Bikers roll to military funerals to oppose anti-gay protests

Bikers roll to military funerals to oppose anti-gay protests

Tuesday, February 21, 2006; Posted: 7:55 a.m. EST (12:55 GMT)

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders rally during a memorial for soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division killed in combat.
FORT CAMPBELL, Kentucky (AP) -- Wearing vests covered in military patches, a band of motorcyclists rolls around the country from one soldier's funeral to another, cheering respectfully to overshadow jeers from church protesters.

They call themselves the Patriot Guard Riders, and they are more than 5,000 strong, forming to counter anti-gay protests held by the Rev. Fred Phelps at military funerals.

Phelps believes American deaths in Iraq are divine punishment for a country that he says harbors homosexuals. His protesters carry signs thanking God for so-called IEDs -- explosives that are a major killer of soldiers in Iraq.

The bikers shield the families of dead soldiers from the protesters, and overshadow the jeers with patriotic chants and a sea of red, white and blue flags.....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/21/funeral.motorcyclists.ap/index.html

These are my kind of bikers. Support the troops. This minister is crazy. These bikers show how we can agree on supporting the troops.

and so is the god they worship. Bravo to these bikers for standing up to them. :toast:

Phelps' people are apparently blogging these days (hard to fake that brand of crazy):

You goofballs, acting like those biker chicks changed anything in Chelsea. These girls on trikes have been present at every funeral where we have counter picketed. They stand among a crowd of chest-thumping, flag-waving howling necromancers, guaranteeing by their commotion that EVERYONE looks over at our signs...

http://wizbangblog.com/archives/007317.php

Someone posted this in LBN, the other day, so before anyone chimes in with their 'ooooh I watched a Marlon Brando movie, and then I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express, this one time, and NOW I'm a complete expert on the fact that ALL people who ride nasty motorcycles are outlaw freepers...."

I thought I'd get in first.

I ride a Harley (hey, it gets almost 60 mpg!) I do not belong to any motorcycle clubs. However, I do belong to a riding club - HOG. We do a lot of charity runs. In fact I'm doing a 2 day Poker Run for Autism next month. Mostly we just get together every weekend and "ride to eat".

I'm not a freeper. I'm a member of the DU, I worked for John Kerry's election as a local volunteer. I grew up in Europe, which puts me on the socialist side of Liberal, just by my upbringing.

I'm not a kuckledragger. I'm in fact an M.D. In medical school they definately taught us that breathing through the mouth was not a good idea either.

Oh and finally, I'm a woman. A short, 5'2" woman. Oh but I do have one tattoo - of Tigger (as in Winnie the Pooh), On my hip.

You definately don't have to be for the war to be a PG rider. Many don't. What we do support is the notion that these kids have given their lives, their families have given their greatest sacrifice for the notion (at least) of defending freedoms. (Yeah, many of us know thats bullshit - but that's what these kids signed up for originally). The very freedoms that allow assholes like Phelps - well to be public assholes. Banning his behavior, would be ironically against those notions. So what better than to sheild the families from him, again exercising a freedom we still (for the moment) enjoy. The idea isn't to shout, or yell, or acknowlege protesters. But to line the bikes up so to block view. Pipes, rumbling pointed at the protesters. Back turned on them. The families have already given more that enough to *'s corporate war, they don't need to be hurt any more by morans like the Phelps gang. For the funerals that aren't protested - the riders form an honor guard, just because * won't honor the dead by going to a funeral, doesn't mean that other's won't.

So, please post away with any flaming stereotypes - but you have to make ME fit in there too now ;)

A group came through our town on a memorial run for veterans. Some stopped at the ice cream shop where I was eating a dish of ice cream. I went up and shook their hands and thanked them for their service to our country-then and now.

:thumbsup:

He and my sister are both die-hard libs and the club does a lot of charity events.

Personally, I would like to thank you for standing up to these freaks.

doing. Sounds like you have made a lot of good choices for your life. glad to have you here.

are they insane or what??



(p.s. check out my music at http://www.myspace.com/raykeys )