How many points are they worth?
Posted on 04/07/2006 11:22:15 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
(CNSNews.com) - The man responsible for the "GodHatesFags.com" and "GodHatesAmerica.com" websites picketed the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Thursday with a dozen of his family members and followers. They carried signs stating "Thank God for Maimed Soldiers," "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Hates You."
Fred Phelps, pastor of the independent Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., claimed the injuries and fatalities suffered by American military personnel are the product of God's wrath.
"God almighty is punishing this evil nation by killing their kids over in Iraq and by maiming, crippling and mangling their kids over in Iraq," Phelps told Cybercast News Service. "This nation is going to continue to be punished by God until they repent, but we don't believe they're going to repent." See video.
Phelps believes military personnel share the blame for court decisions and legislation favoring homosexuality, even if those service members do not support that lifestyle.
"It's irrelevant whether they as individuals support them. They joined an army and became a part of a military establishment, voluntarily, knowing that that military establishment was packed and jammed with homosexuals," Phelps argued. "If they join an army that they know is a sodomite army and fight for a nation that they know is a sodomite nation, they are equally guilty."
O.P. Ditch of Woodbridge, Va., retired from the U.S. Air Force, learned of Phelps' planned protest and displayed his own printed sign at the main gate of the Walter Reed hospital.
"I disagree with anybody who comes to a military hospital and, you know, says trashy things like 'God Is America's Terror.' I'm reading their signs right now, 'Thank God for Maimed Soldiers,'" Ditch said "That's the same word that Code Pink uses -- 'maimed' soldiers. They said the soldiers were 'Maimed for a lie,' and this guy's using the same words."
As Cybercast News Service previously reported, the anti-war group Code Pink began picketing Walter Reed in August of 2005. The group lost its permit to protest at the main entrance to the hospital last month.
Ditch held his sign, which stated, "Code Phelps -- Human IED," an acronym for "improvised explosive device."
"He doesn't belong here," Ditch concluded. "If he wants to protest, go to the White House or to Capitol Hill and he can protest, but he shouldn't be here protesting the troops."
Wesley Cook of Philadelphia agreed, calling Phelps' and his followers' actions "a disgrace.
"We have soldiers here that are healing. They need peace and quiet. Mr. Phelps, 'Pastor' Phelps, Mr. Phelps is just looking for publicity," Cook said. "I am also a Christian. He is not practicing a brand of Christianity that I recognize. I think he's shaming the name of Jesus Christ."
Don Smith of Maryland turned up the volume on his opposition to Phelps' protest. The owner of what he described as "the loudest Harley I know of," Smith brought his motorcycle and had other friends bring theirs to wait for Phelps' group.
Shortly after Phelps and his followers marched into position -- singing "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America" -- Smith and his friends started their engines.
In law enforcement and military circles, the procedure is called "acoustical countermeasures." Smith referred to it as "protestus interruptus."
"I understand First Amendment rights, but my personal feeling is, there [is] a time and a place for everything," Smith argued. "These people are protesting at funerals of guys -- men and women killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and outside a funeral or outside an Army hospital, holding signs that say 'God Hates Wounded Soldiers.' It's not the time or the place."
After approximately 30 minutes of no one being able to hear their chants and songs over the motorcycles, a large group of off-duty military personnel in civilian clothes approached Phelps' followers and began verbally challenging the anti-military signs. Phelps' group packed their belongings and walked away, followed briefly by the servicemen.
Members of FreeRepublic.com and TroopsSupport.com immediately took up positions on all four corners of the intersection at the main gate to the hospital, waiving American flags and displaying signs supporting the troops.
I wonder if we should get those photos showing Phelps with Al Gore in case there's a next time?
The increasingly widespread belief in that canard, my FRiend, is the real reason for Phelps. He's a tool.
That we fight against principalities and powers, and not against flesh and blood is in the New Testament.
We can drag this one over to the religion threads if you want, that'd be fine. I don't want to spin off one of .... gasp! the Boss' threads....of all things!
But I just could not let that statement stand.
Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
I believe that it is the policy of this forum to disallow comments that would endorse any violent or unlawful act such at the one you are imagining. Your neutraility and restraint are admirable and, I belive, conform to the requirements of the forum.
I, myself, can make no comment on how I might feel in the scenario that you mention because I fear I might lack your restraint.
One thing we forgot to mention about yesterday is that there were no DC police on hand. NO police. NOT one.
We usually get at least one or two for Freepers v. Code Pink on Fridays.
But not yesterday. Why, anything coulda happened...
I wonder if the DCPD was throwing their own protest?
Where's Lizzie Grubman when you need her?
How many points are they worth?
We wondered the same thing. :D
There were plainclothes with radios but they might have been WR security. Stood right next to one of them.
These @$$holes showed showed up here in Buckhannon, WV at the memorial serice for the Sago Miners. "Thank God for Dead Miners" was one of their signs.
It just bugs me that so many on this board try to use religion to argue against these vermin. Religion has absolutely nothing to do with what they are about. It's all about $$$$$$$$$$$!!
I know you all do. That is why I like posting here.
I appreciate everyone who serves in our military.
We need to show a gigantic, renewed wave of patriotism.
Right-on. Religion is just their guise. Heck, the Branch Davidians were "religious".
Anti War protests are also protected speech and a golden opportunity for provocations, like the poster of 57 listed.
As one who was W.I.A. in Nam, who lost many fellow Marines in Nam, a father who was a WWI veteran and a brother who was a Korean War veteran and myself who has met many Marines who have received two and three PH's in Iraq; I think this has to be some of the most despicable displays I have ever heard of.
The hell that these fine young people go through to bring some kind of normality back into their lives just to be insulted by this POS and his followers is OUTRAGEOUS!
I apologize for the format and poor wording but this just hits too close to home and is just too emotional for me.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Where are those guys who throw cream pies at people like Bill Gates and Ann Coulter when you really need them? If they could nail the Phelps gang with a few banana cream pies and run away, no Phelps Phreakazoid could later sue or harrass them.
The scary thing is there's a lot of these nutjobs running around. One quote comes to mind in how we should deal with these scum...
"To the man, alice!"
Did you mean "moon"?
The above has some background on Phelps and his scams.
Yeah, the military is "packed and jammed with homo's" strange choice of diction
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