The following comments were taken from a blog post from the Lanthorn website, www.lanthorn.com, in which News Editor Anya Zentmeyer described her personal perception of Friday’s scene during Jed Smock’s visit to GVSU.

“Respectfully stood at the sidelines? It is respectful to watch as people deride and taunt a man for his beliefs? And hold signs expressing care and compassion while they watch him be treated without any regard to his worth as a person whatsoever? I agree with the sentiment of this article that people were behaving terribly, a mob mentality arose though to Brother Jed you who stood on the sidelines with disgust in your heart were just another member of the large crowd and at the very least complicit with the debasing displays of contempt with your silence and inaction. As for all but threw tomatoes, I was there as well at the high point of derision and people were actually throwing pennies at the man, some hitting him. That’s when I stepped it, that’s when I said enough. I feel bad it wasn’t sooner and wonder what else would have been done if I wasn’t there.”

SEmD 11:12 p.m. Sept. 18, 2011, by Brandan Bilski

“Personally, I felt that there was a tremendous amount of respect shown towards Brother Jed. Students asked him questions, talk about his points of view, and shared their own ideas. Sure it was a bit heated, but when you have an irrational man shouting over you, you have to yell to get your point across.

One beautiful side effect I noticed is that when Jed wouldn’t listen anymore, students would turn and talk to each other. I witnessed many diverse and intelligent students, previously strangers to each other, now engaged in dialogue about religion, free speech, individual rights, and more, and I don’t think that discussion can ever be a bad thing.

For those who think that Jed was disrespected, I think he would beg to differ. His whole purpose is to get us riled up and debating him. He’s done this for 37 years and if having college students shout back at him hurt his feelings, he wouldn’t still be doing it. He considers what happened at GVSU a successful day for him. While I consider it a successful day for Center for Inquiry, and organization that focuses on science, reason, free speech, critical thinking, and tolerance of everyone.”

— 9:46 p.m. Sept. 20, 2011, by Ellen Lundgren

“If you claim that the students were disrespecting Jed, then you must concede that he disrespected many of us with his spewing words of hate toward young people and homosexuals. Free speech goes both ways/ He was allowed to speak his mind and the students responded in kind.”

— 10:00 p.m. Sept. 20, 2011, by Shaun Carter

“Well yes there was respect shown after it was demanded. Before I stepped in there was no dialogue between the students and Jed or discussion between students, it was Jed versus a crowd. People were not attempting to argue against him but rather they were making disrespectful jeers and taunts and mocking what he was saying. Watch the video, the mentalitiy when I got there: ‘But its fun to give him shit’ and “YouTube loves this stuff” it was a show of ridicule and ridiculousness to everyone besides Jed. Look at this article, the writer of it was there and depicts well how bad it was getting. The Center for Inquiry were the only ones not considered to be assholes … that doesn’t seem like there was respect shown towards him. After I started to stand in the Middle with him sure, a dialogue began but it wasn’t prompted by the Center for Inquiry with signs and silence. This sort of thing probably rarely ends in such a positive manner as neither side will gain any ground because those who are passionate enough to make an arguement are usually completley convinced of their view and unwavering in their defense of it. It is not a dialogue but alternation of declarations that is condusive to nothing but agitation. Reason is rarely found at events like this nor is respect.”

— 10:13 p.m. Sept. 20, 2011, by Brandan Bilski

“I do concede that what he was saying was blatantly offensive and hurtful to many though I cannot grant that the response was in kind. His comments stemmed from his belief with the ultimate intent to invoke fear and illicit change with the final result being a changed perspective that he deemed as key to the ultimate good. He wasn’t pointing at the homosexual and saying those things just because he wanted to offend. The responses by the crowd, were eye for an eye revenge seeking smites, full of attitude and angst meant to inflict the same offense they were feeling. How is that dialogue? Reasonable people, or people who maintain dignity and act according to the love and respect they claim to have for others would not spew things back as was done, they would stay silent or walk away.”

— 10:31 p.m. Sept. 20, 2011, by Brandan Bilski

“I am a student at southeast Missouri state university, I came across this article. Brother jed came to my campus last semester. like this article says he was very offensive to our student body as well. We, however, were not rude or had a “mob like” mentality. We wanted to have an intellectual conversations about why he thought “ we are all going to hell.” Any peers would try to reason with him again and again, but he refused to listen. He may have appreaded to be more or less a victim at this campus, but i can assure you that it is whole different case entirely. His ideals are generations outdated, and he shouldn’t be preaching to us telling us were going to hell. It’s wrong, offensive, and outdated.”

— 3:44 a.m. Sept. 21, 2011, by me semo

“The students of GVSU gave Brother Jed respect. Many students throughout the day asked questions and talked with him in a civil manner.There were a few people that crossed the line by throwing things, but I do not believe that anything would have gotten out of control. Throughout the day many students would talk and rationalize with the people that crossed the line, it was not just one person.

Also, I do not feel Brother Jed was showing respect to us, GVSU students. By saying that we are all going to hell for being sinners, homosexuals, fornicators, etc. He is insulting us, our friends and our peers. Of course people are going to get defensive and argumentative.

If anything, I am proud of GVSU for standing up for what they believe in. Our community, society and our world need to show and feel more compassion, and Brother Jed’s message was anything but compassionate.

Staying silent or ignoring the problem does nothing, we have to stand up against hate.”

— 9:27 a.m. Sept. 21, 2011, by Lynsey Marcellus