PornoDoggy
08-09-2005, 01:23 AM
Veterans Protest Military Funeral Protestors
POSTED: 5:51 pm CDT August 8, 2005
UPDATED: 10:50 pm CDT August 8, 2005
CHICAGO -- Some local military veterans took a stand on Monday against the tactics of an out-of-town group that travels the country picketing military funerals.
The members of Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated at the funeral of 22-year-old Spc. Adam Harding last week in Portage, Ind. The group claims God is killing American soldiers because of America's tolerance of homosexuality.
"Not only am I happy about it, the Bible says you are supposed to wash your feet in the blood of the wicked," said Jonathan Phelps, a spokesman for the group.
Veterans in Chicago said a military funeral is no place to deliver that message, NBC5's Phil Rogers reported.
"This, I believe, is as low as one can go," said Alderman Brian Balcer, who is also a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Balcer, as well as others, denounced the Westboro Baptist Church, which they said had made fraudulent use of the Bill of Rights by crashing the funerals of dead soldiers in the name of free speech.
"Make sure that our families -- our American families -- have the rights to honor their loved ones," said Jim Frazier, who lost his son in Afghanistan.
The group in question is based in Topeka, Kan., and they showed up with approximately 10 people at Harding's funeral. The group continually taunted police and prosecutors, who were watching from the sidelines. There were no arrests.
Phelps said he wasn't interfering in the families' grieving process.
"I'm here on a public sidewalk," he said.
The Pentagon has warned military officials across the country to temper their responses, cautioning them that the demonstrators want to be arrested so they can sue to fund future activities.
The message from the group of military veterans was free speech was one thing, but human decency is a different matter altogether.
"The least that people can do is to respect that final moment that family has to say goodbye," said Kirk Morrison, who lost his son in Iraq.
POSTED: 5:51 pm CDT August 8, 2005
UPDATED: 10:50 pm CDT August 8, 2005
CHICAGO -- Some local military veterans took a stand on Monday against the tactics of an out-of-town group that travels the country picketing military funerals.
The members of Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated at the funeral of 22-year-old Spc. Adam Harding last week in Portage, Ind. The group claims God is killing American soldiers because of America's tolerance of homosexuality.
"Not only am I happy about it, the Bible says you are supposed to wash your feet in the blood of the wicked," said Jonathan Phelps, a spokesman for the group.
Veterans in Chicago said a military funeral is no place to deliver that message, NBC5's Phil Rogers reported.
"This, I believe, is as low as one can go," said Alderman Brian Balcer, who is also a veteran of the Vietnam War.
Balcer, as well as others, denounced the Westboro Baptist Church, which they said had made fraudulent use of the Bill of Rights by crashing the funerals of dead soldiers in the name of free speech.
"Make sure that our families -- our American families -- have the rights to honor their loved ones," said Jim Frazier, who lost his son in Afghanistan.
The group in question is based in Topeka, Kan., and they showed up with approximately 10 people at Harding's funeral. The group continually taunted police and prosecutors, who were watching from the sidelines. There were no arrests.
Phelps said he wasn't interfering in the families' grieving process.
"I'm here on a public sidewalk," he said.
The Pentagon has warned military officials across the country to temper their responses, cautioning them that the demonstrators want to be arrested so they can sue to fund future activities.
The message from the group of military veterans was free speech was one thing, but human decency is a different matter altogether.
"The least that people can do is to respect that final moment that family has to say goodbye," said Kirk Morrison, who lost his son in Iraq.