I NEVER do this but I think this is important. There is a total assclown of a demented preacher named Phelps who is protesting at the funerals of our KIA in the war on terror. He thinks it's God's revenge on the USA for various reasons...mostly our "Moral Decadence", that these guys die. I say BULLSHIT...you should not protest against the government or it's policies at a private funeral. Period.

Therefore, I have joined the Patriot Guard, and am urging you to do the same. We go to the furneral, meet with the family, and form a protective, non-violent, barrier to keep those idiots out of the face of the grieving family. It started out as a biker thing, but all are welcome to help out. Please consider it and check out their website at patriotguard.org.

Here's a recent article about us:

*****

Bikers shield mourners from protesters

BY BECCY TANNER

Knight Ridder Newspapers

WICHITA, Kan. - One side rides motorcycles to fight what they believe is an abuse of free speech. The other side uses words and posters that, for some, seem to stretch the boundaries of First Amendment freedoms, but to them are their God-given right.

Terry "Darkhorse" Houck's voice breaks with emotion when he talks about the time he spent as a Vietnam combat soldier.

Same goes for Carvel "Wild Bill" Logan.

It's been decades since the two served in the U.S. military. But there's pride in their voices when they talk about being veterans.

In August, Houck, Logan and Cregg "Bronco" Hansen became outraged when they heard that Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., were planning to picket and protest U.S. soldiers' funerals.

So they formed the Patriot Guard, a grassroots organization that's quickly gaining momentum.

Composed of veterans' motorcycles groups, motorcycle enthusiasts, Christian motorcycle groups and people who simply consider themselves patriots, the group provides a human barrier at funerals to protect mourners from hearing and seeing the protesters.

If requested, they'll even rev their motorcycles' engines to drown out chants.

"It is a low, vulgar thing what these folks are doing," Logan said. "They may or may not be protected by the First Amendment, but to me it borders on treason."

Shirley Phelps-Roper, attorney for Westboro Baptist Church, disagrees.

"These are the most unpatriotic bimbos," Phelps-Roper said. "They stand at funerals and say to us this guy died for your right to do this is almost laughable. ... God gave us these rights."

Westboro Baptist Church members began protesting at soldiers' funerals in June, claiming that God is killing the soldiers with improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, in retaliation for a plastic bomb set off in front of Phelps-Roper in 1995.

Hansen said the Patriot Guard would like to see laws changed either prohibiting people from protesting funerals or restricting the area or hours where protesters can be heard.

"We're getting e-mails from people in Texas and Indiana, all over, who are going to go to these protest funerals," Hansen said. "The word is out. Our group is going to get bigger and bigger until it stops. It's going to take everybody to get laws changed."

Phelps-Roper said the laws have already been changed.

"You are permitted to keep us off the sidewalk in front," Phelps-Roper said. "You don't like what you are seeing? The Supreme Court recommends a solution - avert your eyes. ... Sidewalks are held in trust by local units of government for robust public debate."

Logan says it's not all about First Amendment rights.

"I don't want to take away their rights," he said. "We all have those rights. But there should be a boundary, and they have crossed over it."

So far, the riders have only attended three funerals. The first was Staff Sgt. John Dole's funeral in Chelsea, Okla., on Oct. 11; 40 riders from Kansas participated. The second funeral was for Army Spc. Lucas Frantz in Tonganoxie, Kan., on Oct. 17; 120 riders attended that one.

Last week, more than 150 cyclists participated at the funeral for Sgt. Evan Parker in South Haven, Kan.

"Not all of us are veterans, but we are all patriotic citizens," Houck said. "When you see somebody out picketing a military funeral, you take it personal. ... How could anybody do such a despicable, horrible thing to grieving family members who've just lost a son or daughter?"

Hansen said the group always checks with local law enforcement before attending a funeral.

"We don't want to interrupt any services. We are not counter-protesting anything," Hansen said. "But we are there to honor the soldier and protect the family from the chanting and signs."

At funerals, the group takes their motorcycles as close to law enforcement officials as they can. Many of the cycles sport American flags. The riders then turn their backs to the protesters.

For the Oklahoma funeral, the group revved their cycles' engines; in Tonganoxie, they recited the Pledge of Allegiance; and in South Haven, they recited the pledge and revved their engines.

Logan said it's been years since he swore to protect his country and, at 65, he hasn't quit yet.

"We've let these people get such a toehold," he said. "They apparently are a fairly powerful group of people but are just filled with hate. The more we can do to bring this to the public's attention, and get enough people to agree with us, then maybe we can change things." .patriotguard.org

Hey cancer..."F" YOU!!!

I can not immagine anyone disrupting a funeral, especially members of a church.  What kind of church is it that perpetuates this sort of thing?  They may call themselves christians, but they have no idea what that means!.

Thanks for being part of the Patriot Guard!  It gives me hope hearing about the Patriot Guard.  I just returned from Washington, DC, where I attended Veterans Day events at Arlington National Cemetery and witnessed two military funerals.  Families of the deceased need such a solemn and dignified closure to their grievous loss of a loved one.  I extend sincere thanks to the Patriot Guard!


GR

John 3:16

http://www.paratrooper.net/commo/Topic174693-63-1.aspx

"Hundreds of thousands of American servicemen and women are deployed across the world in the war on terror. By bringing hope to the oppressed, and delivering justice to the violent, they are making America more secure. "
George W. Bush

RJ

Tuesday , June 20, 2006

By Capt. Dan Sukman

 
BAGHDAD — Editor's note: U.S. Army Capt. Dan Sukman is serving a one-year deployment to Iraq. For previous entries and his bio, see the Soldier's Diary archives.

16 June 2006

I received an e-mail the other day from my soldier, whom I will call Specialist "Helmet." We sent Helmet on emergency leave recently to attend his brother's funeral.

SPC Helmet's brother was stationed at Fort Hood, and deployed with an Infantry Battalion, part of the 4th Infantry Division that was placed under operational control of our brigade. SPC Helmet and his brother had not seen each other in nearly two years; they had planned on meeting up sometime but the meeting never came. We broke the news to SPC Helmet that his brother had been killed by an IED in a baited ambush. I would say it was difficult to break that kind of news to someone, but it was easy compared to the job of receiving it.

SPC Helmet made it back to the funeral, and to his surprise, he and his family were greeted at the funeral by protesters from the [Westboro Baptist] "church" in Kansas. Approximately 15 or 20 protesters actually showed up.

I cannot picture or imagine going through that