The Power of Open Communication

Megan Phelps-Roper is a former member of the highly controversial Westboro Baptist Church, a group that she was able to distance herself from by engaging with others across social platforms, which she discusses in her talk on Twitter.

She says that she started taking part in protests with her family when she was just five years old, when they placed picket signs in her hands that demonized the LGBTQ community, soldiers, Jewish people, and many others. Being so young, she wasn't even able to read what the signs said, but as she grew older, she began to preach her family's hateful views wholeheartedly.

Eventually, she started taking part in conversations on Twitter, which allowed her to see how backwards her beliefs truly were. Once she was exposed to this, she found that she was no longer able to trust her family and decided to leave, despite the fact that it meant they would never speak to her again.

Throughout her talk on Twitter, Megan Phelps-Roper discusses how influential engaging in open conversation can be, as well as how vital this is in bringing the divided together. She extends this to current divides in America and beyond, telling her audience that people must to speak with those they disagree with, so that they can "map the disconnect" between them and understand both sides. A large part of this is taking the time to ask one another questions and staying calm, so that emotions don't get in the way of logic.