What is John Burroughs School? (Hint–It’s in the name.) You, the reader, have probably correctly guessed that Burroughs is indeed a school. As a school, Burroughs’ goal is to have its students “embrace democratic ideals, the liberal arts and concern for the environment” as well as to “value and celebrate” diversity, “foster love of learning as an end in itself,” and “teach our students the value of service to others.” All of these things are excellent goals for a school to have.

The Westboro Baptist Church, on the other hand, is a textbook definition of a hate group. The Westboro Baptist Church was established in 1955 by Fred Phelps in order to “adhere to the teachings of the Bible, preach against all form of sin (e.g., fornication, adultery, divorce, remarriage, sodomy), and insist that the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of grace be taught and expounded publicly to all men.” While seemingly innocuous, we at Burroughs all understand that this so-called “church” is really nothing more than a group of haters with pretend religious justification.

Every aspect of our school’s statement of philosophy directly opposes the ideals of the Westboro Baptist “Church.” Therefore, why do I believe that our school’s administration should distance itself from protests against this “church?” This is mainly because John Burroughs is a school.

John Burroughs School’s duty is not to change the world that we live in. The mission of our school does not involve protesting against those who do not share its beliefs. In fact, it is wrong to do so. If a school is truly to “value and celebrate” diversity, how can it actively decide to censor some voices while elevating others? Even if we believe that someone is in the wrong, they still have the right to make their opinions heard. If our administration decided to simply drown out the Westboro Baptist Church by asking students to protest for them, then we run the risk of becoming an organization willing to brainwash its members in order to forward their own agenda.

In the end, Burroughs should remember that it is a school. Despite its best intentions, it is not Burroughs’ duty or right to actively lead protests for or against certain beliefs. If Burroughs’ wishes to make a change in the world, then they should do it in the way that schools were meant to–by educating the next generation.