An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
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04.09.2019 Vol. 219 No. 128
TUESDAY
Uniting against hate
MADELYN OSTENDORF/ IOWA STATE DAILY Counter-protestors spread support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Ames as the Westboro Baptist Church protested at Ames High School on Monday morning.
Ames comes together, shows love at protest BY LOGAN.METZGER @iowastatedaily.com The Ames community created an environment of love and support in the face of hate Monday morning. At around 7:20 a.m., more than 100 individuals arrived at Ames High School with signs and flags in hand to show their love and support for the students at Ames High. This number quickly grew to nearly 200 as more community members, students and a few dogs arrived to fill the sidewalks around the protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church. Counter-protesters chanted “love means love,” among other things, to drown out the warped versions of popular songs that the three Westboro representatives turned into anti-LGBTQIA+ anthems. “I am really proud; this is beautiful and it may have taken [Westboro protesting] but this is Ames,” said Kirsten Faisal, an Ames community member handing out candy to the counter-protesters. “I am grateful to them for giving us an opportunity to let all of our kids know we love them and we love their families.” There was color and representation within the counter-protesters, such as the variety of pride flags including the gay pride flag, the trans pride flag and the asexual pride flag. There was also a variety of religious groups in attendance
supporting the Ames High students with shirts. Some counter-protesters focused on pointing their signs at Westboro and the students and parents driving past while others, such as Lauren Loonsfoot, director of children, youth and family ministries for the Collegiate United Methodist Church and Wesley Foundation, focused on pointing their signs toward the students outside of Ames High. “We have youth that go to this school,” Loonsfoot said, breaking into tears. “I want them all to know how loved they are because we all love them so much and there is no place for that hate.” At 8:00 a.m., the three members of the Westboro Baptist Church moved to the corner of Union Drive and Morrill Road, just outside the Memorial Union. They were met by more than 50 counter-protesters, including students, staff and faculty from Iowa State. The Cosplay Club attended, with some members in full costume, and handed out rainbow heart stickers to other counter-protesters. Some counter-protestors from the crowd moved forward and asked the Westboro members questions. Two of these individuals were Iowa State students Luke Barnes, a freshman in history and president of Students for Life, and Nickie Long, a transgender woman. “I came out to show them that we are not
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First Amendment protects recent speech on campus BY JACOB.SMITH @iowastatedaily.com This year, white nationalist chalkings, a controversial bill in Student Government and an inflamatory speaker have all ignited questions about the First Amendment on campus. However, all of those controversies are protected by the First Amendment. Within the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights lies the freedom of speech — the fundamental principle in creating a society that allows citizens to voice their opinions and ideas without government intervention. This week, the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication will celebrate the First Amendment freedoms. The First Amendment Days celebration runs Monday through Friday and includes events and activities all around campus throughout the week. The First Amendment offers Americans five rights: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, the right to petition the government for a redress of grievances and the right to peaceably assemble. “Our First Amendment is meant to protect all American citizens from encroaches by the government to our freedoms,” said Jacob Schrader, a junior in economics. “Take
advantage of these things.” Julie Roosa, an adjunct assistant professor in journalism as well as the First Amendment specialist within the Greenlee School, said the first challenge is making everyone aware of their five First Amendment rights. Surveys show many Americans aren’t aware of what their five freedoms are, Roosa said. “It’s tough to protect those rights when you don’t know what those rights are,” Roosa said. Additionally, Roosa advocated for the realization and understanding of what the First Amendment does for citizens. “I think a lot of people don’t realize what life would be like if we didn’t have the First Amendment,” Roosa said. “It’s so easy to take for granted our freedoms here when it comes to those five freedoms and what they do for us collectively.” Roosa said there is an option for students to take a seminar class in the fall that focuses on the First Amendment. Schrader also called for students to be aware of their First Amendment rights. “As a student, we’re all coming at a time of our lives when we’re gonna believe things we didn’t believe a year ago, and having the First Amendment is crucial to ensuring that those conversations can take place so we can
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