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Funeral pickets to be met by 'angels'

EnigmaO01

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Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Tucson just isn't that kind of town, says Christin Gilmer.

Gilmer is referring to the actions of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, which has made its name protesting the funerals of people who died of AIDS, gay people, soldiers and even Coretta Scott King.

But when the church announced its intention to picket the funeral of a 9-year-old girl -- one of six people who died Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- Gilmer and others put their feet down.

Tucson is a "caring, loving, peaceful community," according to Gilmer, who said two of the six people killed were friends.

"For something like this to happen in Tucson was a really big shock to us all," she said. "Our nightmare happened when we saw Westboro Baptist Church was going to picket the funerals."

They're planning an "angel action" -- with 8- by 10-foot "angel wings" worn by participants and used to shield mourners from pickets. The actions were created by Coloradan Romaine Patterson, who was shocked to find the Topeka church and its neon signs outside the 1999 funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man beaten and left on a fence to die in Laramie, Wyoming.

"We want to surround them, in a nonviolent way, to say that our community is united," Gilmer said. "We're a peaceful haven.

"You don't mess with Tucson," said Gilmer, 26, who described it as "a little dot of blue in a sea of red."

Snip...

Funeral pickets to be met by 'angels' - CNN.com


Angel wings? Come on! Enough is enough! It's time for our weeny legislators to enact some legislation that designates these idiots for what they are, terrorists! Then lock these despicable people away! Gitmo might be a good place! I'm sure the troops down there would love to have 'em.
 
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It's time for this crap to end. Why do we continue to let idiots like this beat us over the head with our own Constitution? Whatever happened to the slightest modicum of common sense??

Edit: Why isn't this considered disburbing the peace? If this isn't, I'd like to know what is...

You're right -- our legislators are weenies.
 
Mortar launchers using tomatoes would be my choice launched from a roof top with a quick get away. Anything that is not lethal but humiliating as the cowards have children among them as human shields.
 
Just send the sheriff over.

He seems to have a grasp on things.
 
It's time for this crap to end. Why do we continue to let idiots like this beat us over the head with our own Constitution?

It's one of the many prices of freedom. We wish to be free, we're going to get this sort of behavior. I'm interested to see how the angle wings work. It probably won't deter those Westboro folk much; but it's a good solution; one that doesn't call for government intervention.
 
I'd think the things they do would be considered "inciting violence".

If they did that at MY child's funeral, I can guarantee there would be violence.

I wouldn't be able to hold back. I would lose it...
 
I'd think the things they do would be considered "inciting violence".

If they did that at MY child's funeral, I can guarantee there would be violence.

Same here. What these people(and I'm using that term loosely in referring to them) are doing is despicable.
 
I wouldn't be able to hold back. I would lose it...

One day, someone is going to open fire on this guy.

Then what?

Public opinion will be heavily on the side of the shooter, but the law is the law. 'Twil be interesting.
 
When that day comes, oh please, let me be on the jury.
 
One day, someone is going to open fire on this guy.

Then what?

Public opinion will be heavily on the side of the shooter, but the law is the law. 'Twil be interesting.

The police might accidentally mess up the case, forcing acquittal.
 
When that day comes, oh please, let me be on the jury.

I get if you are just blowing off steam, but it doesn't exactly make me thrilled to hear former law enforcement officers with that mindset. The whole concept behind the rule of law is that it applies to everyone, even assholes of the first order.
 
This type of response has worked before. Last summer a town in the mid-west found out these morons were coming for a Soldier's funeral and totally occupied the space where the Phelps gang were going to be and out numbered them so they just left.

Here is the link.
 
I get if you are just blowing off steam, but it doesn't exactly make me thrilled to hear former law enforcement officers with that mindset. The whole concept behind the rule of law is that it applies to everyone, even assholes of the first order.


To be honest, in the improbable case that I were sitting on the jury for someone who opened fire on the Phelps during one of their hatefests, I'm not entirely sure what I would do.

However, I'll tell you plainly I'd be inclined to acquit, assuming no innocents were harmed. I don't count the Phelps as innocents.

A concept from our earlier years as a nation is that of "Jury Nullification", specifically that a jury does not merely judge matters of law, but also may set a man free in the name of JUSTICE, even if he has technically broken the law. I would go so far as to say this is one of the main reasons to have juries at all.

The mental and emotional harm that the Phelps have done to hundreds, maybe thousands of grieving people, to me, rises to the level of the Texas Defense: "He needed killin'".

I don't know that I could convict a grieving parent for putting a bullet to one or two of those vultures, to be quite honest. It would depend on the exact circumstances.
 
They're planning an "angel action" -- with 8- by 10-foot "angel wings" worn by participants and used to shield mourners from pickets. The actions were created by Coloradan Romaine Patterson, who was shocked to find the Topeka church and its neon signs outside the 1999 funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man beaten and left on a fence to die in Laramie, Wyoming.

I think this sort of thing is totally awesome and a perfect response to the inhumanity of Phelps and his crew.
 
when i read the headline i thought they meant Hells Angels M/C........Ive wondered why some of the Viet Nam Vets M/C havent been a line of defense for the soldiers funerals
 
Perhaps some day, we'll get to protest at his funeral, with signs that say GOD HATES FRED PHELPS and THANK GOD FOR DEAD FRED.

This guy is a piece of ****.
 
Tucson, Arizona (CNN) -- Tucson just isn't that kind of town, says Christin Gilmer.

Gilmer is referring to the actions of Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas, which has made its name protesting the funerals of people who died of AIDS, gay people, soldiers and even Coretta Scott King.

But when the church announced its intention to picket the funeral of a 9-year-old girl -- one of six people who died Saturday during the attempted assassination of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords -- Gilmer and others put their feet down.

Tucson is a "caring, loving, peaceful community," according to Gilmer, who said two of the six people killed were friends.

"For something like this to happen in Tucson was a really big shock to us all," she said. "Our nightmare happened when we saw Westboro Baptist Church was going to picket the funerals."

They're planning an "angel action" -- with 8- by 10-foot "angel wings" worn by participants and used to shield mourners from pickets. The actions were created by Coloradan Romaine Patterson, who was shocked to find the Topeka church and its neon signs outside the 1999 funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a young gay man beaten and left on a fence to die in Laramie, Wyoming.

"We want to surround them, in a nonviolent way, to say that our community is united," Gilmer said. "We're a peaceful haven.

"You don't mess with Tucson," said Gilmer, 26, who described it as "a little dot of blue in a sea of red."

Snip...

Funeral pickets to be met by 'angels' - CNN.com


Angel wings? Come on! Enough is enough! It's time for our weeny legislators to enact some legislation that designates these idiots for what they are, terrorists! Then lock these despicable people away! Gitmo might be a good place! I'm sure the troops down there would love to have 'em.

If that were a member of my family who was killed I'd beat the living crap out of those SOB' s and then look for a jury trial.
 
I'd think the things they do would be considered "inciting violence".

If they did that at MY child's funeral, I can guarantee there would be violence.

I'm honestly surprised that no one's gone after him yet.
 
For those of you who don't know...The Angels were first created at Matthew Sheperd's funeral:

Outside.jpg
 
One day, someone is going to open fire on this guy.

Then what?

Public opinion will be heavily on the side of the shooter, but the law is the law. 'Twil be interesting.

Put me on the jury. I could be nullified in a New York minute.
 
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