Thank God for the Patriot Guard Riders
Back in January I blogged about these krazy baptist radicals that believe American troops are dying in Iraq because the United States harbors gays. The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) of Topeka, Kansas run by Pastor Fred Phelps, has been protesting during funerals of soldiers that have died while serving in Iraq. They believe that God is striking these soldiers dead because America has become a modern day Sodom and Gomorrah. The signs they carry say such things as, "Thank God for dead soldiers.", "God Hates Fags", and "God Made IEDs", a reference to roadside bombs. These people have no respect for the poor soldiers and their families. Just writing about it makes me sick to my stomach.
Several states have passed laws and others have legislature in the works to try and curb the protests. Until such laws have been established there is a new group that is fighting back. The Patriot Guard Riders is a group of bikers that travel from funeral to funeral respectfully cheering to drown out the gay protesters. They also form lines and hold American flags in the air to shield the families. They are not a counter-protest group. According to their mission statement they have only two objectives:
1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protestor or group of protestors.
We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.
According to their website are up to over 16,000 members and growing like krazy. This is a prime example of America at its finest. It’s great that there are people out there regardless of their ethnic backgrounds, political views, religious beliefs, etc… that are banding together to show respect for our fallen heroes. These are true Americans and we should support them in any way possible.
Technorati Tags: america, funeral, iraq, military, Miscellaneous, Patriot Guard Riders, politics, protest, Rants, soldier, war
October 28th, 2006 at 5:49 pm
First of all, I would like to thank you for your kind words in support of the PATRIOT GUARD RIDERS of which I am a member! You are correct in saying that we are not a counter protest group and as a matter of fact when we are attending a servicemans or womans funeral the protesters just dont exist. We are there to shield the family and show our respect to him or her and their families and communities.
Last saturday we attended the funeral of SSgt.Lawrence Parrish in Versailles,Missouri. When my riding partner an I rode into Stover,Mo and Versailles,Mo. the residents of those communities waved to us and gave us a thumbs up. The rest of the mission I was not dry eyed. I forced myself to remember that this mission is not about me, I’ts about the fallen and their families. I am a vietnam vet and haved lived for years haunted in one way or another of how we were treated when we came home and I like many others are bound and determined that this will not happen to the service members of todays military. It’s not about me , It’s about them but being a member has been my homecoming. God Bless America and thanks for your support.