--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked…" description: "\"I was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked five-year-old when I joined my family on the picket line for the first time. My mom made me leave my dolls in the min..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/megan-phelps-roper-6233_death_i-was-a-blue-eyed-chubby-cheeked-five-ye_2130520.jpg" --- # I was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked five-year-old when I… ![“I was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked five-year-old when I joined my family on the picket line for the first time. My mom made me leave my dolls in the minivan. I'd stand on a street corner in the heavy Kansas humidity, surrounded by a few dozen relatives, with my tiny fists clutching a sign that I…” quote by Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/megan-phelps-roper-6233_death_i-was-a-blue-eyed-chubby-cheeked-five-ye_2130520.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/megan-phelps-roper-6233_death_i-was-a-blue-eyed-chubby-cheeked-five-ye_2130520.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2da/megan-phelps-roper-6233_death_i-was-a-blue-eyed-chubby-cheeked-five-ye_2130520.jpg) > “I was a blue-eyed, chubby-cheeked five-year-old when I joined my family on the picket line for the first time. My mom made me leave my dolls in the minivan. I'd stand on a street corner in the heavy Kansas humidity, surrounded by a few dozen relatives, with my tiny fists clutching a sign that I couldn't read yet: 'Gays are worthy of death.'” [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A child experiences early exposure to extremist ideology through family activism, highlighting the conflict between innocence and hateful messages. **In simple terms:** A kid sees hate signs at a protest. Key Takeaway Recognize how early experiences shape beliefs. Themes family activism radicalization childhood identity Mood conflicted reflective Type narrative personal When to use this quote - family gatherings - political protests - education on hate - de-radicalization programs Key Concepts extremism socialization psychology Questions to Reflect On - How did this early exposure affect your later views? - What can families do to protect children from hate? A Different Perspective The child's lack of understanding can make the message more insidious. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Picket](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/picket/) [Street](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/street/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Because of the dynamics on the picket line all my life, I had these expectations of people. It was all the things that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/because-of-the-dynamics-on-the-picket-line-all-my-life-i-had-these/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [ The first thing I did \[in Michigan\] was join a picket line of a pizzeria in Ann Harbor in 1963 that didn't allow African… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-ayers/the-first-thing-i-did-in-michigan-was-join-a-picket-line-of-a/) [Bill Ayers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-ayers/) > [“You see what’s going on,” Dane said. Miserably he ran his hands over his head. “That is a picket line, and I am in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/china-mi-ville/you-see-what-s-going-on-dane-said-miserably-he-ran-his-hands-over-his/) [China Miéville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/china-mi-ville/) > [In Greece, the picket line is forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikis-theodorakis/in-greece-the-picket-line-is-forbidden/) [Mikis Theodorakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikis-theodorakis/) > [I remember at the age of five travelling on a trolley car with my mother past a group of women on a picket line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-remember-at-the-age-of-five-travelling-on-a-trolley-car-with-my/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [now the profile of our country looks a little less hard nosed / but that picket line persisted and that clinic's since been closed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ani-difranco/now-the-profile-of-our-country-looks-a-little-less-hard-nosed-but/) [Ani DiFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ani-difranco/) > [If American workers are being denied their right to organize and collectively bargain when I'm in the White House, I will put on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/if-american-workers-are-being-denied-their-right-to-organize-and/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [The picket line is the best place to train organizers. One day on the picket line is where a man makes his commitment. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-picket-line-is-the-best-place-to-train-organizers-one-day-on-the/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [When a man or woman, young, or old, takes a place on the picket line for even a day or two, he will never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/when-a-man-or-woman-young-or-old-takes-a-place-on-the-picket-line-for/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [Tiny fists can hurt quite a lot when they hit you in the face.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-mckinley/tiny-fists-can-hurt-quite-a-lot-when-they-hit-you-in-the-face/) [Robin McKinley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-mckinley/) > [From the first day I joined that family, nothing could be done naturally any more.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/princess-diana/from-the-first-day-i-joined-that-family-nothing-could-be-done/) [Princess Diana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/princess-diana/) > [I grew up in a family with three brothers and sisters who joined my family through the foster care program, and I also have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-kennedy/i-grew-up-in-a-family-with-three-brothers-and-sisters-who-joined-my/) [Cary Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-kennedy/) > [I had grown up seeing people in school where I felt like I needed to keep them at arm's length, or on the picket…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-had-grown-up-seeing-people-in-school-where-i-felt-like-i-needed-to/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [As a member of Westboro Baptist Church, I became a fixture on picket lines across the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/as-a-member-of-westboro-baptist-church-i-became-a-fixture-on-picket/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [We had violence directed at us by the growers themselves, trying to run us down by cars, pointing rifles at us, spraying the people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolores-huerta/we-had-violence-directed-at-us-by-the-growers-themselves-trying-to/) [Dolores Huerta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolores-huerta/) ## More by Megan Phelps-Roper > [I believe in so much - I believe in people. I believe in hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-believe-in-so-much-i-believe-in-people-i-believe-in-hope/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [The pickets were just a fact of life. And the fact that people hated us from the time I was tiny, the fact that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/the-pickets-were-just-a-fact-of-life-and-the-fact-that-people-hated/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [My friends on Twitter didn't abandon their beliefs or their principles - only their scorn. They channeled their infinitely justifiable offense and came to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/my-friends-on-twitter-didn-t-abandon-their-beliefs-or-their/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [My husband and I eventually want to start a nonprofit and call it the Westboro Foundation. It was his idea, and I love it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/my-husband-and-i-eventually-want-to-start-a-nonprofit-and-call-it-the/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [I wanted to do everything right. I wanted to be good, and I wanted to be obedient, and I wanted to be the object…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-wanted-to-do-everything-right-i-wanted-to-be-good-and-i-wanted-to/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [Westboro would quote this passage from the book of Leviticus that, for them, shows that the definition of 'love thy neighbor' is to rebuke…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/westboro-would-quote-this-passage-from-the-book-of-leviticus-that-for/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [When we engage people across ideological divides, asking questions helps us map the disconnect between our differing points of view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/when-we-engage-people-across-ideological-divides-asking-questions/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [I miss my family every single day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-miss-my-family-every-single-day/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [We know that we dearly love our family. They now consider us betrayers, and we are cut off from their lives, but we know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/we-know-that-we-dearly-love-our-family-they-now-consider-us-betrayers/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [In my home, life was framed as an epic spiritual battle between good and evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/in-my-home-life-was-framed-as-an-epic-spiritual-battle-between-good/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [Some people cannot believe there is an alternative interpretation of the Bible aside from their own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/some-people-cannot-believe-there-is-an-alternative-interpretation-of/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [Loving someone whose ideas we find detestable can seem impossible, and empathizing with them isn't much easier - but it's so important to remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/loving-someone-whose-ideas-we-find-detestable-can-seem-impossible-and/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [I was born and raised in the Westboro Baptist Church, an infamous congregation started by my grandfather, and consisting almost entirely of my extended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-was-born-and-raised-in-the-westboro-baptist-church-an-infamous/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [I don't believe in God anymore.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/i-don-t-believe-in-god-anymore/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) > [We believed it was a Good vs Evil situation: that the WBC was right and everybody else was wrong, so there was no questioning.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-phelps-roper/we-believed-it-was-a-good-vs-evil-situation-that-the-wbc-was-right/) [Megan Phelps-Roper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) [Explore all 99 Megan Phelps-Roper quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-phelps-roper/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. 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Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. 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