Dueling Protests at Arlington Tribute

[Tom Flapwell]

The shortish article is too long for me to reproduce here, but it says that on Memorial Day, Arlington National Cemetery had a conservative troop-supporting group facing off against a handful of protesters from an anti-gay group at Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka. Police cars kept the protesters 300 feet from the cemetery entrance while the other group remained on the other side of a four-lane highway busy enough that neither side could really hear the other.

Ordinarily, I would not side with a group of conservatives shouting praises to America and her troops against a "Bush killed them" crowd, but here the opponents are sufficiently wretched. They held up signs saying things like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God is America's terror." I don't approve protests at any event to honor the dead, funeral or not, regardless of who died.

If the article had not used the term "anti-gay" once or twice, I would have had no inkling that that was a motive. If I am correct to infer that the group condemns Bush and America's military for not being sufficiently anti-gay, then these people have crossed the line from irrationality to lunacy.

My apologies to those who wish I hadn't posted this.

[Loeln]

You don't even know.

The Westboro Baptist "Church" of Topeka Kansas.

It's not only military funerals, either. The miners that died in Virginia? They were there. Matthew Shepherd, the kid that was beat to death in Laramie? They were there, and, while Phelps "said that Shepard's murder was unjust, he called his mother a whore "from Hell", and told her she'd "soon be joining Matthew". September Eleventh? London Subways? The Space Shuttle Columbia? Oh yeah, all those.

These people are horrid.


Meanwhile, the people protesting those people are part of the Patriot Guard group of motorcyclists across the nation that mainly go to and surround the funeral to prevent anyone unwelcome from disrupting it, no matter political affiliation, thoughts on the war, thoughts on the president, etc. They ask permission of the families before attending, and are dedicated to non-violent ways to prevent disruptors.

[Zaaphod]

Ah yes, Phelps and his gang of in-bred morons who'd lose a battle of wits with a plate of spaghetti.

I loathe them, they're scum.

[DesertFoxCat]

This image is from the wikipedia article that Loeln linked to:

The kid smiling and holding that sign is one of the creepiest things I've ever seen, just above video from modern-day Nazi rallies. The freedom of speech is one thing I hate and love at the same time.

[Tum0spoo]

Thay just want attention. Give'em a bottle and a nap.

[Tom Flapwell]

Oh, I didn't realize that was Phelpsism. That actually makes me feel a little better, knowing it's the same old same old and not two separate groups.

[Zaaphod]

Oh, I didn't realize that was Phelpsism. That actually makes me feel a little better, knowing it's the same old same old and not two separate groups.

Yeah, one group like that is more than enough.

[Fritz]

I recently heard Phelps' voice on TV- It's about as evil and creepy as you'd expect.

[Muninn]

Oh it's Phelps. It's come to a point where you're just not surprised by their actions, though maybe still offended.

[Zaaphod]

Have you heard of the Greek myth about the three blind witches who all have to share one eye? Well, it's similar with the Phelps people, except in their case they're sharing one brain cell.

[Tum0spoo]

Have you heard of the Greek myth about the three blind witches who all have to share one eye? Well, it's similar with the Phelps people, except in their case they're sharing one brain cell.

[DesertFoxCat]

Marine's Father to Sue Group that Picketed Son's Funeral

Baltimore (AP) - An attorney says the father of a Maryland Marine who died in Iraq plans to sue an extremist group that picketed his son's funeral.

Albert Snyder, of York, Pennsylvania, is the father of Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder of Westminster.

Sean Summers, Snyder's lawyer, says he will sue the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, for unspecified actual and punitive damages.

The civil suit will claim defamation, invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Summers says he will the lawsuit Monday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt.

The plans to sue were first reported by the Carroll County Times.

Matthew Snyder died March third after an accident in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. The accident did not involve combat.