God Punishing G.I.s...?

Here's another one for the "WTF" file.

This ignorent redneck bigot bastard Phelps has come to Lexington a
couple of times in the last few years. Each time we have ran his happy ass the hell out of town! I am quite proud to say that our urban-county government has always assisted us in ushering him out of town.

Those folks obviously do not have very good sense, messing around
with Tennessee good ol' boys at a military funeral?
They are quite likely to turn up dead in a ditch somewhere...

--ryan


'God Punishing US Soldiers Over Gays' - Sify.com
By BETH RUCKER, Associated Press Writer 58 minutes ago

Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for
defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay
message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in
Iraq.

The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They
chased the church members cars' down a highway, waving flags and
screaming "God bless America."

"My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support,"
41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved and American flag and as
tears came to her eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a
family, no matter what your beliefs are."

The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist in Kansas,
contends
that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God
for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not
affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps'
children, grandchildren and in-laws.

The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God
hates
fags" and "God hates you."

About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist
Church
and nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City.
Members have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation.

The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna
and Spc. Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the
Tennessee National Guard.

Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other
soldiers turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro
Baptist members brought.

So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that
police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers were brought in to
control traffic and protect the protesters.

The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in
Smyrna turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time
expired on the protest permits.

"If they were protesting the government, I might even join them,"
Danny Cotton, 56, said amid cries of "get out of our town" and "get out
of our country."

"But for them to come during the worst time for this family - it's
just wrong."