Dodge City Showdown At Funeral (More Phelps/CNN)

[Bark Bark Bark]

There's already a thread about Phelps appearing on CNN...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2497395

...but this is better news; a report on the backlash against Phelps and his vile followers.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/03/06/btsc.lavandrera.funerals/index.html

This is also very much a story about another phenomenon the Phelps protest has created. That's the birth of a group called the "Patriot Guard Riders." They're a volunteer group that came together after hearing that so many military families were being blindsided by the protesters.

More than 400 motorcycles thundered toward this showdown in Dodge City this weekend to make sure Sgt. Jessie Davila's funeral was not overshadowed by the Phelps protest. They converged from small towns all over southwest Kansas to support Sgt. Davila's family. One group leader says, "I knew we would have a crowd, but I didn't know it would be this big."

The procession of rolling thunder escorted Davila's family from memorial services to the grave site on a quiet hill. In the end, Sgt. Davila's family says they were only able to hear a little bit of the Phelps protest. Davila's mother, Linda Claus, says she's grateful for the Patriot Guard Riders. But she also wants other military families to be aware that this could happen to them.

Quick, Republican trolls: choose a side. We already know you hate gays. Phelps hates gays. We know hate and war give you boners. Phelps also gets a boner from hate and war. Phelps ain't one of us, sweethearts. He's all yours.

This is why I'm delighted Phelps is getting air time. I want more and more people to see him, once a darling of the Reight Wing like Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly. I want more and more people to see how these darlings hate America.

And when that happens, more and more will stand against them.

[eppur_se_muova]

1. The story of Phelps and his ilk is appalling. Hate-mongers all. K&R nt

[niallmac]

2. To do what these Phelpsinians do to grieving people is

to me the ultimate perversion in the name of religion. Well, no, I am going over my memories of religious history but this
certainly is a singularly callous act of inhumanity.
Good on the Patriot Guard Riders.