Protest Planned for Soldier's Funeral

[LiberalHeart]

Around ten protesters are expected at a funeral Tuesday for a fallen U.S. soldier. Army Spec. Bob Clark, 32, died over a week ago in a motorcycle accident in Colorado.

The protesters are from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas. They say American soldiers are dying because the government harbors homosexuals.

More:
http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4776465

[bluestateguy]

1. While I think they should have the right to hold their protest

I also think that individual citizens should have the right to beat the living crap out of these people (and hopefully the cops will just let it happen). There is a difference between suppression of speech by the government, which the First Amendment prohibits, verses private citizens suppressing the speech of others, which is permitted.

[wtmusic]

4. You may run into trouble on that one

The First Amendment guarantees the right to it. If another citizen attempts to deny you of your right to free speech, they are breaking the law.

It's another amendment (I think 2A?) that gives you the right to beat the living crap out of Fred Phelps and anyone associated with him.

[rpannier]

6. I'm amazed they haven't gotten hurt

Especially since the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club is providing security at these funerals to keep phelps and his demonic hoarde away.

[niyad]

14. NO, it's a group called the patriot guard riders, NOT the angels. take

a look at their website:

http://www.patriotguard.org/

[rpannier]

20. Thanks

for the link and the info.

[saigon68]

21. These guys give a lot of class

To any funeral

[rodeodance]

8. WI has a new law--similiar to clinics--they have to be keep a certain

distance from the gravesite (i forget how far).

[niyad]

15. there are similar laws being proposed in a number of states, including

here in colorado. in some states, the distance is 500 feet, and up to an hour before the funeral, and not until an hour after.

the trouble with phrooty phred phelps and his inbred, mouthbreathing, knuckle-dragging offspring is that they INTEND for people to threaten them or get physical so that they can sue--which is how they make so much of their money--most of his offspring are attorneys.
now a tornado, on the other hand, oh well. . . . .

[Big_Mike]

40. One of our vets here in town

say that if a fallen soldier here has a Phelps protest start up, he will be happy to come and kick all their asses. All he has is his VA disability and he lives in the local Veteran's Home. He has no assets. He said he would feel good all the way to the depths of his soul to let them know what pain they are causing others. He's in his late 50's, but REALLY wants to run into the Rev. Phelps. Often. And back up to make sure he hit him the first time.

[cboy4]

38. LOL....If that's the case, I'm getting a personalized license plate that

reads "2A" ;)

[dysfunctional press]

42. "private citizens suppressing the speech of others, which is permitted"

since when?

[Renew Deal]

2. I'm surprised someone hasn't gotten hurt in these protests yet.

Hopefully that will change soon.

[Justin54B20L]

3. Yeah, this is happening right in my hometown.

Its a real small close knit community. Everyone I've talked to would like nothing better than to rip the larynx out of those stupid religious wackos.

[wtmusic]

5. Counter protest?

I'd be there in a heartbeat. Get in their faces big time.

[LiberalHeart]

12. I'd go if I could get off work, but I can't.

It's not too far from where I live. Some friends were talking about protesting the protest, but then decided that would just make the funeral more of a circus. They're trying to figure out a way to head 'em off before they can get there.

Like others upthread, I wonder how these jerks have gotten thru as many protests as they have with their bones intact. It's a nice fantasy to imagine them being, uh, taken care of -- but I don't really hope that happens. It's best to let the bad guys all be on the opposite side in this issue. But it would be nice if there could be some legal way to make them stop.

I think Michigan is trying to do what WI did with that law about maintaining a distance from the event. Bush gets away with that via his free speech zones. Certainly our fallen soldiers deserve the same.

[Blue Diadem]

37. I'm not far from there either

Ohio is currently working on a law similar to the other states..keeping these groups at a distance. I thought maybe they'd get it passed in time but apparently it won't happen for another month or so.

[nashville_brook]

7. maybe not even a protest, but just be there to SEE

seems to be effectie enough -- this is so shameful it doesn't take much to counter it. yikes.

[niyad]

16. are you here in the springs?

[Bluzmann57]

35. I'd like to rip 'em apart as well

And they most certainly aren't religious. Quite the opposite in fact.

[Blue Diadem]

39. Sounds like there are going to be lots of town folk out there..

Kansas Group Expected to Protest at Local Soldier´s Funeral
Dated: 04/17/2006 03:36:40 PM

www.foxtoledo.com/dsp_story.cfm?storyid=36985

snip:

We will be on hand with significant numbers to handle anything that needs to be handled," said Sgt. Paul Whitaker, Gibsonburg Police Department.

The community hopes that be standing as one, with hundreds of Patriot Guard Riders in tow, the hate group will be diminished in comparison to them.

"They're going to pale in comparison to the people coming out in support," said Karyl Cicanese, Gibsonburg resident.

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders and other supporters of Clark will be meeting right before the 1:00 p.m. service near Harvey's Apple Dumpling Restaurant on South Main Street to "Rally the Troops."
---------------------------------------------------------------------

[MagickMuffin]

9. What is Wrong with these people?

It's one thing to protest our government. However it is quite another matter when it comes to protesting at a funeral.

The soldier and soldiers families have nothing to do about who gets in the military. For christians to dishonor the dead is mind boggling to me. Whatever happened to the teachings of Jesus who taught tolerance.

Do these christians understand what "Their" master was trying to teach them?
Apparently they would protest the crucifixion, because Jesus would have tolerated the homosexuals, and would have accepted them without question.
Or at least that's the Jesus I was taught as a child.....

[AspenRose]

10. They aren't Christians. They're a cult.

Salon got it right.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cults

[wordpix2]

26. cult of St. Evil Stupidity

[TreasonousBastard]

11. Phelps srtikes again! I've heard from people who have...

confronted him that the best thing to do is just laugh at him. He feeds on the hate, so laughter is the best medicine.

It really pisses him off when nobody's pissed at him. Go figure.

[niyad]

17. when he and his bunch came to protest at one of our high schools for

DARING to think about a gay-straight alliance club, they were met by at least 1200 people, many of whom did indeed laugh. and the crowd appreciated our "construction crew" as we showed up, complete with hard hats, yellow jackets, work boots, and large signs posted at both ends of the high school, reading, "WARNING: DANGEROUS FANATICS AHEAD"
for further amusement, when they left, we had our brooms and cleaning supplies, and very obviously cleaned and sanitized the area where those insane hate-mongers had been standing.

[niyad]

13. the patriot guard will be there, and he was one of their own.

[shenmue]

18. What a bunch of...

@%#*$&? &@*#^$&@ers. :grr:

I swear. The dumbest, nastiest people on the face of the planet.

Why doesn't Fred Phelps just get bird flu and save us from the presence of his sorry ass?

@*#$%, I hate these people.

[Jazz2006]

19. I don't get it.

Who are these people and what on earth do they think they're protesting against?

Sheesh.

[rodeodance]

22. I can not begin to even try to understand this way of thinking!

[JPZenger]

32. An inbred cult desparately seeking publicity

They are an inbred cult, many of whom are inbred and related to their leader. Unfortunately, by these actions, they get the type of attention they want.

[noahmijo]

23. So just curious what's the stance of typical rethugs on these assholes?

these jerkwater flat earther rat bastard scumbag sons a bitches have been protesting soldier's funerals now for well over two years and NOT A PEEP from the garden variety domionists of the right.


Can you just imagine of it was some Marxist group doing this what the media would be making out of it and what's more what Rove would do with it?

I thinkt hese people need to be linked to the Republican Party being that they represent its interests: fuck the soldiers and bring back the days of Calvinism and Puritanism!!

[wordpix2]

27. rethugs will be out there campaigning for votes with these cultist wackos

anything to get votes

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

24. Here's an apology from a local baptist church. Full page ad on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the ad states that "homosexuality is sin" and that "God passionately hates sin" and then says that "God loves the sinner" and so, even though God hates what homosexuals do God actually loves them and there's the pretzel logic.

Then the church's ad apologizes for Phelps's behavior, even though the statements in the ad seem to somewhat agree with him.

Why couldn't they simply state that Phelps is wrong, wrong, wrong in every way? I guess they still have to appease those parishioners who are homophobic.

MKJ


http://shopping.postnewsmarketplace.com/ROP/ads.aspx?advid=394404&adid=2842979

edited to change grammer, since I don't believe that all thier parishioners are homophobic.

[saigon68]

33. Those Churches secretly agree with Phelps on the Gay Hate

They get bound up tho, when the little soldiers get involved

[Charlie Brown]

41. they are guilty of all they accuse the Westboro people of

"Their critical spirit, slanderous accusations, abusive language, and flippant mockery reflect a heart condition that is counter-christian."

Their opening paragraph is all of these. They only resent Phelps b/c he takes the same message and promotes it at funerals, which is something other "christians" were strangely silent about when he picketed the funerals of AIDS victims.

Incidentally, the ad does not say if Riverside Church disagrees w/the Westboro crowd's position that the war is God's punishment on America for tolerating homosexuality. It would not have been difficult to refute Phelps' postition in the ad. The fact that Riverside Church did not is pretty indicative that they have more in common with Phelps than they would like to admit.

Indeed the fact that Riverside felt compelled to open their "apology" with a disclaimer that they do not tolerate homosexuality is pretty mean and bigoted in itself. This apology is aimed merely to settle there own troublied conscience b/c the Westboro antics hit too close to home.

[wordpix2]

25. another sign the country is falling into ruin--these people have no sense

of what is right or wrong

[Blue_Roses]

28. they just passed a law in my state that this idiot could no longer do this

I hope they send his freaky ass away for good!

[Radio_Guy]

29. Why won't those fundies leave our soldiers alone?

[sendero]

30. One of these days...

... that sorry waste of life is going to drop dead, or even better his whole cult family will drive over a cliff in a short bus, and the world will breathe a sigh of relief.

[FVZA_Colonel]

36. You'll enjoy this.

http://www.danstheman.com/SPECIALS/2005/phelps.obit/bio/

[Haole Girl]

31. There is a time and place for everything (well almost)

I'm sorry, I am all for the first amendment, but what ever happened to having some manners and respect during a funeral? It's, quite frankly, not the appropriate time for screaming and marching. It just makes the people who protest look insensitive, if you ask me. They are simply doing their protests during funerals for attention- and as long as it gets media attention they'll keep at it. I feel very sorry for the families.
As if funerals are not hard enough!

[VegasWolf]

34. It would be pretty funny to see a couple of hundred gays dressed

in leather and bondage garb to dance around Phelps little group of 12.