Protesters to picket soldier’s funeral

[shocker1]

Family decries funeral protesters
Sunday, September 24, 2006
By Mike O’Neal Staff Writer
CLEVELAND, Tenn. — The family of Sgt. David Weir is more concerned with mourning the soldier’s death than worrying about protesters who plan to picket his funeral Monday.

"Our family is grieving the loss of a husband, a father, a son and brother," the sergeant’s older brother, Chris Weir, said at a news conference Saturday. "These protesters are looking simply for a venue and face time on camera."

Members of the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, plan to picket Sgt. Weir’s funeral Monday, according to a news release the group issued Friday. Church members believe God is killing American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality.

Sgt. Weir, a native of Cleveland, Tenn., was killed in combat Sept. 13 while serving with the U.S. Army’s 101 st Airborne Division in Iraq.

"David would have been the first to support their right to protest," said Rich Dinsmore, a friend of the family. "But with that right comes responsibility."

Small American flags line the Cleveland street where Sgt. Weir’s parents live and where his father, Lynn Weir, sat Saturday reading cards and letters of sympathy.

Lynn Weir did not want to respond to questions about the protesters and deferred to his son, Chris Weir.

"Honor my brother and support our family by lining the streets waving flags, displaying your signs and banners of thanks for my brother’s sacrifice," Chris Weir said. "That is a much stronger showing of disagreement with these protesters than any amount of violence or retaliation could ever accomplish."

Action by the church’s members have prompted Congress and several states to pass laws restricting protests at cemeteries and alongside roads leading to cemeteries.

Westboro Baptist members are considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Anti-Defamation League has called the group "virulently homophobic."

Church members said in a Friday news release, "Thank God for (improvised explosive devices). God himself has now become America’s terrorist, killing and maiming American troops in strange lands."

Efforts to contact church members Saturday were unsuccessful.

Chris Weir said it "is not only irresponsible but disrespectful" that a group such as Westboro Baptist would use the family’s grieving over his brother’s death to gain exposure for their views.

"The irony of it all is the disrespect they show the men and women who fought for their right to have that opinion," Chris Weir said. "David fought for their right to express their opinions, and to them I say this: There is a time and a place for everything. Express your views, it’s your right, but not here and not now."

Chris Weir said his brother’s body was flown from Baghdad to Kuwait City, then to Dover, Del., and to McGhee-Tyson Airport in Knoxville before reaching Cleveland about 11 p.m. Thursday.

"My little brother has finally come home," Chris Weir said.

He said his brother’s military honors include the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

Public visitation will be 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at Fike Funeral Home in Cleveland, with funeral services scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday.

Officers from both the Cleveland Police Department and the Bradley County Sheriff’s Department will provide security and escort services Monday.

Bradley County Sheriff Tim Gobble said Friday that "constitutionally protected freedom of expression will be allowed."

Department spokesman Bob Gault said measures are in place to assure proper decorum is maintained during the funeral and internment at Chattanooga National Cemetery.

Staff writer Ashley Rowland contributed to this story.

E-mail Mike O’Neal at moneal@timesfreepress.com

http://timesfreepress.com/QuickHeadl...26ID%3DAr00103

[Mike Keenan]

They shouldn't even near a funeral like that. The family of Sgt.Weir should ingore those crackpots.

[shocker1]

They shouldn't even near a funeral like that. The family of Sgt.Weir should ingore those crackpots.

Don't worry my friend Chattanooga is a very patriotic town. There will be thousands of folks lining the streets, flags in hand and tears in our eyes honoring the good Sgt. Weir. Those protesters will be a minor speck on an otherwise honor filled day. From Cleveland TN to Chattanooga TN is a 20 mile stretch that will be lined with those who love our heros who serve. I am getting choked up just thinking about it. The unfortunate thing is the media will focus on these few crackpots instead of endless field of flags and white headstones of Chattanooga's fallen. Without them and their brothers, sisters who sacrifice the world would be a very dark place.


Chattanooga National Cemetary (Andrews Raiders Ohio Monument and graves in foreground)

[shocker1]

A soldier’s final salute

By Ashley Rowland Staff Writer
CLEVELAND, Tenn. — Hundreds of people, maybe more, lined city streets and stood on interstate overpasses, quietly waving flags in honor of a man most had never met, and in quiet defiance against a church group whose members said his death was an act of God.

"I think anybody that would give their life for our freedom, we ought to stand behind their family," said Louise Scroggins, a Cleveland resident who never met Sgt. David Weir but stood outside the funeral home for several hours Monday while family and friends gathered to remember him.

Sgt. Weir, 23, died in combat in Iraq on Sept. 13. His funeral was held on Monday afternoon in his hometown of Cleveland, and he was buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery. Those who attended his funeral, which was closed to all but family and friends, said it was quiet, solemn and patriotic.

Jennifer Gibby, one of Sgt. Weir’s cousins, said Sgt. Weir got along with everybody and was always smiling. His family will remember him as someone who always wanted to be a soldier, she said. Allan Lovelace, pastor of Waterville Baptist Church, where Sgt. Weir’s family attends services, said Sgt. Weir dreamed about serving in the military.

"There is an overwhelming sense... that David found his calling," he said.

Wendi Tourigny, another cousin, said his family was proud that he pursued his dream.

"A lot of us don’t do that," she said.

Members of Westboro Baptist Church, a Topeka, Kan., group that issued a news release Friday saying they would protest outside the funeral, were missing from the crowd of about 250 people gathered outside Fike Funeral Home. The group believes God is killing American soldiers in Iraq as punishment for America’s tolerance of homosexuality.

Police cordoned off a square of land across the street from the funeral home with yellow tape for the Westboro Baptist group, but none of the 10 people expected showed up.

"We didn’t have a single indication that they were there," Cleveland Police Lt. Ken Simpson said.

Megan Phelps-Roper, a Westboro Baptist member who answered the church’s phone in Kansas late Monday afternoon, said the group decided to picket a funeral in Jennings, La., instead of Sgt. Weir’s "because we have heard so much from the people of Cleveland, Tennessee, and that surrounding area."

"Our goal is to publicize," she said. "We know from our phone calls and the media that they have gotten the message, and the message is that God is punishing them because they refuse to obey Him and His commandments."

But Westboro Baptist member Margie Phelps later said in a phone interview that she and five other church members arrived in Cleveland and picketed for 35 minutes before the funeral started.

She said police made the group picket from a certain spot, but she could not identify where it was located.

"The police move us around just to play games. It’s one of the ways they try to keep the message from coming out," she said.

"I just see people going by, fussing and cussing," she said. "We’ve done hundreds of these, and it always looks the same — bikers and flags and people who are mad."

Plenty of people holding flags and banners outside the funeral home were mad, but most said they planned to be quiet at the request of Sgt. Weir’s family.

"What they claim to do in the name of God does more damage to Christianity than anything I can think of," said Michael Light, a Knoxville resident and National Guard soldier who served in Iraq for a year. "I don’t care what the Constitution says; I don’t think that they have any reason to do that."

About 100 members of the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcycle group made up of mostly former soldiers, formed a flagwaving human "wall of peace" in front of the funeral home.

"He’s more than just a soldier to us. That’s our brother in there," said Mark Hutchens, a Patriot Guard member from Greeneville, Tenn.

Michael Barbree, a Patriot Guard member from Dayton, Tenn., said he would ignore the Westboro Baptist group if they arrived.

"If they show up, I won’t see them," he said. "I won’t look at them. I don’t care. I’m here for the family."

Cleveland resident Susan Bowers didn’t know Sgt. Weir or his family, but she stood outside the funeral home for hours holding a sign that said, "We appreciate your sacrifice."

She later drove to Chattanooga to stand outside the cemetery with her sign, and she said she wasn’t surprised that the Westboro Baptist members didn’t arrive.

"I think they know Cleveland, Tennessee, has got them outnumbered," Ms. Bowers said.

E-mail Ashley Rowland at arowland@timesfreepress.com PERSONAL GLANCE Name: Sgt. David Weir Age: 23 School: Bradley Central High School, a 2001 graduate Service: U.S. Army, 101 st Airborne Division. Deployed to Iraq in 2005 Family: Wife, Allyson; and son Gavin, 18 months

http://www.tfponline.com/QuickHeadli...26ID%3DAr00100

[HOLLiS]

Shocker, thanks for the post.

The average American may seem complacent....... Until aroused.

[Crankep]

Religion makes people go into ****tard mode all too often...

[wubanga101]

people use religon to be dicks...god never said too smite anything for him...sh!t you think good needs help smiting?

[Sgt_Nick_Fury]

Religion makes people go into ****tard mode all too often...

That's the difference between Religion and God. God encourages us to do Good....people do evil in the name of religion, but that is not God's wish.

In any case I thought some of you might like to see the photos of the procession, the Westboro jerks decided to bug out, and did not show....but the patriotic support did show from Cleveland to Chattanooga, including firetrucks that set their ladders to cross like crossed swords with a flag at the top....it was very moving.


See the photos here.....it's VERY heart warming.
http://www.nooga.com/weir

Bradley county and Cleveland Tn is a VERY patriotic Town, and their patriotism for this nation goes WAY back. During the Civil war Bradley county stayed in support of the Union with the majority of East Tennessee even though they were behind enemy lines as it were. The flag held special importance, Confederates tried to locate their Cleveland courthouse flag as it had become a symbol of resistance among union famlies, it was passed from family to family to be kept safe for 3 years, and in the evening locals would gather to see Old Glory in front of the fire light while it stayed protected at local houses like Mr. John McPherson's.......under great danger of being shot, and arrested they safe gaurded it, and it flew again at the wars end.....Bradley County appreciates the flag in a very personal way. It was a symbol of hope during occupation, something few Americans have ever had to endure.

As for the jerks at Westboro baptists....it would be a mistake to call them simply religious nuts, or religion gone bad. If that were the case I could actually forgive them a little bit, as just being CRAZY, and insane. Unfortunately the truth is much uglier then that. It is not their convictions, or skewed religious beliefs that drive them, it is MONEY. ALmost all that churches members are LAWYERS....they purposely try to upset people, so they may sue them in court for profit.


Consider the following list of members and their professions.

Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. (founder and pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, disbarred lawyer, activist, author; born 1929) and Margerie "Margie" M. Simms, wife of Fred Phelps (since 1952).
Fred Phelps Jr. (lawyer, born 1953), son of Fred Phelps, and Betty Joan (Schurle) Phelps (lawyer, born c. 1952), second wife of Fred Phelps Jr. (Phelps Jr.'s first wife died under suspicious circumstances, see Former Members section below)
Benjamin Phelps (designer of the Westboro website, born c. 1976), son of Fred Phelps Jr., and Mara Jones-Phelps, wife of Benjamin Phelps (daughter of Robert and Kathryn Jones, believed to be of Pittsburgh). They both have a daughter and son (born March 3, 2003 and March 13, 2006, respectively).
Sara Phelps (reported age 24 as of February 2005), daughter of Fred Phelps Jr.
Elizabeth "Libby" Phelps (reported age 22 as of March 2005), daughter of Fred Phelps Jr. She is one of the two Phelps granddaughters featured on a hidden camera interview broadcast by British television network Sky News.
Jacob Z. Phelps, son of Fred Phelps Jr.
Margie Jean Phelps (lawyer, born c. 1956), daughter of Fred Phelps. Margie is one of two Phelps daughters who write insulting response letters posted on the Westboro website; her collection can be found under the heading "Dear Margie". Phelps Chartered biography
Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper (lawyer, born c. 1957), daughter of Fred Phelps, and wife of Brent D. Roper (human resources lawyer for the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), author, born c. 1963) (Brent is also her brother, as he was purportedly adopted by the Senior Phelps, however this is not confirmed). As with Margie, she writes insulting response letters posted on the website, under the heading "Dear Shirley". Shirley also is active in writing many of the WBC Epics. One of Shirley's many TV interviews Phelps Chartered biography
Samuel Phelps-Roper (born c. 1979), son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper, and Jennifer Hockenbarger (born c. 1977), wife of Samuel Phelps-Roper (since 2002)
(see Hockenbarger clan discussion below)
Joshua F. Phelps-Roper, daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Margy "Megan" Phelps-Roper (reported age 13 as of November 1999), daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Rebekah Phelps-Roper, daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Isaiah Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Zacharias Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Grace Phelps-Roper, daughter of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Gabriel Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Jonah Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Noah Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Luke Phelps-Roper, son of Shirley Lynn Phelps-Roper.
Jonathan Baxter Phelps (lawyer, born c. 1959), son of Fred Phelps, and Paulette Phelps (Ossiander) (high school graduate, born c. 1960), wife of Jonathan Phelps (Jonathan and Paulette were disfellowshipped from Westboro, see below, but were readmitted in 1988). Jonathan is considered to be the Phelps child most like his father in terms of being confrontational with opponents; he is reported to be highly vulgar in such dealings. Phelps Chartered biography
Jael Phelps (pronounced Jay-Ell, nursing student, unsuccessful Topeka City Council candidate in 2005, reported age 20 as of March 2005), daughter of Jonathan Baxter Phelps. Jael has been featured on MSNBC and several media outlets, and is one of Fred Sr.'s most ardent supporters. Along with Libby Phelps, she is featured on the Sky News interview.
Joshua M. Phelps, son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
Jacob M. Phelps, son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
Joseph Phelps, son of Jonathan Baxter Phelps
Rebekah Phelps-Davis (lawyer, born c. 1961), daughter of Fred Phelps, and Chris Davis (born c. 1955), husband of Rebekah Phelps-Davis and original member of Westboro
Micaiah Phelps-Davis (reported age 12 as of May 2004), son of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Lydia Phelps-Davis, daughter of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Deborah Phelps-Davis, daughter of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Barak Phelps-Davis, son of Rebekah Phelps-Davis
Elizabeth Marie Phelps (lawyer, former Counsel for the Shawnee County Sheriff's Department, born c. 1962), daughter of Fred Phelps
Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps (lawyer, born c. 1963), son of Fred Phelps, and LeAnn Phelps (Brown) (lawyer, born c. 1966), wife of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" Phelps
Daniel Phelps, son of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Timothy Phelps Jr., son of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Hezekiah Phelps, son of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Victoria Phelps, daughter of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Benaiah Phelps, child of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Danielle Phelps, daughter of Timothy "Tim/Timmy" B. Phelps
Elisha Phelps, son of Timothy "Timmy" B. Phelps
Caleb Phelps, son of Timothy "Timmy" B. Phelps
Shirley Phelps, daughter of Timothy "Timmy" B. Phelps
Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger (lawyer and YMCA fitness instructor, born c. 1965), daughter of Fred Phelps, and Charles F. Hockenbarger, husband of Rachel Phelps Hockenbarger (see Hockenbarger clan discussion below) Phelps Chartered biography
Stephen Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
Rachel Hockenbarger, daughter of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
Josaiah Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
Gideon Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger
Abigail Phelps (lawyer and employee at SRS - Youth and Adult Services, Juvenile Offender Program, born c. 1968), daughter of Fred Phelps
In addition, Fred Phelps has one great-grandson named Seth Phelps; the exact lineage is unknown at this time. Another Phelps child, Malachai, was born in late 2005; it is unknown whether he is Fred Phelps' grandson or great-grandson.

The Hockenbargers
Charles William "Bill" Hockenbarger, calendar operator, member of Christian Identity and long-time friend of Fred Phelps, and Mary Hockenbarger (child care provider), wife of Charles William "Bill" Hockenbarger (since 1953), original members of Westboro
Karl D. Hockenbarger, son of Charles William "Bill" Hockenbarger, alledgedly a member of Christian Identity, and Deborah Kay Hockenbarger, wife of Karl D. Hockenbarger
Jennifer Hockenbarger (born c. 1977), daughter of Karl D. Hockenbarger, and Sam Phelps-Roper (born c. 1979), husband of Jennifer Hockenbarger (since 2002) (see above)
James Hockenbarger, son of Karl Hockenbarger
Katherine Hockenbarger, daughter of Karl Hockenbarger
David Hockenbarger, son of Karl Hockenbarger
Charles F. Hockenbarger (born c. 1974), son of Karl Hockenbarger, and Rachel I. Phelps, wife of Charles F. Hockenbarger (see above)
Stephen Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger and Charles F. Hockenbarger
Rachel Hockenbarger, daughter of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger and Charles F. Hockenbarger
Josaiah Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger and Charles F. Hockenbarger
Gideon Hockenbarger, son of Rachel I. Phelps Hockenbarger and Charles F. Hockenbarger
Other Westboro Members and supporters
Steve Drain (video producer, author of "Hatemongers", a biography of Fred Phelps Sr. portraying him in a positive light) and Luci Drain, wife of Steve Drain (Luci has written at least one WBC Epic)
Lauren Drain, oldest daughter of Steve Drain
Taylor Drain, youngest daughter of Steve Drain, reported age 13 as of April 2005
George Stutzman, original member of Westboro, marital status believed to be never married but unknown, some internet rumors have him previously involved in an affair with Margie Phelps (the daughter)
Theresa Davis (relationship to Chris Davis, if any, is unknown)
Estranged Members of the Westboro Baptist Church
As noted below, all these individuals are or were related to Fred Phelps. With the exception of Debbie Valgos (death), the individuals were voted out of the church and "turned over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh", and certificates of such were mailed to them. None of the estranged members have made any reported attempts to reunite with Westboro or the Phelps clan.

Mark Phelps, (businessman, born c 1954), son of Fred Phelps, purportedly moved to Orange County, California in 1981 along with brother Nate (see below).
Katherine Phelps, ,(suspended lawyer born c 1955), daughter of Fred Phelps.
Nate Phelps, (businessman, born c 1958), son of Fred Phelps, purportedly moved to Orange County, California in 1981 along with brother Mark (see above).
Dorotha (Phelps) Bird, (lawyer, born c 1964), daughter of Fred Phelps, reportedly practices law in a town just outside Topeka. Bird changed her last name as a sign of cutting off all association with the Phelps clan. Transcripts of Westboro sermons from the 1980s show that she was a "favorite" of Phelps and acted as his personal assistant; the reasons for the later disassociation with Phelps Sr. and Westboro are unknown.
Debbie Valgos, (college student, born 1954, died 1972), purported first wife of Fred Phelps Jr. (the couple purportedly eloped; however, no marriage certificate has been located, and the marriage may have been common law if it in fact ever took place). Valgos was never accepted by the Phelps clan, as her religious background was Catholic and she never fully accepted the Westboro doctrine. Died of an alleged drug overdose following a party at an army base outside Topeka. Mark and Nate Phelps maintain that Valgos was murdered and that Phelps Sr. was "probably" involved or at least knows something about her death. Interred at Mount Calvery Cemetery, Saint Mary's Church, Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Valgos told friends before her death that she joined only with the intention of marrying Fred Phelps Jr., and that her affiliation with the church ended after they were married; her membership also pre-dated the church's picketing campaign. Phelps Jr. later denied having any relationship, or even knowing, Valgos.

I do not believe it is religios convictions so much as greed and a family based on white suprimacist hatred. Notice the link to Christian Identity. This is a white suprimacist groups that claims Europeans are descendents of the lost tribe of Israel....interesting since their are also anti-semitic. These people are not just nut cases, they are greedy scum trying to profit off of greeving famlies and communities anger against them. They have been doing this for generations in various ways.

In any case they did not show, they claimed they did not because their purpose was to raise awareness of God's anger and they had large number of responses from Cleveland, and so they felt it would be better to go somewhere else. My own intuition was they did indeed get MANY responses from Bradley County, but it was more in line of advising severe health dangers of coming here and disrespecting their patriotic son.

David Weir will be missed, as a Chattanoogan I am thankful to him and all our local heros currently serving and who have served so that we may remain free under the flag of our fathers, the first recipiants of the Medal of Honor are buried at Chattanooga's National Cemetary where Sgt Weir was buried. Those first Medal of Honor winners were decorated for their famous "raid" with the "General steam locomotive" during the Civil War......there are patriotic areas all over this nation in every state, but I promise you, you will not find any with any greater a tradition that Bradley and Hamilton county in Tennessee.....it has stayed loyal to the United States of America even when it was occupied by rebel troops......people here take patriotism seriously, it has not become "out of fashion" as it has in some places.......you DO not disrespect our soldiers in Tennessee.....and if anyone should, they better pack a lunch...because it's going to be a very very long day.

I hate we lost such a good man, I am proud however of my comunities response during the Weir famlies loss. He will be missed.

[Sgt_Nick_Fury]

Video

http://www.wrcb.com/5_3550.m3u

[shocker1]

Welcome to the board Sgt Nick Fury and thanks for the post. Good to see someone else from the Chattanooga area. I was down on Holtzclaw during the burial and I never saw those idiots, guess they realized that this is the wrong part of the country to protest at soldiers funerals.

Megan Phelps-Roper, a Westboro Baptist member who answered the church’s phone in Kansas late Monday afternoon, said the group decided to picket a funeral in Jennings, La., instead of Sgt. Weir’s "because we have heard so much from the people of Cleveland, Tennessee, and that surrounding area."

I wonder what those calls had to say.

[Sgt_Nick_Fury]

I actually been a member for some time, just never posted..........but yeah I think they decided the lawsuit wasn't worth the health risk.

Heck on talk radio they wer eopenly plotting to drive by with auto paintball guns on them.....LOL not to bright as I think Mr Stylez would have been sued had it happened.....still I think the locals convinced them this was not the place to protest.

[saigonsmuggler]

Darn, that's a lot of lawyers in the Phelps!

[Martino]

What Mutha#$%^&* shame. I don't care if you hate Bush or the war, but if I was the Govorner I would order that all protesters be round up and thrown in jail for a two week stay.


That is a shame. We honor our dead. No matter the situation they keep us free. Some people say thats why they should protest. Go protest in some street. Not at a young mans funeral.

[IraGlacialis]

What Mutha#$%^&* shame. I don't care if you hate Bush or the war, but if I was the Govorner I would order that all protesters be round up and thrown in jail for a two week stay.


That is a shame. We honor our dead. No matter the situation they keep us free. Some people say thats why they should protest. Go protest in some street. Not at a young mans funeral.

Oh.. they have. From what I read they went to Ground Zero, jubilent that the "land of the Sodomites has been dealt a debilitating blow".
They don't just hate gays. They hate Jews (swindlers), Muslims (Muhammed was a pedophile), Swedes (Gay supporters), Catholics (pedophiles), other Protestants (misleaders), and more. They were also jubilent over Columbia disaster (another blow to Sodom), Indian Ocean tsunami (land of pagans and pedophiles), death of John Paul II (pedophile), and other wretched occurances, especially whenever homosexuals or homosexual supporters died.
I get a kick out of the fact that whenever a goverment tries to block their protests, they cry 1st amendment. They are protesting against the people who fight and die to allow them to protest. Imbred pricks.

[Honorcouragecommitment]

As a member of the Patriot Guard I've had indirect contact with the Westboro bunch on one occasion. They file for the right to protest at funerals around the country, but often times don't show up. They seem to thrive on the noteriety.

Patriot Guard members agree to a non-contact rule should any members of Westboro show up at a funeral. As a previous poster pointed out, they are largely a group of lawyers, who would love the opportunity to file a law suit, particularly against the Patriot Guard, some other service oriented organization, or police department. They have been known to try to bait Patriot Guard members in an attempt to orchestrate an assault, but Guard members have always shown good discipline and refrained from all interaction with members of the group.

Police departments with the help of local and state governments have managed to keep this group seperated and at a distance from the funeral party, so the grieving families can never hear or lay eyes on them. Since they operate in such small numbers their verbal protests are easily drowned out by the sound of motorcycle engines, etc....Unfortunately, a judge in Kentucky ruled this week in favor of Westboro's right to protest without restrictions as to distance. It remains to be seen how this will continue to play out as litigation will continue.

Anyone interested in joining the Patriot Guard can do so by going to the website and following the procedure for membership. It is a mission oriented service organization made up of bikers and non-bikers. The only reason for the Guard's existence is to honor deceased military personnel at funerals. While the majority of the members are former military and their spouses, there are members with no prior military service. Political persuasion is a non-factor. I've never really heard politics discussed. Everyone is oriented toward honoring the deceased soldier, sailor, airman, coastie, or Marine...and bringing some solace to the grieving family.

Semper Fidelis