Posted on 06/07/2007 4:02:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
OMAHA, Neb. -- A woman was arrested in Bellevue on Tuesday during the funeral for a fallen soldier.
Shirley Phelps-Roper was arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allowing her 8-year-old son to stomp on an American flag.
Phelps-Roper is a member of a Topeka, Kan., church that conducts anti-homosexual picketing at funeral services for U.S. soldiers.
Hundreds of people packed Bellevue streets Tuesday morning to pay tribute to a firefighter and soldier.
Spc. Bill Bailey was serving in the National Guard in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside bomb.
Police said the group to which Phelps-Roper belongs had a permit to protest 300 feet from Bailey's funeral.
Bellevue Officer Joe Gray, who made the arrest, said that at first the group brought out a couple of members' own American flags.
"The arrestee, Ms. Phelps-Roper, put one around her waist. The second one was given to a 10-year-old, who put it on the ground and started kicking it in the area they were protesting," Gray said.
Nebraska law states that it is a Class 3 misdemeanor when a person "intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling upon such flag." The law was passed in 1977.
"It appears the adults weren't stepping on the flag because they knew it was a violation of the law. But they allowed the children to go ahead and do that," Gray said.
Phelps-Roper said she believes she has the right to use the flag as a symbol, and said Nebraska's law is outdated.
"We're going to challenge that statute," she said. "That statue should have been repealed."
Gray said the arrest wasn't personal and has nothing to do with his beliefs. He said he's simply doing his job.
"It's state law, so we were enforcing the laws of Nebraska," the officer said.
Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the words from the group are fighting words and that takes it away from protected speech.
Hmmm. Smells fishy, like the reporter trying to pretend the scum-bag is something different than a left-wing America hater.
we’ll be facing them tomorrow, in Norwich. such poor lost souls haven’t the foggiest idea of what they’re doing, nor whom they’re really serving.
Sadly, the reporter is accurate. The Phelps “Westboro Baptist Church” actually does protest at soldiers funerals stating that the soldiers die because god is mad at the US for our “tolerance” of homosexuality.
Let the Patriot Guard do their job and block the [rhyme with witch] from view of the grieving family. As far as SPR goes - locking her up would be too kind. Let the “Angels” get a hold of her!
Riders Up! Shiny side up - rubber side down.
These people ought to be watched carefully, and arrested whenever a violation is observed: crossing the yellow line, littering, using plastic instead of paper, failure to turn off cell phone when refueling - you get the picture. I’d also be checking their taxes very closely.
I personally believe that they are Democrat operatives whose act is designed to make Christian, anti-homosexuals look bad. They reveal their true beliefs when they abuse the flag and protested Falwell’s funeral.
Thats the westboro baptist church gang who goes all over the country picketing at all sorts of funerals with their god hates fags signs.
They were going to picket at the funerals of a couple of miners killed in an accident here over a year ago, until the state police heard people were planning on shooting into the picketers. Phelp’s bunch left town before someone killed them.
It is extremely painful to be on the side of the 1st Amendment in cases like this. Must ... remember ... principles...
If they picketed a family member of mine I think that the odds are better than 50/50 that I’d be the one who ended up in jail.
They were here for the Sago Memorial in Jan ‘06.
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