Amidst Disrespectful Protestors, “Grieving Town Mourns its Fallen Hero”

[kerrygoddess]

Yesterday, in Marblehead, Massachusetts residents rallied together to honor a fallen hero. While the residents were paying their respects, a group of “a group of antiwar and antigay protesters from Kansas” attempted to disrupt the funeral.

In droves, residents, friends, and veterans took to the streets of Marblehead's historic downtown, many carrying an American flag.

Business owners closed up shop. Children took a day off from school or camp. Governor Mitt Romney, Senator John F. Kerry, and Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole, paid personal tribute to Army Staff Sergeant Christopher Piper, a Green Beret and the first Marblehead resident killed in combat since Vietnam.

MORE & LINKS - http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=1167

[snowbear]

1. How sad there had to be a disruption!

Haven't the family already been through enough? :cry: :cry: :cry:

That's a sad story :(

[Up2Late]

2. It sounds like Fred Phelps and his group of Ultra RW lunatics

They are officially a Ultra RW Hate Group.

[snowbear]

3. Is he the guy who made that fake photo....

of the guy ripping off the little girl's Bush sign and making her cry?

He plants himself in places where the media will see him and run with stories about what those BAD, BAD DEM's are doing... (even though he's a raging wingnut)

Is that the one?

[Up2Late]

7. I hadn't heard of that incident, but I'm still learniing about this nut...

...He's the guy this post and artical are about: <http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=132045>
(Google "Westboro Baptist Church" (with the quotes), you'll be shocked.)

Tuesday, June 14, 2005

His church was bombed, and now he protests funerals of the war dead

Kansas preacher says he's coming to Idaho

By CHUCK OXLEY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BOISE, Idaho -- A Kansas preacher and gay rights foe whose congregation is protesting military funerals around the country said he's coming to Idaho tomorrow to picket the memorial for an Idaho National Guard soldier killed in Iraq.

A flier on the Web site of Pastor Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church claims God killed Cpl. Carrie French with an improvised explosive device in retaliation against the United States for a bombing at Phelps' church six years ago.

"We're coming," Phelps said yesterday.

Westboro Baptist either has protested or is planning protests of other public funerals of soldiers from Michigan, Alabama, Minnesota, Virginia and Colorado. A protest is planned for July 11 at Dover Air Force Base, the military base where war dead are transported before being sent on to their home states.

<http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/228401_westboro14.html?source=rss>
(more at link above)

[funflower]

4. Sounds like Fred Phelps of godhatesfags.com.

http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html


According to Phelps, God also hates Sweden, America, "Arminian" preachers, Billy Graham....

:wtf:

[snowbear]

5. Oh... here's the guy you're talking about....

:scared:

[Lecky]

6. Someone really needs to do something about that Phelps guy

It takes an especially twisted evil person to protest at a funeral.

I can't even begin to imagine how the family of the deceased feels.

[Mairead]

8. "the first Marblehead resident killed in combat since Vietnam"

Marblehead is a very wealthy town. Coincidence?

[quaoar]

9. What I'd like to know is

where is Phelps getting the money to fly around the country with his band of sick psychos? Somebody is bankrolling him.

[Up2Late]

12. I was thinking the same thing the other day

And, isn't it strange how, if a LW group even criticizes or Protests *, the MSM is quick to condemn and ridicule the ALL LW group, but this guy, and his despicable acts of Hate (which I think are bordering on Treason) gets NO ridicule or even Non-local News coverage.:mad:

[welshTerrier2]

10. i wonder if bush will speak out against the protestors tonight ...

yeah, that will happen ...

the reason it will never happen is because doing so is politically ambiguous ... the nature of the situation wouldn't allow bush to bash gays, suck up to "religious" zealots, and suck up to military families all at the same time ...

in rovian speak, if something is politically ambiguous, stay away from it ... the only thing these people believe in is power and winning ...

let's hope Democrats never fall into that trap ...

[Up2Late]

13. The silence is rather telling, isn't it?

I wonder which * Allies or RW lobbyist is behind him?

[Elidor]

11. Someone is going to fuck Phelps up if he persists in this lunacy

And I'm looking forward to hearing about it.

[Malingerer]

14. I really dont see....

.... the connection to any right wing groups here. The guy is a sick, twisted wacko. I think everyone can agree to that.

[Up2Late]

16. He's not RW or even far RW, he's one of the Extreme RW. So far right...

...he hates just about everyone, including Bush and his supporters.

His group is officially listed as an active Hate Group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, who track Hate group activity. They are listed as "Westboro Baptist Church" from Topeka, Kansas.

Most of theses Hate groups Hate Bush even more than most Democrats do, but the Media has started blaming us for their stunts.

Here are some links if you are interested.

Active U.S. Hate Groups in 2004
<http://www.splcenter.org/intel/map/hate.jsp>

<http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/intrep.jsp>

[Supersedeas]

15. antigay protesters?

[Up2Late]

17. Here's a link to a thread where I brought up this issue

Check out the link at post #3, it should clear it up. I won't include the link here because it might get this Thread locked if I did. I'm not sure, but that might be why that thread (which I had started about this type of group) was eventually locked.