Vet's Hickory funeral faces Westview Baptist disruption
Submitted by Drama Queen on Thu, 06/28/2007 - 1:38am
I got this email after midnight from the Center for Social Change (whose link isn't working)
This message is coming late, but we've just confirmed that Westboro Baptist Church is planning a picket tomorrow in Hickory at the funeral service of Army Specialist Ward Linder who was killed while on duty in Iraq. Westboro Baptist Church is famous for their venomous anti-gay statements that include "God Hates Fags," "Thank God For Gay AIDS" and "Fags Destroy Nations" to name a few.
As many of you may remember, we received communication from Westboro Baptist Church's Pastor - Fred Phelps - when we attempted to organize an LGBT community center in Hickory. It is absolutely important that we not let Westboro Baptist Church have the last say in our hometown tomorrow. That's why I'm calling on you to get involved and help!
If you have some spare time in the morning around 9am, we need for you to join us at Faith Evangelical and Reformed United Church of Christ in Hickory. The address of the church is: 204 19th Ave. SW Hickory, NC 28602. Come with your signs of support for our troops and American flags. It is important that the minority communities come together to reject this evil group.
I can't figure out how to post the flyer but here are some choice tidbits cut and pasted:
WBC to picket memorial for Army Spc. Darryl W. Linder - at 9:15 a.m., Thur., June 28 - at Faith United Church
of Christ, 204 19th Ave. SW, Brookford, North Carolina.
God Himself Has Now Become America's Terrorist, Killing
and Maiming American Troops in Strange Lands for Fag Sins.
We've turned America
Over to fags;
They're coming home
In body bags.
Let's hope these messed up people do not interfere with the honor and respect due Specialist Linder and his family.
Trackback URL for this post:
http://bluenc.com/trackback/6884
- Drama Queen's blog
- Login or register to post comments
The Christlike love of Westboro Baptist
is quite reminiscent of the "Christianity" sold by groups like the White Citizens Councils and the Klan. Lovely inspiring people, no?
I hope that they don't show up
I fear that they will.
I wish I were closer to Hickory to show my support for Specialist Linder's family.
Phelps and crew make me sick.
It may be illegal
NC Legislature passed this bill in the 2005-2006 session:
An Act To Prohibit Disorderly Conduct At A Military Funeral Or Memorial Service Or Any Other Funeral Or Memorial Service
What in the world can anyone
say behind that? No sane person could ever mistake any of the Westboro KKK Talibabdist Road Show's actions with anything Christlike. It's clear they've never cracked open the Gospels (including the canonical four, the Gnostic, Apocryphal or fragmentary Gospels, either). All the Gospels speak of forbearance, forgiveness, kindness and leading a peaceful, near-anonymous life. Westboro Klan are nothing of the sort. They reek of Coulteresque sickness, one that rots the soul from the inside out.
We older southerners were raised with graciousness, respectfulness, "please sir" and "thank you ma'am". A true southerner of any gentility would never dream of picketing anyone's funeral -- most especially not that of an American soldier. That notion is simply too ghastly (coarse and déclassé) to contemplate. My heart breaks for the family of the solder. I'm sure they had never even imagined such unwarranted vileness could befall them. It's simply not our way. To think that total strangers would perpetrate such depravity must be blowing their minds. It's certainly blowing mine.
There's a special (extremely warm) spot for the Westoboro KKK Talibabdists in the Hereafter.
"The most unamerican thing you can say is 'You can't say that'" - G. Keillor
Believe it or not, William.
Most of us raised north of the Mason/Dixon line would never consider such crassness, either.
Phelps and his minions are despicable.No matter what you call it, karma works, and they are building up some sincerely ugly stuff for themselves.
Southerners clearly have no lock
on graciousness any more. One of the things I enjoy about my IT gigs at UConn is how polite people are in Connecticut. I'd say the same for NYC; I've always had a wonderful time there. But here in the south, it seems the redder it got, the more we had to accede to the lowest of the low. Common civility and manners seem to be a thing of the past. I have to attribute the current state of the Republic party to the infiltration of all the worst, crass, self-centered elements -- and the glorification of the most despicable sorts of acts.
Yup, you're right. Karma is a stern mistress and will be served. Oh, I'd love to be a fly on the pearly gates when the Westboro Talibabdist Klan arrives...
"The most unamerican thing you can say is 'You can't say that'" - G. Keillor
Graciousness
I don't know. I bumped up against "southern manners" when I was a kid and felt strongly that what I was seeing was deceit, rather than actual kindness or graciousness. The false smile, the pretense of concern..the ever so polite folks who were, behind our backs, doing very very bad things to their fellow humans. No thanks. IMO, plain common decency and respect are not southern traits, they are human traits..or good upbringing, really. Anybody from anywhere can be gracious..and anybody from anywhere can be crass, rude, gross, and vile (like the ghouls in KC). And by the way, I was raised mostly in CA and I can't remember ever being around anybody who'd consider protesting, or in any other way disrupting a funeral. It's just not something that anybody would do..if they were raised with a modicum of decency.
Here's the clickable flyer
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,
Ghoulish Terrorists...
is the only thing I could think of, off the top of my head, to describe the wackos from Kansas.
(DQ, I'm beyond confused about where I am and where this will be posted..PatGoBB, NCBlu? )
I quick checked a Hickory paper, I forget the name, and it had nothing about a protest. It mentioned the funeral, but nothing else. Maybe some other paper covered the thing. Maybe the crazy people never showed up. And maybe everybody agreed that saying nothing about it was best. I admit that, when I saw what was up, I was sorely tempted to race up there..a day late..and do something. I don't know what, but something. However, now that I am reminded of the Patriot Riders, I know the thing is under control. They are a good group and doing what is right. Shame on the terrorists, the latter-day Klanners..and damn them to bad places. Being an agnostic, I'm at a loss for a specific place to send them. ;-)
Hi, AK, this is bluenc
I posted it at PGBB, too, to get the word out. I should have put "crossposted at." It's weird when someone posts at different places. Then there are two conversations at the two places. Usually the bigger conversation happens at the bigger site but not always. I post 10th district things at PGBB but when I think it's of interest to the politicos in the entire state, I post here, too.
As to the event. I haven't heard if they showed up. I suppose the flyer could be fake but these people have disrupted funerals in the past. Also, they have shown up at other events in the state. I heard tonight from friends that a group of vets who specialize in escorting and protecting family members in this type of situation showed up. I have no confirmation.
I imagine that you will find a lot of things on this site and others that will never get written about in your local paper or even the bigger or national papers. Thanks for coming by!
News of the 10th district: See Pat Go Bye Bye,