Are you aware of any anti-war groups who protest at soldier's funerals?

[w8liftinglady]

this excerpt from this soldier's obit bothered me.Fred Phelps,Fundie Whacko,is the only one I know who does.
http://thedailylight.com/articles/2007/09/14/dailylight/news/01-09-14-soldier.txt
Included in the crowd of mourners were 120 members of the Patriot Guard, an organized band of men, mostly military veterans who travel by motorcycle to memorial services of fallen soldiers to pay tribute, offer condolences and often to serve as a buffer to protect the families of fallen soldiers from any war protesters.

[demnan]

1. Isn't there an anti-gay group that demonstrates

at gay soldier's funerals?

Seems I read something like that. Peace group, no.

[w8liftinglady]

2. before I call the editor to task,I thought I'd better get my facts straight

[johnnie]

3. Phelps is the only one I know also

I had a friend that lives in a small town in Texas and they had a war causality. She was disgusted that people were protesting and she couldn't understand why people against the war were protesting. I had to explain to her that there are many people against the war, but would never protest a funeral like this with the exception of Phelps. And they protest not because of the war, but because they are freaks.

The way my friend was talking about it, the town thought that it was a bunch of liberals who hated the war and were protesting at funerals. Phelps is an asshole.

[underpants]

4. No this is either crappy reporting OR there is a spin on this that we haven't heard until now

That is Fred Phelps and his nutballs that do those protests.

You should fire off an op-ed to them.

[w8liftinglady]

5. Oh-I will.Trust me.

[Wildewolfe]

6. It's phelps

... He could be listed as anti war, anti gay, anti this that or the other they way his group works, just read the nasty signs they put up and who they protest (you don't have been gay to have Freddie show up at your funeral). The patriot guard folks were organanized pretty much in response to his sorry butt.

[Tom Joad]

7. Sounds like the making of another myth. Like the one from Nam about spitting on returning soldiers

which had no basis in reality.

[havocmom]

9. Projection rather than myth. People hear about Phelps. Spin= say it's anti-war groups instead.

Like the GOP chatter about vote fraud the past year. They failed to keep it out of the news so trying to spin it and project the actual violations onto some uninvolved, but vaguely liberal group. Have to keep the base from waking up and asking embarrassing questions.

More commonly known as flinging their own shit at others ;)

[alphafemale]

8. The only people I've ever heard carrying signs at Funerals is the Fred Phelps clan.

That "God Hates _______" brood.

They are NOT anti war.

But they certainly DO hate America and everyone not in their twisted clique.

[Bitwit1234]

10. I think they are motorcycle riders who show up and are a buffer

between Phelps and his group. They don't want the family of the military person being bothered by this monster Phelps.

[Quantess]

11. What kind of an asshole would protest at a soldier's funeral?

(Besides Fred Phelps)
:wtf:

This is spin.

[Blue Diadem]

12. I've only heard of anti-gay Phelps so I did a google. Looks like Hannity

is promoting the lie and referring to phelps as "anti-war left" on his radio show.

http://mediamatters.org/items/200508310004

snip:

On the August 30 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio show, Fox News host Sean Hannity falsely blamed "the anti-war left" for a protest at the August 28 funeral of Sgt. Jeremy Doyle of Indianapolis, who was killed while serving in Iraq. Hannity read excerpts of an article on the website of Indianapolis TV station WISH describing the protest, adding, "I guess this is just another example of how the anti-war left supports our brave troops." In fact, as The Indianapolis Star reported, the protesters were not anti-war liberals but, rather, members of Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) in Topeka, Kansas, who claim that the deaths of U.S. soldiers in Iraq are inflicted by God to punish the United States for its acceptance of gays and lesbians.

audio and transcript at above link.

edited for clarity

[frogcycle]

15. oh my god

and i don't even believe in god


Hannity should be boiled in oil

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

13. No. If I did, I'd sure as hell take them to task as heavily as I do Freaky Phelps.

I'm not certain but I do believe the "Patriot Guard" buffers against Phelps and his "GOD HATES,..." cult. I could be wrong.

[blogslut]

14. The writer is wrong

From teh Wikipedia:

The Patriot Guard Riders started in August 2005 as an impromptu gathering of American Legion Riders of ALR 136 from Mulvane, Kansas and has since developed into a group of veterans, motorcyclists, and others who attend the funerals of members of the U.S. armed forces at the invitation of the deceased’s family.

The group originally started in order to protect military funerals from protesters who so far consist solely of Westboro Baptist Church. The protests have been organized at the funerals in the belief that the deaths were due to American tolerance of homosexuality. The group shields the mourners from the Westboro protesters and drowns out the protesters' chants by singing patriotic songs, or by simply revving their motorcycle engines. Often their attendance involves acting as a visual barrier against the Westboro Baptist Church, blocking the protesters from view with their motorcade or by having each member hold an American flag.

links: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Guard
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1189333,00.html

[frogcycle]

16. big time misrepresentation there

PGR does take care to not single out phelps' group in their mission statement.

http://www.patriotguard.org/AboutUs/OurMission/tabid/60/Default.aspx

But that is to avoid giving WBC ammunition to sue them for discriminating or whatever.

In "history" they acknowledge that WBC is what got them started. And WBC are the only problems they ever have to deal with.

[gollygee]

17. Absolutely not. In fact,

around here the only anti-war rallies I've been to or I've heard of have included prayers and lit candles for soldiers. Nothing but love for them.

AND none at any funerals.