Why?

[DianaB]

I was sitting and reading our local paper and had just finished reading where a soldier in Iraq had been killed in action from a local town when my daughter called to tell me that she heard that the church that picket's the funerals of soldiers, the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, is going to be at the funeral of this soldier in the morning. The funeral is going to be in our town and then he'll be taken to his own town for burial. I can't believe that this is going to happen. The soldier was only 30 years old and has small children. What are these people thinking to do something like this? My daughter said that the schools are going to take the students out to wave flags and I guess that the Freedom Riders ride along side the family and try to muffle the sound of the protesters. I think that it is so sad that the family has to deal with this!!!

[Tink]

Oh Diana, that just makes me sick to think about.
As if that poor family hasn't gone through enough!
Those idiots have no clue what it is to be Christian... they will pay for the misery they cause. I'm surprised there are still any of them left alive to act up. People mourning are not always the most rational and eventually someone's gonna snap and silence them.

[judy]

I've heard about them, but I forget - what is it that they are protesting?

They really have no common sense, whatever it is. A bunch of fools!

[goofywife]

Hi everyone, things are slowing down finally for me!!!

These people disgust me. I did 13yrs in the military, I think I would get put in jail if they came one of my friends or families funerals.

They passed some laws in OK to keep them away from the funerals here.

[Marilyn]

I agree, a funeral is no place to be holding a protest. I feel for this poor family, they have scarificed and should be allowed the dignity to mourn without these attention grabbing people interfering!!! How deplorable!!!!

[AngieDoogles]

Oh Diana, I am SO sorry. I did research on that church/family once and it is REALLY creepy, sort of a cult thing. Fred Phelps is incredibly abusive and really has some psychological issues. He has even said that he is the only one worthy of God's love. Two of his sons left his church and family and the Phelps basically disowned them and said they are going to hell. Horrible people... All of them are lawyers too and will sue anyone they want for practically any reason. They are rich because of lawsuits...

[Janet]

What a disgusting thing to do to that poor grieving family. It shouldn't be allowed. These people are mourning the loss of a loved one and then have to deal with intruders with their own agenda. Why can't they do it some place else. Morons!!!

[DianaB]

I haven't heard anything about what went on. My daughter will probably have some info when she gets home from work. I really hope that they didn't come. It's really not fair to the family.

[yorkiemalt]

what a hideous thing to do! The poor family of this young man...

they should round those folks up, let them drive the point vehicles and set off all the roadside bombs. then we wouldnt lose any soldiers!

[DianaB]

I was wrong about when the funeral is. It's this morning and our city officials have asked the community to come out and show our support so I'm getting ready to go to town. I'll try to take some pictures and tell you about it when I get back. Pray that everything stays peaceful.

[Dobie]

They were going to do that when one of our local boys died in Iraq - but our community fought back!!
We contacted the Patriot Guard(a motorcycle group comprised of veterans) and they attended the funeral in force - we then started an email campaign and put flyers in every store we could think of. We had less than a week to work with - but over 700 members of the community, and about 100 Patriot Guard lined the route from the funeral home to the cemetary. We all held American flags - there was no room for the protesters and the police, (fearing for the safety of those whackos), escorted them all away from the funeral.

It takes a little work - but a community can pull together and do the right thing for a fallen soldier.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/homepage/x997379030

[pearl]

i've heard of that. i feel it's really sick and disgusting too. how dare they.

[HALEY]

Originally Posted by Dobie

They were going to do that when one of our local boys died in Iraq - but our community fought back!!
We contacted the Patriot Guard(a motorcycle group comprised of veterans) and they attended the funeral in force - we then started an email campaign and put flyers in every store we could think of. We had less than a week to work with - but over 700 members of the community, and about 100 Patriot Guard lined the route from the funeral home to the cemetary. We all held American flags - there was no room for the protesters and the police, (fearing for the safety of those whackos), escorted them all away from the funeral.

It takes a little work - but a community can pull together and do the right thing for a fallen soldier.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/homepage/x997379030

wonderful job, so wonderful to see a community pull together in a time of need, protestors do not belong at funerals, that is time to grieve, not protest !!!
What is wrong with people today???

[Lindsey]

Yeah that's the same group I think that was planning (I don't know if it happened) to picket Heath Ledger's funeral just because he played the part of a gay man in a movie and they are very very anti-gay. They think that the military is basically killing america and they protest soldiers' funerals and say they're going to burn in hell. They just have no conscience, and it's sickening.