After Anti-Gay Insults, It May Be Felony To Protest Funerals

The Indy Channel ^ | October 25, 2005 | AP

[Abathar]

INDIANAPOLIS -- An Indiana state senator wants to make disorderly conduct a felony if it occurs at military funerals, similar to a proposal being considered in Oklahoma.

Indiana state Sen. Brent Steele said he would propose legislation in response to an anti-gay group's protest at the Aug. 28 funeral for Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Doyle, who died in Iraq.

Members of the Topeka, Kan.,-based Westboro Baptist Church dragged U.S. flags on the ground and shouted insults at Doyle's wife and other survivors outside a mortuary in Martinsville, Ind.

Church Rev. Fred Phelps said American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays and accepts homosexuality. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger Denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.

The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags" and "God hates you."

The group has also shown up at funerals in Oklahoma and state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft said he would offer a bill to prohibit any form of protest within 500 feet of any funeral at a home, mortuary, cemetery, church or other place of worship.

[RichInOC]

"Ahhhhh! It burns! It burns!"

[Okies love Dubya 2]

Members of the Topeka, Kan.,-based Westboro Baptist Church dragged U.S. flags on the ground and shouted insults at Doyle's wife and other survivors outside a mortuary in Martinsville, Ind.

I am surprised they were able to get away with this in Martinsville, which has extremely blue-collar, down home kind of folks.

[Abathar]

I have been following this very close, I am glad they are finally doing something, but the really sad thing is that we there is such a problem that we need a law to limit it. I know here in Martinsville there was a lot of talk, and because of the heavy police presence no one confronted them directly. I think that had they not announced where they were going to go and showed up it may have had a much different outcome here for them. If they are looking for confrontation this is what they will start doing I bet.

[Okies love Dubya 2]

I see you live in Martinsville--I hail from Morgan County originally (Eminence), and my parents are still there.

[Abathar]

Hi, yep I live in Martintucky errr, I mean Martinsville. I moved here about 10+ years ago from the Detroit area (CULTURE SHOCK!!) and never, ever looked back.
The people are great, its a safe place to raise your kids, and most of the stigma the town has is total B.S. now. It will change major now that I69 is going right down SR37 (my business is right next door to Larry Byrd Ford if you are familiar with the area (now Walton Ford, he sold out) so we think there will be big changes coming soon for the area.

[Okies love Dubya 2]

LOL @ Martintucky...that is what my mom has always called it!

I am familiar with where Larry Bird Ford used to be; didn't know it was a different name now. I worked in Martinsville a couple of summers while I was in college, and I passed through every time I came home from IU Bloomington. My cousin graduated from Martinsville High School and is still in the area (I think).

It seems like they have been talking about I69 since I can remember, and I am in my 30s!

I haven't been back home since July, but we are dreaming of the day we can move back closer to the families (husband's parents live down near Madison/Hanover and his sister north of Mooresville). It's an awesome place to raise a family!