The anti-gay protests of members of the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas, during the funeral of Navy SEAL Lt. Brendan Looney, were drowned out by the sound of motorcycle engines being revved up, thanks to a group of motorcyclists.
The Kansas church is known to stage protests at the funerals of soldiers because it contends that the deaths of these soldiers were God’s way of punishing America for its sins. Included in these sins is the nation’s tolerance for homosexuality. For Looney’s funeral, three protesters arrived 30 minutes before the service, bringing with them signs that read: “God Is Your Enemy,” “America Is Doomed” and “Don’t Worship the Dead.”
According to a feature on The Washington Post, before Lt. Looney’s funeral processions arrived at the area where the protesters were stationed, a group of motorcyclists arrived. Some of the motorcycles had the American flag flying from their motorcycles, and they lined up along Memorial Drive, in front of the protesters. When the funeral cortege passed, the motorcycles saluted and paid their respects to Lt. Looney, and opened the throttles of their engines in order to drown out the protesters’ singing.
Motorcyclist Clyde Fleming shared: “I’m a vet myself, and I think what these people over here are doing is horribly wrong… If you want to protest a war, you do it with government officials, not with the soldiers who died for you; you don’t disrespect them and their families with such hatred.”
Fleming said further that while the church had a right to stage a protest, they [the motorcyclists] had as much right “to block their noise and their rhetoric.”
October 5th, 2010 - 4:34 pm
The motorcyclists mentioned are Patriot Guard Riders, they only attend funerals if requested by the family.
‘It all started back in early August of 2005 with the American Legion Riders chapter 136 from Kansas. They were appalled to hear that a fallen hero’s memory was being tarnished by misguided religious zealots who were protesting at funerals. They decided to do something about it. At the ALR 136 August meeting, Director: Chuck ” Pappy ” Barshney appointed members, Terry “Darkhorse” Houck, Cregg “Bronco 6” Hansen, Steve “McDaddy” McDonald, and Bill ”Wild Bill” Logan to form a committee to strategize and form a battle plan to combat Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church.
When they heard that the WBC was going to protest at the Funeral of Sgt. John Doles in Chelsea, Oklahoma, they established a Mission Statement, which included getting the families permission and contacting Law Enforcement and other Motorcycle Groups in Oklahoma. They agreed that their ultimate goal was to get veterans and motorcycle organizations involved in every state so that each state could handle the situation internally and not rely on other states to do the job. They were very successful in mustering riders to honor Sgt. Doles and limiting the intrusion by the WBC.
After the Chelsea Mission the Kansas American Legion Riders wanted all Motorcycle Groups/ Organizations to be recognized. On the 18th of October 2005 the Patriot Guard name was established and was announced on the 27th of October 2005 to the 100 + motorcyclists present at the Tonganoxie Mission to Honor Spc Lucas Frantz.’
http://www.patriotguard.org/
Proud member of Region 9 PGR Long Island NY
(I am neither a veteran or bike rider-the only requirements to joiningg are the desire to honor and respect our military and veterans)
October 5th, 2010 - 7:10 pm
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October 7th, 2010 - 2:35 am
They might as well complain that God hates Heterosexuals or Christians. People die in wars. The enemy kills them, sometimes it’s friendly fire. Using the grief of others to flaunt your intolerance is disgusting. Lock these fanatical ratbags up.
October 9th, 2010 - 2:24 pm
Why are you the media and the press stating that this is an anti gay protest…. when it is not.
This is a “radical” group that is doing everything in their power to “dishonor” the United States, dishonor the soldiers and their Families.
Granted, they have the right to their 1st admendment rights, but are crossing the line when it comes to religious tolerance and respect for those that have given their lives so that these “religious terrorist’s can can piss on the colors of the United states.
They are sc#m s%cking parasites that lie below whale sh&t on the bottom of the ocean.
March 11th, 2011 - 1:45 pm
Enough of this cruelty to these grieving families. I am calling on you brave bikers who face down these weak, pathetic, demonic fools to ramp this up—Let’s organize truckers, esp those who are Proud Veterans, to park between the grieving families and Phelps’s gang; and block their toxic crap from these proud families—what do you say?
E-mail me–I am very active with Veterans groups–WE CAN MAKE THIS HAPPEN–RESTORE HONOR!!
June 4th, 2011 - 7:50 am
These people who do this, are acknowledging the fact that God IS NOT in them. Jesus said two commandmenst were imparative, as the law and the prophets hang on them. 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
If you preach hate you do not belong to God neither do you know Him, and that they are revealing that they are Anathema Maranantha
Badger
Christian Disciples MM
April 13th, 2012 - 7:02 pm
That picture is wrong. If we didn’t have a military and people kept attaking us. Then we would die.