Posted on 02/21/2006 11:34:40 AM PST by Wolfie
Bikers roll to military funerals to oppose anti-gay protests
(AP) -- Wearing vests covered in military patches, a band of motorcyclists rolls around the country from one soldier's funeral to another, cheering respectfully to overshadow jeers from church protesters.
They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders, and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals.
Phelps believes American deaths in Iraq are divine punishment for a country that he says harbors homosexuals. His protesters carry signs thanking God for so-called IEDs -- explosives that are a major killer of soldiers in Iraq.
The bikers shield the families of dead soldiers from the protesters, and overshadow the jeers with patriotic chants and a sea of red, white and blue flags.
"The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares," said Don Woodrick, the group's Kentucky captain. "When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement."
At least 14 states are considering laws aimed at the funeral protesters, who at a recent memorial service at Fort Campbell wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.
The Patriot Guard was also there, waving up a ruckus of support for the families across the street. Community members came in the freezing rain to chant "U-S-A, U-S-A" alongside them.
"This is just the right thing to do. This is something America didn't do in the '70s," said Kurt Mayer, the group's national spokesman. "Whether we agree with why we're over there, these soldiers are dying to protect our freedoms."
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a daughter of Fred Phelps and an attorney for the Topeka, Kansas-based church, said neither state laws nor the Patriot Guard can silence their message that God killed the soldiers because they fought for a country that embraces homosexuals.
"The scriptures are crystal clear that when God sets out to punish a nation, it is with the sword. An IED is just a broken-up sword," Phelps-Roper said. "Since that is his weapon of choice, our forum of choice has got to be a dead soldier's funeral."
The church, Westboro Baptist Church, is not affiliated with a larger denomination and is made up mostly of Fred Phelps' extended family members.
During the 1990s, church members were known mostly for picketing the funerals of AIDS victims, and they have long been tracked as a hate group by the Montgomery, Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Project.
The project's deputy director, Heidi Beirich, said other groups have tried to counter Phelps' message, but none has been as organized as the Patriot Guard.
"I'm not sure anybody has gone to this length to stand in solidarity," she said. "It's nice that these veterans and their supporters are trying to do something. I can't imagine anything worse, your loved one is killed in Iraq and you've got to deal with Fred Phelps."
Kentucky, home to sprawling Fort Campbell along the Tennessee line, was among the first states to attempt to deal with Phelps legislatively. Its House and Senate have each passed bills that would limit people from protesting within 300 feet of a funeral or memorial service. The Senate version would also keep protesters from being within earshot of grieving friends and family members.
Richard Wilbur, a retired police detective, said his Indiana Patriot Guard group only comes to funerals if invited by family. He said he has no problem with protests against the war but sees no place for objectors at a family's final goodbye to a soldier.
"No one deserves this," he said.
ping
Bump and a PING!
Ms.B
He is right. Nobody deserves this!
Ping!
WOOOHOOOO!!
PGR rocks!!
Phelps is a left winger.
The left thinks they have check mated the conservatives because now it APPEARS as if people are going to the rescue of homosexuals.
It also makes it look like every soldier phelps protests was really a homosexuals. Again the homosexuals claiming the dead. (weird necrophilia courtesy a pal of algore.)
How do you figure that? He sounds like a far-far-right wing nut job to me. Go back and read some of the posts here regarding homosexuals. You might think some of them were written by Phelps.
Fred Phelps and his gain are not Christians. No way. No how. They sicken me with their disgusting signs, "God Hates Fags", "Thank God for IEDs", etc. In my estimation these people are tools of the devil and are doing nothing but harming the name of Christ.
Do Phelps and company go to other funerals and protest other sin? No, I don't think so. In my opinion, these people know exactly what their doing, and the harm they are causing. Their sin is manifold and great, they may be preventing some from entering the Kingdom by their disgusting behavior.
I'd love to make another suggestion as to what the bikers could do these particular POS's -- but I'd get that 3-day ban for advocating violence...(if the admins could see what I'm thinking about these religious creeps they'd ban me for life).
I'm a Christian Conservative and his views are not even close to orthodox/evangelical Christian views. He's left-wing because he manipulates scriptures to satisfy his beliefs. He is also a cultist when he believes that his single church is the correct church and all others are false.
Below are some of the beliefs taken from Wiki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church
There is absolutely no salvation outside of Westboro Baptist Church. Therefore, it is a sin to offer any type of aid or support to anybody or any human institution in the world except for WBC.
The elect, being the chosen agents of God, answer only to God and are above the laws of man which do not have basis in God's law.
It is a sin not to rejoice when other people are victims of tragedy, violence or suffering.
WBC has repeatedly prayed for sin, evil, murder, violence, death, disease, natural disasters, war, terrorism and total destruction for every individual not in their church. In addition, they hope and pray that everybody - save themselves - will burn in hell for all eternity.
Glad I read the article, thought there for a minute there were 5,000 gay bikers.
This thread was authored by two of the very people on here who people like to compare to Fred Phelps, incidentally. That is becoming a more frequent smear leveled against anyone on here who dares discuss social issues, and it is, as usual, dead wrong.
Fred Phelps wants to join Howard Dean's committee
Fred Phelps the Viper: Clues to What's Driving Him-- Al Gore? [God-hates-faXs ping]
I hope this clears things up a bit.
It is a sin that people have to bury their loved ones and have to put up with harrassment from these people. They are stalkers and should be treated as such.
Tha Patriot Guard so far seems to be the only answer that works , but even so why should a family in grief have to depend on people like the Patriot Guard to be able to bury theilr loved ones in peace. IMO the Army should place armed guards around the family if thats what it takes.
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