Patriotic Bikers Battle Anti-Gay Protesters

[darrels joy]

Patriotic Bikers Battle Anti-Gay Protesters

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, Kan.-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, Ala.-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.

? 2006 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[goodnessgracie]

Some folks make some mighty strange associations between seemingly unrelated topics.

Next thing you know they'll be blaming (or should I say congratulating?) the weather...

[Advisor]

What bothers me is that people associate 'church' with Christianity. Phelp's brand of religion is NOT...rpt NOT Christianity..it is pure heresy. There- I've said it & I'll stand by it!!!

[SuperScout]

Phelps and his group of followers are no better than the Muslim fundamentalists and radicals our warriors are trying to deal with. They all simply manifest a form of bigotry, intolerance, and stupidity that deserves nothing but our contempt and condemnation. Religious fundamentalism, irrespective of the religion involved, is always a dangerous commodity than creates more harm than good.

To protest at funerals when a family is in mourning and pain, is a disgrace, stick phelps and protesters in hell. The bikers are good people supporting the families of the lost soliders.

[Packo]

Great Story...

On Super Bowl Weekend I was visiting momma. A young man who was very big in 4-H and well loved in the community was being buried on Saturday. He had been killed in Iraq. Those bastards decided to go to the funeral and protest with all that God's punishment to him crap. An old buddy from high school's sister does a bunch with 4-H and knew him well and was very upset about these bozo's coming. Dave, who had become a hippy out of high school but has now come back to reality, and I where going to go with her and I was going to have a few "words" with the protesters. When Saturday rolled around Sue called me and said "never mind" the police and the Veteran Bikers were going to be there to escort these pricks out of town. The protesters had just left the Sago mine funerals...but didn't get even close to the church before being swooped on by bikers and local police working hand in hand. The protestors realized they had picked the wrong place to protest.

Pack

[goodnessgracie]

Pack:

This sounds like a job for the...(du-du-du-TUMMMM)... PSYCOVETS!!!

[Keith_Hixson]

You make the conservatives angry with you because its the wrong place and time to protest.
You make the gay community angry with you.

You ruin the private mourning time of good honest caring folks.

Those folks just don't have any class.

Keith

[melody1181]

Have had them protest around here several times.

It boils my blood to see them do what they do. I am glad there is true Americans that are showing the famalies the true respect they deserve for the sacrifice there family member gave.

I am also truely grateful to those that are making sure that what happened to some of you guys will not happen to this generation of vets. I can almost assure you that the bigger part of those people are Vietnam vets. Even if its just letting the family know that there loved one did a job worth doing and so on.

That whole phelps group isn't anti-gay or anti anything they are just hate mongers.

[Seascamp]

Perhaps Keith can name the mental disorder, but Phelps?s estranged Son writes that his father is totally obsessed with hating and being hated back. So I think Mel has it just right; the homosexuals are merely a target of opportunity, hate is the only real thing happening. His Son writes the same thing stating that if it wasn?t the homosexuals, it would be something else, there always has to be a hate object.
Other background info includes the reality that Phelps is a disbarred Attorney and not really an ordained Minister of any cloth. But evidently is so skilled at the Law that he has the Topeka city officials up a tree, is a master at provocation and exploiting reaction-we?re talking big buck settlements in the past that have treed Topeka officialdom. High-noon stone cold gunfighter, me thinks, and good at it.


Scamp