The Patriot Guard
Posted by Moonage on 23 Mar 2006 | Tagged as: People
Originally posted February 22, 2006:
A while back I did a story on a church that was protesting deceased soldiers in the name of hating gays. What actually led me to that story was a local newspaper article of a man who was a member of The Patriot Guard. As despicable as the church is, these guys are plum near heroes to me. This is what they do:
Patriot Guard Riders Mission Statement
The Patriot Guard Riders is a diverse amalgamation of riders from across the nation. We have one thing in common besides motorcycles. We have an unwavering respect for those who risk their very lives for America€™s freedom and security. If you share this respect, please join us.
We don€™t care what you ride, what your political views are, or whether you€™re a “hawk” or a “dove”. It is not a requirement that you be a veteran. It doesn’t matter where you€™re from or what your income is. You don€™t even have to ride. The only prerequisite is Respect.
Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen American heroes as invited guests of the family. Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives.
1. Show our sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families, and their communities.
2. Shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters.
We accomplish the latter through strictly legal and non-violent means.
What they do is shield the families and loved ones of the fallen soldiers from assholes like Fred Phelps and his psychotic thugs.
Check them out, help them if you can. They don’t ask for much.
Other posts on The Patriot Guard:
And the list goes on and on and on. I know a few of Fred’s readers drop by here. They won’t say anything when they do. I guess they’re ashamed. They should be. It’s a shame as well we NEED The Patriot Guard.
UPDATE: March 23, 2006Volokh has initiated what I imagine will be an interesting discussion on the legal merits of this situation. Although they are looking at the aspects of the ban on protesting funerals, I would like to see their opinion on the merits of the Patriot Guard protecting those funerals as well. I imagine it’s perfectly legal, being as if I wanted a totally private funeral, I have every right to enforce that privacy. I really think the bans are fairly unnecessary, as protesters tend to ignore such laws and wear their arrests as a badge of honor. And, people have the right to expect law enforcement to enforce their right to privacy in the first place. However, the symbolic gesture of these laws is not unnoticed.
4 Comments »
on 25 Feb 2006 at 5:53 pm 1.Steven L. Wright said …
I just want you all to know that I appreciate what you are doing. No matter what a person’s views of the war, religion, homosexuality, etc., does not matter. Respect for those who have given their lives for their country; respect for their families is all that matters. Thank you so much for doing what you are doing.
on 25 Feb 2006 at 11:13 pm 2.Jason Kiefer said …
I would like to add too. It doesn’t matter if you agree or disagree with the ongoings of Iraq. The last protesters should be is at a funeral. And it doesn’t matter if your gay, straight, transexual, a veteran, quadrapalegic. A family’s last goodbye to a loved one is just that. Desecration of that event is a desecration of the life being celebrated. I fully support the Patriot Guard. But alas, it is a shame that such an organization is needed. Fred Phelps and his clan of cronies should just go by what their name used to be. The Ku Klux Klan.
on 07 Mar 2006 at 7:22 pm 3.Lynda Garcia said …
A friend just sent me a copy of a news story about the Patriot Guard’s showing at SGT Jesse Davila’s funeral and I want to express my gratitude for all the riders and supporters. I wonder if the members of the Phelps clan have figured out that they can voice their opinions in public because they live in a country where brave soldiers, sailors and airmen have given their lives to protect their freedom. The people who call themselves members of that church are a disgrace to the name of God. Thank you, Patriot Guard.
on 07 Mar 2006 at 10:28 pm 4.Moonage
said …
I just hope the members of the Patriot Guard are seeing my blog just because of comments like yours. I don’t know if they allow comments on their site, but if they do, I hope you all visit and leave comments there. I stuck this post up and allowed comments for two reasons. 1, because I knew people would respond the way they are. And, 2, because I knew the Phelps clan wouldn’t respond. Groups like that look inward for their own reassurance. Looking outward, like here, would send too painful of a message that their interpretation of their religion was 100% wrong.
I have never understood, honestly, how people can base their salvation on hate.