NationStates Jolt Archive

http://www.claremoreprogress.com/archive/article22505


VFW motorcycles drown out protestors
Originally published on Wednesday, October 12


By Linda Martin mail
Progress Staff Writer

CHELSEA — God spoke with the roar of revving motorcycle engines during a protest Tuesday by six members of a Kansas church that believes God is punishing the U.S. for protecting homosexuals by killing soldiers overseas.

Chelsea residents, however, believed God spoke on their behalf as the engines of more than 100 Veterans of Foreign Wars motorcycles drowned out the voices of the Westboro Baptist Church members who were allowed to protest from 1-1:30 p.m. before the 2 p.m. funeral services for Staff Sgt. John Glen Doles.

The protesters were escorted by police from the Chelsea Police Station to and from the protest site at the corner of Sixth and Vine streets a half block away. They left immediately after the protest, said Chelsea Police Chief Kenny Kelsey.

Chelsea’s main street was lined with American Flags in honor of Doles, who was killed when he and five others were ambushed by enemy fire last week in Afghanistan. He was laid to rest with honors in a small cemetery southeast of Chelsea.

Town and local law enforcement consisting of Chelsea police, the Rogers County Sheriff’s Department and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol made good their intent that nothing would disrupt funeral services for the local hero and his family.

Chelsea Mayor Kenny Weast said he received a fax last Tuesday saying church members would be in Chelsea to protest at the funeral.

Weast contacted local law enforcement and a successful plan was devised.

Said Weast: “We planned for the worst and hoped for the best.”

Weast’s own feelings about the protest, however resonated those of the town.

“What a tragedy to have a group like this protest the day of the funeral, one of the hardest days this family will have. It makes me sick,” he said.

Kelsey, Chelsea’s chief for six months, said neither set of protesters “were allowed to cross the street and every body stuck to it.”

The American Legion Riders from Southeast Kansas, which represented a number of Kansas towns and communities along with members of other organized motorcycle groups, attended the funeral to protest the protesters.

But the No. 1 reason was to show support for Staff Sgt. Doles and his family and to oppose Fred Phelps, who is the leader of the anti-homosexual group.

The bikers succeeded in keeping the protesters out of sight and sound of the Doles family but for anyone else close enough to see their brightly colored signs spoke loud and clear: “GOD IS YOU OR ENEMY; GOD HATES THE USA; GOD IS AN AMERICAN TERRORIST; TOO LATE TO PRAY; THANK GOD FOR DEAD SOLDIERS; YOU’RE GOING TO HELL; GOD HAS SPOKEN IT’S NOT A BLESSING IT’S A CURSE and AMERICA IS DOOMED.”

The locals had a couple of signs of their own. Three older women held up a white sheet that said “SHOW AMAZING GRACE” and two young people held a cardboard sign saying “YE WITHOUT SIN CAST THE FIRST STONE.”

John B. Milam, a Chelsea native, said of his feelings about the protest, “I have no respect for anyone who has no respect for the dead.”

Wilma Fraley said, “I just think the family deserves a quiet, peaceful funeral for their hero. Thank God for the (local) people coming out to do this (show their support).” (Article continues)



Ahhh, you have to love the sound of comeuppance. Something like this was loooong overdue.

yeah it was cool. my uncle went down with his harley. I wish I could have gone too, but I had to stay home with my kids.

Bravo! And dare I say: Encore! :D

Isn't it wonderful how the American political left and right can be united in expressing their loathing for Fred Effing Phelps? :D

Isn't it wonderful how almost everyone of sound mind can be united in their loathing for Fred Phelps?

This gesture won't achieve anything, especially not since his website appears recently to have acquired a video of a police officer smacking about a member of his church, but it's still nice to see.

Isn't it wonderful how almost everyone of sound mind can be united in their loathing for Fred Phelps?

This gesture won't achieve anything, especially not since his website appears recently to have acquired a video of a police officer smacking about a member of his church, but it's still nice to see.

I'm surprised it's only a police officer, and not a mob of civilians and police stomping Fred Phelps into hamburger.

I'm surprised it's only a police officer, and not a mob of civilians and police stomping Fred Phelps into hamburger.

This is one of those weird moments when I'm forced to agree with you, Sierra. By the way, what does the BTHP stand for?

On the subject of Phelps, it never ceases to amaze me how America's most frantic supporters of freedom of speech are always the most controversial, and seem to adore the First Amendment as long as it doesn't apply to the opposition.

I'm surprised it's only a police officer, and not a mob of civilians and police stomping Fred Phelps into hamburger.
yeah, that would never happen in Oklahoma, we are too civilized for that, besides it wouldn't be a very Christian thing to do, annoying him until he leaves is much better.

They are headed to Del City (about 15 miles from me) on Sunday to protest at a southern baptist church. I doubt that they will stay long after that. The guy I know at the Southern Baptist Convention said that they are trying to get them relocated again but if not, I guess it could be interesting to see what kinda crap excuse they have come up to protest about this time.....

This is one of those weird moments when I'm forced to agree with you, Sierra. By the way, what does the BTHP stand for?

On the subject of Phelps, it never ceases to amaze me how America's most frantic supporters of freedom of speech are always the most controversial, and seem to adore the First Amendment as long as it doesn't apply to the opposition.

Sierra is a manufacturer of bullets (not cartridges). These are available for reloading purposes, and some cartridge manufacturers (such as Federal Cartridge) use them.

BTHP - boat-tailed hollow point. Not a true hollowpoint meant to expand, the bullet is constructed for optimum ballistic coefficient and balance - there's an airspace in the nose to shift the balance to the rear. The rear of the bullet is tapered to enhance the streamlining.

I'm not out to shut Fred Phelps up - he can talk all he likes. I just think it's unreasonable for him to expect to be able to say crap like that and not take an occasionaly beating.

Grabs my DD214 and heads out the door to join the VFW (Unless they will let a Legionnaire join forces) and Buy a Harley (would rather have an old single cylinder Royal Enfield or something but whatever) :)

Fred Phelps can kiss my true christian ass.

Isn't it wonderful how almost everyone of sound mind can be united in their loathing for Fred Phelps?

This gesture won't achieve anything, especially not since his website appears recently to have acquired a video of a police officer smacking about a member of his church, but it's still nice to see.

Tragically it's about the only thing the left and right agree on when it comes to Fred Phelps. This isn't the first time he's gotten an angry response from the locals when he's tried to picket a soldier's funeral, or the first time he's gotten in the news for it. And generally when he does, there's a lot of quotes from angry locals explaining that sure Fred Phelps' antics and hatemongering boils their blood, but just because they're protesting against Phelps don't mean they like those damn queermos or nuffin'.

I'm not out to shut Fred Phelps up - he can talk all he likes. I just think it's unreasonable for him to expect to be able to say crap like that and not take an occasionaly beating.
Hear hear!

Although rather than using physical violence against him, which could cause him to gain sympathy as a martyr, I like what the VFW did--drown him out with "speech" of their own.

Hear hear!

Although rather than using physical violence against him, which could cause him to gain sympathy as a martyr, I like what the VFW did--drown him out with "speech" of their own.


I wonder why no one has ever organized a huge protest at Phelp's home base and stood outside his congregation utilizing his same tactics?

For weeks or months at a time.

Isn't it wonderful how the American political left and right can be united in expressing their loathing for Fred Effing Phelps? :D

Absolutely! :)

I wonder why no one has ever organized a huge protest at Phelp's home base and stood outside his congregation utilizing his same tactics?

For weeks or months at a time.
More important things to do than counter-protest a crackpot, I guess.

I wonder why no one has ever organized a huge protest at Phelp's home base and stood outside his congregation utilizing his same tactics?

For weeks or months at a time.

They have done that many many times but such attempts gain only local media attention. To clairfy things a bit though, they do not have a congregation like a regular church would. There are only 26 of them. They are a family by blood and one or two by marriage, that hole up in a block long compound of houses and small buildings. It is your basic small compound.

Huge protests against these people are ineffective and lend to give them exactly what they want. Publicity! The methods chosen to deal with them by local groups are by far the best going. They have managed to vilify this band of nutball lawyers and con-artists, in the eyes of the entire world through word of mouth and relentless viligance. That is no small feat for a small town in Kansas, considering there are literally hundreds of these types of groups that no one has ever heard of running loose.