Bikers roll to military funerals to oppose anti-gay protests

[jlmiracle 7]

FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (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.

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I thought this was awesome that these bikers do this but it sucks because they have to because of that stupid turd Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers.

j

Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

[briguy 0]

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... to because of that stupid turd Rev. Fred Phelps and his followers.

religious fundamentalists always crack me up.

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[warpedskydiver 0]

Too Bad they aren't allowed to stomp the shit out of assholes that would soil the memory of someones family member, and a brave fallen soldier.

[dropoutdave 0]

That is the lowest of the low. Way to go for the bikers, I ride and know how bad it is to ride in the winter, hellm even riding 300 miles in the summer is hard work, on a superbike anyway. Not so bad on a chopper or a Harley.

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[Darius11 12]

Patriot Guard Riders ROCK ON.


How fucking disrespectful to protest at a solders funeral.

Extremists everywhere SUCK.

I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I am not." - Kurt Cobain

[champu 1]

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The church, Westboro Baptist Church, is not affiliated with a larger denomination and is made up mostly of Fred Phelps' extended family members.

"So this family walks into a talent agency..."

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...anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals...His protesters carry signs thanking God for so-called IEDs -- explosives that are a major killer of soldiers in Iraq...wrapped themselves in upside-down American flags. They danced and sang impromptu songs peppered with vulgarities that condemned homosexuals and soldiers.

"...our forum of choice has got to be a dead soldier's funeral."

"Well that's a hell of an act, what do you call it?"

[briguy 0]

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Patriot Guard Riders ROCK ON.


How fucking disrespectful to protest at a solders funeral.

as a veteran (non-combat) and rider, i've been trying to find out more information about this group and how to help them out. i tried google but didn't find anything.... anyone know anything?

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[twibbles 0]

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"The scriptures are crystal clear that when God sets out to punish a nation, it is with the sword.
j

Who's to say that the scriptures are correct, or haven't changed? Even if we ignore the fact that it is written my man and the contex it was written in, it's been translated from and into several difference languages, with the result from the translation subjected to the interperations if the translator. And just by the fact that it's written down, there's a lot of opportunities for changes to find themselves into the bible.
So the scriptures, or any for the matter, cannot be claim to be the will of God, because short of hearing God in your head, something's always lost in the transmission and cannot be used as an infallible instructions.

I've always known information theory would come in useful someday.

Eugene

"In the beginning the Universe was created. This has made a lot of
people very angry and been widely regarded as a bad move."

[AggieDave 6]

You must have been on the Chinese google site...

Google found it, but the site is crashed due to this story going around the web so fast it spun.

http://www.patriotguard.org/

A story on how they started:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1546831/posts

The American Legion Riders:

http://www.americanlegionriders.net/protest.shtml

AND you have to have pics:

http://community.webshots.com/album/547043178ZHzWdH

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[peacefuljeffrey 0]

The fact that the shithead reverend feels it's perfectly okay to do his protest at the funeral of a soldier is, I feel, a sign of how we have let our society become an "anything goes" society.

Everyone feels entitled to do/have/say anything they want at any time they want, and will be offended if someone suggests they are acting inappropriately. A simple example is a person talking on a cellular phone in a place where their loud, one-sided conversation is disruptive or unpleasant to others. (I can't believe it, but I still encounter people having conversations on phones in a movie theater during the movie!)

Another example is that woman who wanted to wear a shirt protesting the war in Iraq in the audience gallery of the president's speech. "I have a right to free speech and I'm entitled and I'm gonna be 'in-your-face' about it so I can get my self-important message out!"

It's fuckin' juvenile and petty, and some people are so stupid that they can't see that their own highly public actions like that are damage, not help, to their cause.

-

-Jeffrey
"With tha thoughts of a militant mind... Hard line, hard line after hard line!"

[briguy 0]

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You must have been on the Chinese google site...

Google found it, but the site is crashed due to this story going around the web so fast it spun.

http://www.patriotguard.org/

A story on how they started:

i found the broken site, wasn't sure if it was even the correct one or not. thanks for the response

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[Richards 0]

I sincerely hope these bikers lose their tempers and pound the ever living fuck out of these protesters. Thier actions deserve the utmost contempt.

Richards

My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within.

[rehmwa 2]

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It's ...juvenile and petty, and some people are so stupid that they can't see that their own highly public actions like that are damage, not help, to their cause.-

In terms of free speech;

the sign of the maturity of the culture is that people are allowed to abuse it in this way - and that we'd defend the right even while disapproving of either the message itself or even just the crass ways in which it is misapplied

the sign of the maturity of the individuals within the culture is people choose to not abuse it in this way

These same loud mouths that use freedom of speech in such an immature way would be the first to deny that same freedom to those with opposing viewpoints. That says loads about their true intent and moral character. More than their protests ever would.

At this point, the intentions of the culture are much more mature than many of the people that exploit it. And we have to maintain the freedom regardless of who and how it's applied.

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 3,070]

>I sincerely hope these bikers lose their tempers and pound the
>ever living fuck out of these protesters.

I don't. It would be sad if the bikers ended up in jail with the protesters free to continue. As it is now, it's clear who's doing the right thing.

[rehmwa 2]

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I sincerely hope these bikers lose their tempers and pound the ever living fuck out of these protesters. Thier actions deserve the utmost contempt.

True, but then the separate actions of the bikers (assault) would also be contemptible.

I suspect this is more 'bikers' like regular folk that go to biker rallies, etc. rather than gang-type "bikers" anyway. If they stand and protect the funerals from the idiots activists, that is extremely commendable. If they go seeking a fight, then the bikers are scum too. And playing right into the activists' agenda.

These "activists" are contemptible because their 'rage' at an issue destroyed their common sense and courtesy. Why is your 'rage' at them any better?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[dropoutdave 0]

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A simple example is a person talking on a cellular phone in a place where their loud, one-sided conversation is disruptive or unpleasant to others. (I can't believe it, but I still encounter people having conversations on phones in a movie theater during the movie!)

I fuckin hate that SO much!!!! I never have my phone on anything but vibrate, mayte a quiet beep if im expecting an important call, not talking about in cinemas, in general. Whatever happened to consideration eh?

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[Nightingale 0]

Complain to the theater manager. Usually, the person will be spoken to, sometimes asked to leave, and you can get your money back. Works well for crying babies too.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

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Everyone feels entitled to do/have/say anything they want at any time they want, and will be offended if someone suggests they are acting inappropriately.

But you have no problem with somebody denying the holocaust?

[rehmwa 2]

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Quote

Everyone feels entitled to do/have/say anything they want at any time they want, and will be offended if someone suggests they are acting inappropriately.

But you have no problem with somebody denying the holocaust?

You can't control their thoughts, why waste energy on someone being ignorant?

...
Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[dropoutdave 0]

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Complain to the theater manager. Usually, the person will be spoken to, sometimes asked to leave, and you can get your money back. Works well for crying babies too.

But then you miss the film. Better to throw things at them and duck down in your seat.

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[diverborg 0]

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I don't. It would be sad if the bikers ended up in jail with the protesters free to continue. As it is now, it's clear who's doing the right thing.

Someone help me with this, I understand freedom of speech, but isn't a funeral usually a private event. Is there no law that would prevent someone from coming to my brothers funeral and running there mouth. I'm having a hard time believing that this is really going on. Even if there wasn't a law, I can't imagine that this guy could survive this long. Where was this article pulled from? I would think this would be at least considered disorderly conduct even it was at a public place, given the circumstances. I'm sure this biker group exists, but is it really to block out anti-homo speeches or just to show their support. I'm gonna call bs on this one till I'm given a vaild source. How many funerals can this really make it too, that these bikers would have to travel hundreds of miles in the winter to drown him out.

[diverborg 0]

However I can see how these bikers go, to drown out other activists, ie anti-war and anti-american groups, but how can their soul mission be to just block this one turd. How many funerals can this guy have really made it too and survived.

[billvon 3,070]

>but isn't a funeral usually a private event.

It depends! If it was held in someone's house, then tell em to leave - and if they don't leave, arrest them for trespass. But if it is held in the open air, near a public road, then they have as much right to be there as anyone else.

>Even if there wasn't a law, I can't imagine that this guy could survive this long.

He survives because most americans take the Constitution seriously, and are willing to support it even when it makes them uncomfortable or angry.

[diverborg 0]

I just googled it and stand corrected. This asswad really exists. This article however made it sound like homosexual protests were normal at funerals, however i just researched it and this idiot and his family are the only ones involved in this and it has only been at two funerals. Seems funeral protests are pretty common, but I like how the media wants to stir the pot with the homosexual thing.

[briguy 0]

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He survives because most Americans take the Constitution seriously, and are willing to support it even when it makes them uncomfortable or angry.

as ignorant and hateful as the protesters are being, they still have the right to protest.

what this group is doing basically amounts to trolling the media. they are protesting at funerals where they know emotions run high and are looking for additional media coverage for their absurd message.

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