Posted on 01/09/2006 5:04:57 AM PST by Former Military Chick
EVANSVILLE — Police and county officials urged veterans to avoid confrontations with anti-gay protesters who plan to picket at the funeral Tuesday of an Indiana soldier killed in Iraq.
Hundreds of area veterans have said they will try to shield Pvt. Jonathan R. Pfender’s family from members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., the Evansville Courier & Press reported today. Church founder the Rev. Fred Phelps contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. Church members, who have protested at scores of military funerals, informed Evansville police Saturday it would protest at Pfender’s services Tuesday at The Centre. Members of the church protested Nov. 5 across from Concordia Lutheran Church, where funeral services were held for Sgt. Christopher Monroe of Kendallville, who died in Iraq on Oct. 25.
Jonathan Phelps, a member of the church and its attorney, was one of eight people who protested, and explained the church pickets at “all the funerals of the soldiers God sent home in his vengeance and wrath.”
In March, Fred Phelps led a protest in downtown Fort Wayne against a performance of the play “The Laramie Project,” written about the 1998 fatal beating of Matthew Shepard, a gay University of Wyoming student.
Evansville police special operations Sgt. Chris Pugh said about 12 to 20 protesters were expected. He said the group will be restricted to public sidewalks and protesters will not be allowed to enter The Centre, the funeral home or Sunset Memorial Park, where Pfender is to be buried. Pugh said police would not tolerate any legal violations. Pugh urged veterans to use restraint. “I can understand why you’re going to be as mad as you’re going to be,” Pugh said. “But whatever they say, you’ve just got to let it go.”
Mark Acker, the county veterans service officer, echoed the point.
“Our theme is we’re here to honor a fallen comrade and pay tribute to his family,” he said.
Pfender, 22, of Evansville, was killed by an improvised explosive device during a patrol Dec. 30 in Bayji, Iraq, the Army said. He was the 52nd military service member from Indiana to die in the war.
This has gone on long enough!!!!!!! A crowd of 20 or so with baseball bats would do the trick..............
God is not pleased with your selfish,immoral antics.
The freak fred phelps was a big al gore supporter in the late 80's and early 90's and was invited to the 93 inauguration.
Phelps' church is in the basement of his home.
PING
A shooting at a funeral service resulted in the death of several protestors from the Baptist church. Police are presently searching for witnesses, presently none have come forward.
Police and county officials urged veterans to avoid confrontations with anti-gay protesters who plan to picket at the funeral Tuesday of an Indiana soldier killed in Iraq.
It's not a church and neither is he Baptist.
Note, don't refer to Baptists in general. This guy is hardly representative of them, actually I don't think he's a Baptist.
Get their addresse and picket their homes. Obviously they dont work but we need to contact their employers. these people need to be driven out of the country dogged at every movement. They have to eat somewhere , Let the restaurant know who they are.I know thats unamerican , but so is picketing a heroes funeral.
Ping
When someone's dead, it doesn't need to be picketed.
We are currently stationed in Kansas. I am rather ashamed to admit that. I must admit I have not heard about this group on our local news channels.
There is where something might make a difference. It is one thing to have this in the national news but how much local press does it get. If your friends and neighbors have to read this daily or see this on their local TV news perhaps those against the antics of this church will make some headway??
Just a thought.
Mixed feelings here about what to do with these spawns of the devil. Attention paid to their antics is what they are seeking. A natural disaster on top of them would be nice.
BS, no one's funeral deserves to be picketed. Are you going to be joining al gore supporter's freaky fred phelps "church".
Good thoughts.
In the case of a funeral, this might be services of the viewing of the body at a funeral home, the service in the Church, the procession to the cemetary, and the service at the cemetary.
Maybe someone with a legal background could expand on this. Getting these folks arrested and away from the family might be a good tactic, but used with prudence.
I believe some of the possible penalties are 10 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
It might be most effective to contact several of the motorcycle clubs in the area. Talk to them about bringing their bikes, and continually revving the bikes to drown out the psychopaths from the WBC.
The fruitcakes from the WBC are interested in getting publicity, so things like tarring and feathering, counter-protesting them, or giving them a real drubbing, will only encourage them. Besides, doing those things might leave the counter-protest group liable for criminal charges and give the WBC crazies an opportunity to obtain further funds through lawsuits.
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