Legacy MattersHundreds show up at the funeral of Lance Cpl Philip Martini in South Holland waving flags to draw attention away from protesters.
The Westboro protesters travel to funerals of those slain in the Iraq war saying that American soldiers are being killed and maimed as God's vengeance for this country's permissive attitude towards homosexuality.
In a scripted speech to television news crews, Shirley Phelps-Roper, the reverend's daughter and spokeswoman, said soldiers and their families deserved the pain they got.
"This nation forgot her God and went whoring after other gods ... namely the god of the homosexuals," she said. "If you turn this country over to fags, soldiers will come home in body bags."
Many of the flag-wavers are affiliated with the Patriot Guard Riders, whose mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Their goals are to show their sincere respect and to shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters. They have no political message themselves.
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America’s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.
We don’t care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you’re a "hawk" or a "dove". It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn't matter where you’re from or what your income is. You don’t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.
Such a group would not have existed before the Internet. Their lineage goes back to August, 2005. They have formed an army of davids in an ad hoc collaboration to ensure that families can grieve without getting caught in a snare of political protest.
Every funeral of an American soldier becomes a mission.
Ed Mueller, the Patriot Guard Riders' state "ride captain," said he was confident his group got its job done.
"Hopefully," he said, "when the (Martini) family showed up today, all they saw was a sea of red, white and blue, and not those despicable signs."
They ride to do the right thing.
Posted by Jill Fallon at April 20, 2006 2:12 PM | Permalink