Angels,' bikers help protect girl's funeral

[avaistheone1]

Source: Arizona Daily Star

Mourners at the funeral of Christina-Taylor Green were greeted by more than a thousand sympathizers who lined North Shannon Road for a quarter-mile south of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church.

Many wore white, and many had responded to an Internet call to counter the possible appearance of an out-of-state hate group.

They arrived on nearly 200 motorcycles, on foot and on shuttle buses from area parking lots, some prompted into action by the anticipated presence of a group from Kansas that protests funerals of veterans and gay people. The group ended up not showing.

Many of the sympathizers who showed up wore white and stood quietly on either side of Shannon Road. Among them were 18 "angels" with giant wings made from plastic pipe and bedsheets, who stood side by side in silence less than a block from the church for an hour and a half.


Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/article_f6572541-3612-5abf-9bf5-8535641529be.html

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?t=1294965511&s=3

Steve Uyeda, Jody Lee Duek and Shari Drake, members of the 'Angel Project' stand along the street leading to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church.




People from 'Angel Project' line the street leading to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church for the funeral of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green January 13, 2011.




Pallbearers escort the casket of nine-year-old Christina Taylor Green into St. Elizabeth Ann Seton church on January 13, 2011




Brother Dallas Green wipes away a tear while seated next to his father John Green and mother Roxanna Green during the funeral service for their daughter nine-year-old Christina Green.

[aquart]

1. Bless the angels.

At a time like this, the only impulse is to help, and not being able to is awful. These good people found a way to help.

[dipsydoodle]

2. Well said

:thumbsup:

[Rhiannon12866]

3. +100

O8)

[Jeneral2885]

8. Angels

Are only those appointed by God.

[blueamy66]

11. What?

??

[Newcanuck]

18. Angels

and who is to say they weren't appointed by God? (and that's spoken as an atheist).

[wryter2000]

30. Welcome to DU

:hi: :yourock:

[colorado_ufo]

49. Good on ya!

And welcome to DU!

[peace13]

21. The same god that lead the mad man to shoot an innocent child?

I hope he doesn't get mad at these folks for trying to do a good thing down here on this *ell hole of an earth he created.

[SammyWinstonJack]

27. Oh bother.

:eyes:

[xor]

36. ugh

:eyes:

[Raster]

37. Thank you for your "religious opinion," based entirely on unsubstantiated and faith-based belief.

[The Doctor.]

45. And by God's will they were there.

Isn't that nice how that works out?

[aquart]

54. Personally, I think they elect God.

It's always been clear to me that the dinosaurs were a different administration.

[demigoddess]

62. Angels come in all shapes and sizes

I had a cat that I know deserves to be in heaven, if he isn't there, I don't want to go. He was more advanced and more of an angel than most humans. These humans are being angels on earth and if that isn't what god wants, I do not want to believe in him either.

[Name removed]

64. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DallasNE]

34. Agree Totally With Sentiment

Seeing those white sheets sent a chill down by spine, however. Maybe they should consider pink or some other design..

[Raster]

51. The "Angels" came into being during the Matthew Shephard funeral, when the vulgar and vile,

media-whoring Phelps family came to picket Matthew's funeral. The Angels were good people from Laramie that created their costumes specifically with the large wings to shield the Shephard family from the disgusting and demeaning placards and signs -- "God hates fags" and "You're son is burning in hell" -- held by the evil spawn of ol' Crypt-keeper Fred. The Angels spring up wherever and whenever the Phelps pig fuckers threaten to picket funerals of slain soldiers and yes, even children.

The Angels are not religious or attempting any religious symbolism. They are only trying to shield and protect grieving families.

Bless their hearts.

Watch "The Laramie Project." If the end of the movie does not put a lump in your throat and a tear in your eye, you are not alive.

[Mojeoux]

68. Yes, Bless the ANGELS!!! nt

[kaffy4x4]

4. Beautiful

This idea of guardian angels is truly touching. I can't even imagine what it would be like to loose a child at such a young age to a senseless act of a mad man. But one thing I'm sure of, seeing these angels watching over her service must have been a great comfort and feelings of peace. Truly Blessed gesture.

[wryter2000]

31. Welcome to DU

:hi:

[lillypaddle]

5. The picture of the Greens

is very "hard." :cry:

[barbtries]

7. the casket

got me. the small casket. :cry:

[sarge43]

15. Did you see the story that Trappist monks made and donated the casket - unasked.

That must have meant so much to the family.

Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest, sweet child.

:cry:

[cyberswede]

17. It was made by monks in Iowa...

and provided at no cost to the family.

http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Dubuque-Monks-Build-Casket-for-9-year-old-Arizona-Shooting-Victim-113429364.html

[barbtries]

48. ahhh

:cry:

[joshcryer]

65. Last line on that was really sweet, they'll donate to any family burying a child.

Sad. But sweet.

[madokie]

6. One of my late best friends brother

is one of the Angels here. He is a gulf massacre/war veteran. Remember the turkey shoot, you all should

[DissedByBush]

9. I was there

So I know that it was retreating military forces, that it is legal under the rules of war to shoot at retreating military forces to prevent them from regrouping, and that most of the vehicles you see in the photos were abandoned before being destroyed.

War is hell. It's supposed to be that way lest we get too comfortable with it.

[wryter2000]

33. Please give him our love

:pals:

[madokie]

70. I will

I'll even ask him to come and have a read and see if maybe he would like to join in with us.
Hes a good kid. I say kid but thats because I'm an old geezer :-)

[stray cat]

10. The poor family and kids - how painful tis must be

[Beacool]

12. God Bless them all.

:grouphug:

[madmax]

13. Chistina's brother, Dallas

Breaks my heart. He too is victim. :cry:

[colorado_ufo]

50. They almost lost him, too.

He was supposed to have gone to the rally with his sister, but I think he had a karate lesson that prevented it.

The family could have had two caskets to bury.

[Odin2005]

14. OMG, that last picture...

:cry:

[108]

16. nice to see humanity is still here

[Jazzgirl]

24. Why wouldn 't it be?

n/t

[peaches2003]

19. Kansas idiots

Did they show up at the funeral? Should have been arrested if they did.

[LynneSin]

20. Those angels were at Matthew Shepard's trial

amazing people!

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Except Phelps didn't show up

It was announced the day before the funeral that the Phelps weren't coming.

[sarge43]

23. Well, when Hell's Angels think you're trash ..... n/t

[hamsterjill]

25. What a wonderful show of support for the family.

And what a wonderful show of support for PEACE. The world could sure benefit right now from a little peace.

The losses in Tucson was all tragic and sad, but the loss of a young one like this little girl just about does me in.

[1American]

26. The Kansas Nuts are Sarah Palin's Base

How come there isn't a crosshairs on the Kansas crazies? Because these are the people Sarah Palin supports--her loyal fans.

[ThatsMyBarack]

28. Why would ANYONE....

Show up to harass people at a nine-year-old girl's funeral? :shrug:

[HughBeaumont]

32. Because the Ku Phelps Klan take hatred to stratospheric levels.

[Kajsa]

35. They are sick people, TMB.

I asked the same question,
the answer is- the Greens are Catholic.
Yes- the target is the Catholic Church!

Go figure- :eyes:

One of the signs they were going to bring
to the funeral read,
' God sent the shooter' !!!!

They are the sickest of the sick and I wish
to God the entity of the Baptist faith in the
US would formally cut all ties with the
the Westboro "Baptist Church", because they
are neither Baptists nor a church.

They are an organized hate group like the
KKK and neo-Nazis.

[wryter2000]

29. Interesting that the bastards didn't even show up

I wonder if they realize they're not going to get away with that s**t any longer.

[guitar man]

39. I wonder if they got word

On Thursday, families holding hands, cowboy types in boots and hats, bikers in Hells Angels and Huns jackets, teens, seniors and others were there - most for the same reason: to support the Green family.

These aren't your average "weekend motorcyclists", these guys are serious....

[Arkansas Granny]

53. They apparently got some local airtime for agreeing not to show up.

In exchange for getting some radio time to air their controversial views, the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., has abandoned plans to picket 9-year-old Tucson shooting victim Christina Tayler Green's funeral.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=4694070

[Uncle Joe]

38. RIP Christina.

Thanks for the thread, avaistheone.

[MindandSoul]

40. Good for them! Heartwarming! And. . .that's free speech too!

[JNelson6563]

41. A beautifully kind gesture.

Very touching pictures, thanks for posting.

Julie

[jwirr]

42. Their appearance was not a waste because the protesters did not

come. They stood as an honor guard for the family. Thank you Angels.

[Tsiyu]

43. How can you hate people

when you see the pictures of the angels?

WE have the potential to be protectors of each other, to stand up for one another, to go out of our way to help people we do not know...if we want to be those people.

And how can anyone on the Right see the picture of a grieving Dallas Green and think that hate speech is fine by them? :cry:

{{{{{{{{{{{Dallas}}}}}}}}}}

[defendandprotect]

44. Good to see them standing up against this right wing hatred -- thank you!!

[littlewolf]

57. The RW hates Fred as much as the left ....

[AllyCat]

46. I hope this family finds some peace. I cannot imagine their pain.

[earcandle]

47. so sad. condolences to the family.

[TEXASYANKEE]

52. Equal time.

I wish the folks from Angel Project could get equal time as the crazies. What they do is selfless and beautiful, yet the general public hears/sees nothing of this. Why is it that the crazies (ie, the Kansas church members that were going to come and protest the funeral) get all the airtime?

[progressoid]

55. Oh, I wish I hadn't clicked on this thread.

Now the tears come again.

[northofdenali]

56. Bless the bikers, as well

They seem to want to protect anyone threatened by the Westlake Baptist bigots.

God bless, Christina, little one - my prayers are with your family and friends. You won't need them - because you went straight to the best place of all, the right hand of God. :cry:

[w8liftinglady]

59. A co-worker rides in Patriot Guard.

a republican,but a good person.She's been to a lot of funerals where westboro was rumored to appear.
her sentiments were the same.."no one wants to see a family suffer more while burying their loved one"
They are good people.

[northofdenali]

60. Yes, they are. Political affiliation doesn't matter to these folks.

I know. My cousin (a Republican moderate), myself (rabid yellow-dog Dem) and my husband are all "on call" for the Guard.

[awoke_in_2003]

67. a Harley big twin...

can easily drown out the chants of psychopathic assholes :)

[Tx4obama]

58. Photo: some of the bikers

http://www.daylife.com/photo/03Ee2QT3z08nb?q=green+funeral

[midnight]

61. It is so wonderful to have such kind people step in and block

out these misguided people....

[Quantess]

63. Nice!

K & R

[tpsbmam]

66. The Angels have done this at lots of the soldiers funerals to protect from

the Westboro slime.

This little girl and her family just breaks my heart. That picture of the family....:cry:

I hope you can RIP dear Christina.

The world is embracing you and your family.

:grouphug:

[goforit]

69. so sad. this has got to stop.