! ;)

 what a strong community!!

these kids, the parents, and the school are setting a great example for EVERYONE!

Seeing this video gives me hope for the future of this country!!   Much love and respect to the students and faculty of Gunn High School.

As a teacher and a Gay man....I thank the students for their proactive courage and generous donation of their time to respond to ignorance, hatred and ill intent.  Each of you that participated are sure to receive blessings from this for years to come.  Thank You.

 This so beautiful! One of the teachers said, "Tolerance? No, we don't just tolerate we accept everyone." I am so proud of these kids! I would have been proud for my own kids to go there. (wiping away tears) Westboro Baptist "CHURCH" shame on you! The Jesus I know of would not tolerate your hate. I think you need to find Jesus and get saved. 

As a gay man AND A born again Christian, I have struggled for years to come to terms with two very important aspects of my life which I always thought were in direct conflict with each other.  As I came to accept my homosexuality as something I was born with, something that was created within me, something I could  not change, I came to realize that our loving, infinitely good and infinitely patient God has a plan for all of us.  Even the gays.  It is so frustrating having to fight the battle on both sides.  Christians are not all the bigots and hate-mongers that groups like the WBC portray.  True Christianity starts with acceptance.  Just as Christ ate with tax collectors and whores and called the religious officials "white-washed seplechres (prettied-up tombstones) so we too should follow in his example and realize that we must accept people for whom and where they are.  Conversely, as a gay man part of my responsibility is to help Christians (and all those who do not believe in equal rights) to realize that no one has the right to hinder the path or to interfere with the personal pursuit of happiness of another individual. 

I would like to offer my personal and most sincere thanks to the students and facilty of Gunn High School.  You reacted perfectly to the WBC's hateful and slanderous demonstration...you reacted with love.  You didn't get into a shouting match or call them names or create your own picket signs of hate.  You calmly demonstrated that love, acceptance, and tolerance was the only acceptable solution in your community.  THANK YOU!

What a perfect response...to act with love towards people who can only talk about Jesus, but fail to behave according to the love that he proposed!  Very inspiring!

Bravo!!! I'm glad to see some high school students standing up to a**holes like Fred Phelps' organisation of hatred. I've seen him in Seattle trying to intimidate us into joining their church and spread their gospel of hatred against gays and lesbians. Naturally, we resisted and told them to "go back to Kansas and take your hatred with you." I'm glad some schools are now doing that as well. We all need to stand up to hate groups like Westboro Baptist Church. Keep up the good work, and never give up.

Well done...all of you. You make us proud and you make us aspire to be the best we can be, keep leading the way. You ae my dream of a better America where the more different we are, the more we are the same.

I am 68 years old and you give me hope. I am proud of you all and I thank you.

Keep up the good work. The world needs more people like you. Stay strong.

These high school kids are truly courageous. I salute them. They make me feel hopeful about the future.

We need this to on the news!!!! We also need to get all the schools to do this then someday our childrens children will not experience hate in any form!!!! What a dream!!! AWESO°ME job kids and community!!!! Have a great day and God bless!!!! Keep up the good work maybe travel to other schools and do the same whadyall think bout that idea??

 

LOVE,

shelly

   &

Simie

Thank you for being such a power of example!  I pray that your efforts make a better world for more people to live!  Thank you guys so much! 

What I found so great about this is seeing the students having so much fun NOT hating! A wonderful, bonding event!