heheh :)
The protest has been canceled
Planned funeral protest
apparently canceled
Friday, July 1, 2005
A radical
preacher
had planned
to disrupt a
local
soldier's
funeral on
Monday,
the Fourth
of July.
The Rev. Fred Phelps, pastor of Westboro Baptist
Church in Kansas, and some followers planned to
be at the funeral of Sgt. James Stewart, who died
last week in Iraq. Stewart spent most of his
boyhood in St. Petersburg and his mother still lives
there.
Phelps and his followers believe that the deaths of
American soldiers is God's retribution for society's
acceptance of gay Americans. They have been
travelling the country for several weeks, conducting
protests at soldier's funerals.
The minister's
plan outraged
many, including
some local radio
DJs. Those DJs
say they've found a way to keep the protestors
away.
The DJs on the Big Boys morning show on 98
Rock saw the Bay News 9 story, and they called a
spokesperson for the protestors, Shirley Phelps.
Puddin' and
Phatty, as the DJs
are known, cut a
deal -- air time
for a family's
peace.
"We were talking on the air," Phatty said. "And I
said 'What can we do to have you not come to our
city to not do this, to let the family mourn in peace.'
"
"She wanted a platform," Puddin' said.
"She wanted airtime without us yelling back at her,"
Phatty said.
"I tell you how I would come down," Phelps
answered. "Let me answer the question. I won't
come down if you allow me to speak without being
interrupted."
So for 45 minutes the DJs asked Phelps questions,
and did not interrupt her answers.
By the end of the show, Phelps said the protest
was off. They would not come to St. Petersburg.
Stewart's funeral, to be held Monday at Park
Street Baptist Church at 11 a.m., is open to the
public.
http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/7/1/104971.html