25 Feb 06 Phelps Stymied
Honestly, and I speak from the heart here, the Bush Administration has been a very frustrating time for me. George W. Bush’s principles are nearly diametrically opposite to mine, and, worst of all, he makes no effort to compromise or respect opposing views. It’s been an age of great intolerance, which I’ve found extraordinarily frustrating.
That is, perhaps, why I was so extremely pleased to hear of some incidents in which one of the greatest advocates of intolerance got his come-uppance.
If you have not heard of Fred Phelps, then you’ve not been introduced to the man who is the embodiment of extreme fundamentalist hatred. He and his cult, known as the Westboro Baptist Church (with no relation to Baptism), make a point of reveling in their hatred when any decent human being would normally display respect. They rejoiced in the death of Matthew Shepard, and have a ghastly “memorial” on their website in which his disembodied head dances in hellflames. I refuse to link to it or his site; if you must see it, Google it. I cannot even find it within me to repeat most of what they say on their website, and it is not difficult to imagine evil as a tangible, spiritual, intelligent force when you read the words that exist on their site.
So it is wonderful to hear of them getting stymied.
You see, they’ve taken to protesting at the funerals of soldiers who were killed in Iraq.
*pause*
Yeah.
There is a group, however, which has decided to peacefully drown out these evil demons’ cries. With the sound of motorcycle engines.
But even as they unfolded their signs, their protest was met with a counter protest that erupted in a full-throttle roar.
About 70 members of the leather-clad American Legion Riders from Kansas and Oklahoma revved their motorcycles for about 30 minutes, drowning out anything the church members tried to say.
Cregg Hansen, a Vietnam-era veteran who helped lead the counter protest, said Doles’ family had wanted to hear the engines’ roar.
The riders said they plan to do the same if the group attempts to disrupt other soldiers’ funerals within riding distance.
“It ain’t right to protest a sacred thing like this,” said Ron Scrivner, a rider whose father is a veteran. “He (Doles) died for his country. They ought to show him the respect he deserves.”
About 40 law officers were on hand during the protest, which ended peacefully when the church group left. The motorcyclists clutched flags and joined local residents in solemn tribute as the funeral procession passed through town.
I would link to the article in which I found this, but unfortunately, the people at that link have decided that since the Westboro Baptist Church were protesting a soldier’s funeral, they must be Democrats.
*pause*
Yeah.
Anyway.
Another nice moment where Phelps got silenced was at the trial of the men who killed Matthew Shepard, when the Phelps clan came to make their hate heard:
Fred Phelps showed up in Laramie with a dozen “God Hates Fags” picketers, but he was quickly silenced when Romaine [Patterson]’s angels showed up at the court house. Phelps and his group were surrounded by a dozen counter-demonstrators in flowing white angel costumes with 10-foot wingspans rising seven feet high. The angels turned their backs on Phelps, smiled and silently blocked him from the view of passersby at that time.
In this world, it’s nice to see good win out once in a while. Thank you, American Legion Riders. Thank you, Romaine. Thank you, all those people who I don’t know about who have similarly thwarted Phelps.
