Posted on 06/29/2005 4:07:34 PM PDT by MindBender26
This is a vanity post, but trust me, a well sourced one. (I'm an old network newsie and have about 8 more good sources on this than Rather had for his typeface fiasco.)
Here are the details:
A SF SGT E-5, James Stewart, will be buried in St. Petersburg, Florida on July 4, 2005. It's wholly appropriate that he be buried on our nation's birthday, because Sergeant Stewart gave his life for our country.... and all of us.
He was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb, call an IED in MilSpeak. IED is short for "Improvised Explosive Device." It can be an old artillery shell wired to an electric blasting cap or just some explosives and a few pounds of rusty nails for shrapnel. They are nasty, and they are killing our men and women in Iraq.
His family has had time to get ready for the trauma of his funeral, but there is no way they can be ready for the latest insult to both his memory and all that is civilized.
A Topeka, Kansas freak has announced plans to disrupt the burial with chants, bull horns and signs that read, "Thank God for IEDs" "God Hates America," "This Soldier Is In Hell," and "God Wanted This Soldier Dead."
This is not a sick joke. The following is exurpted from a story on WCVB in Boston:
"A Marblehead soldier who was killed in Afghanistan is scheduled to be laid to rest, but a group from Kansas is expected to try to disrupt the services and police are on alert for any problems. Staff Sgt. Christoper Piper, 43, served in both Afghanistan and Iraq and was awarded a bronze star for his combat service."
"(The protesters) claim U.S. soldiers like Piper are dying because the country is being punished for its tolerance of what they see as immoral behavior, such as homosexuality. The group protested several weeks ago in Dracut and Lexington, Mass., carrying signs depicting homosexual sex, handing our leaflets with the message "Thank God for IEDs"
One little girl wrote them (the "protesters") regarding the pain they caused another dead soldier's family.
The protesters wrote back "We serve God; not your vulgar dumb ass. So we don’t care less what you think. We have one goal: publish. We’ve accomplished that goal with you. Have a nice day" (end of letter)
I would name names of these bastards and link to pictures of their vile signs, but JimRob doesn;t want it on FR. I agree with his position. Trust me, they are beyond belief.
These creeps are "protesting" at Sgt. Stewart's funeral at the Park Street Baptist Church, 3901 Park Street North (Park and 39th Ave North, about a mile south of Tyrone Mall) at 11:00 AM on Monday the 4th.
Since they want publicity, they will be there early for the cameras.
There will only be a few of them (they usually fly in from Kansas, but be on the lookout for vehicles with Kansas license plates.)
At some of their prior sick protests, vets and others were able to "convince" the sickos to vacate the area before the family arrived. This is not a call for violence, but I'm sure many of us can be very convincing when we see signs like these.
If any of us really give a damn about the men and women currently serving in harm's way, then this is the least we can do to support them and their families.
Sgt. Stewart volunteered to pay the ultimate price for our freedom. What are we willing to do for him?
Anyone can call himself a Baptist. Any church can call itself Baptist. Unfortunately, John the Baptist did not copyright the name.
The Westboro church really is sick. As proof, I'd give a link to their website, if it weren't so disgusting.
Assuming it's the same group, though, that antics of these protesters are a pretty good example of what to expect from them.
Prayers that your efforts to counter these twits are successful. Thank you, from Washington State.
Here's the way the services and law enforcement handled Phelps during Chris Piper's funeral in Marblehead. Kudos to Criminal Number 18F for the AAR.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1429416/posts
Scott and all who posted in this thread --
First, thanks.
Now for a brief AAR. I did not attend the funeral of Mr Maloney's son. I did attend the Chris Piper viewing and funeral in Marblehead, Mass. I had a bag of Afghan sand to scatter in Chris's gra, which I wound up not using. It was an incredibly powerful service in a Congregational church (where his father is a Deacon of long standing). Chris's brother who lives in Alaska gave the eulogy and made all of us who knew Chris laugh.
The 7th Special Forces Group at Ft. Bragg provided a very professional burial party and sent their brother off with honour.
One special treat was the attendance of an Air Force special operations weatherman who was the SWO on one of Chris's missions with 20th Group. He was in the USA after being wounded seriously at Gardez, and was walking with a cane. He has lost six inches from his left leg and is fighting a medical board to stay in the Air Force -- and in SOF combat weather. A very impressive man.
Chris's previous unit, C Co. 1/20th SF, was well represented. The now-retired ex-SOG company sergeant major that originally accepted Chris into the unit was present, and looking like he'd be ready to do another tour (the Army forced him out at Age 60). About thirty members of the company were present in uniform and a similar number in civilian clothes -- impressive when you consider that there are 83 men in an SF company on paper, and this unit has men overseas right now. The veterans of the SF association also turned out, as did over a dozen local vets of World War II and a large number of Vietnam vets.
One peacetime vet wore his Class A jacket with SP4 stripes proudly, and the ushers sat him next to the SF men with all their baubles.
An Air Force unit was also present in large numbers as Chris's best lifelong friend is in that unit (and now deployed in Iraq).
I was in civvies and almost didn't get in, as the police had barricades. Then I noticed a tall man with a small entourage -- one aide and a photographer -- who was certain to be waved through, so I went through the barricade with Sen. Kerry.
Kerry did not speak at the funeral. The aide was his vietnam-phony "veterans outreach" guy, teh one with the goatee who sings love songs to Ho Chi Minh. I don't know if the photographer was from the Kerry campaign or the Boston Globe (as if there's a difference) but after I pointed her out she got a lot of pictures of Kerry looking presidential in front of a backdrop of the backs of uniforms.
I will give the man the benefit of the doubt, the photog notwithstanding, and think that he came to pay his respects to a great American, and a better man than he (or I).
Kerry did not speak. C-1-20 remembers his speech at the Dan Petithory funeral and was determined not to have a repeat. But any differences the combat soldiers have with Kambodia Krismas Kerry pale next to our differences with Phelps, and I'm sure you are curious about that.
Phelps may indeed be a Democrat, but it's hardly fair to impute his disreputable, despicable behaviour to all Democrats. So, they are supporting the other side in the war, so what, they've done that in every war since 1860, but most of them have enough class not to try to disrupt a funeral. There were more Democrats inside that church than there were in Phelps's protest (about eleven people). And this is a Republican town, and Democrats in special ops are uncommon... but nobody was there as a republican or democrat, just as an American. And Phelps, he was there as I dunno what. A Martian.
The police handled the protest well. They set Phelps up in an area right by the church. Then the State Police's mounted unit put their horses between the Phelpsians and the humans. As the casket was brought in the cops turned the hind ends of their horses on to the protesters, who received the benefit of all substances that issued from the horses for the duration of their protest. Periodically the protesters would try to set up a chant, but every time they did a littla lady with a big set of bagpipes would launch into a hymn or a patriotic or martial tune and drown them out utterly.
In the church, the Piper family and the other mourners never heard a word from the protesters, and the pipes did not interfere with the service at all.
A very professional performance by the police. Phelps excercised his right to a tantrum and no one had to be affected by it.
Still, I can't help but think royal thoughts: "Will no one rid me of this troublesome priest?"
Thanks to all who posted in this thread.
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Thanks for the ping.
What are you - out of touch or just myopic? - have you looked at the Demoratic platform? More government more regulations more welfare more bennies more unions more unionism...all paid for by taxes. To add insult to injury - most Democraps are pro abortion and homosexual marriage.
If that isn't loonie bizare enough for you I don't know what is.
Why should you have to? Every family should be entitled to bury their loved ones without some horrible group invading the funeral.
I realize you were probably saying "if I had no choice" but I still think this group is a horrible witness for Christ.
Where are the cops?? Let them know- check local scumbag hotels and check for Kansas license plates- let air out of tires - no slashing- this is a sick world with sick people in it- my husband I believe would open fire if anyone came to his relatives funeral like that- I would ask for security- errrrrrrrr
God bless.
No one should use a human being's death for political purposes.
I feel for the parents. It's bad enough to lose a child. These people should be flogged.
Thanks for the info!
Unbelievable! I never heard of these guys before yesterday and maybe that's good. It really disgusts me when people call themselves Christian and promote devil influenced activities. I think God is not happy with gays, but this is insane. How they think they know what God wants is beyond me!
Begone, troll!
You're so welcome! Hope you can either attend or keep them in your thoughts and prayers!!
bttt, thanks...
Not taking up for this mentally unstable, Phelps piece of crap, but every church should be independent. Otherwise you have such organizations as the National and World council of churches, dictating doctrine to local congregations.
Phelps and crew has been a detriment and embarrassment to all Christian churches, but the evil they do is nothing, compared to the evil the NCC and WCC has done in the name of Christianity.
Actually neither lol- I'm a displaced "Yankee" (MD and NY), although my father's family are all Southerners going way back. I lived in Charleston for several years before coming upstate.
I cannot attend; FL is too great a distance.
However, please find the earlier thread about the Kansas group's intended disruption at a military funeral last week in Marblehead Mass. Every time the Kansas 'nuts' attempted to disrupt with their chants, as I recall, the local police bugle and bagpipe corps would strike up patriotic music drowning them out, while the town's supporters of the troops, and of freedom, cheered.
I know who these "people" are. They were in San Francisco a couple weeks ago.
That's my thinking. Bikers won't tolerate them. No signs, no bullhorns, no obvious protest. Allow some dignity. Just seeing a biker honor guard lining the route should take care of business very nicely.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.