<p>I don’t think I’m allowed to link to the article, but if you google I’m sure you can find it.</p>
<p>Basically, a county in Mississippi had to bury a Marine and heard that the nutcases from Westboro Baptist Church planned to make an appearance. This is the quote I’ve seen “from an Ole Miss bulletin board” on several sites. I hope it’s true!!!</p>
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<p>Thanks for sharing. I do not understand those folks that make up this “church”. They are godless. </p>
<p>It’s cruel to protest at a military funeral. What they do is sinful.</p>
<p>While I do not agree in any way with the Westboro Baptist Church, I find this incident troubling. While private citizens may have parked the trucks behind the cars, the police department, both in failing to enforce the law equally (ie not be “able” to tow illegally parked cars) and in taking citizens in for questioning for a “crime” were using their official office and powers to censure what the Supreme Court has absolutely affirmed to be protected free speech. While it sounds really cute, I would not be surprised if the Westboro Church filed a lawsuit against the Rankin County Sheriff’s department for abuse of power. I would guess that they would win any such lawsuit, thereby costing the department a great deal of money and supplying the Church with funds to go spread their hate speech elsewhere.</p>
<p>After googling the story, I note that in addition to the actions described in the first post, some citizen of Rankin County beat one of the protesters to the point that he was hospitalized. “No one” saw a thing. I must say, I don’t think much of the citizens or law enforcement officials of Rankin County who reacted in such a manner. Thugs.</p>
<p>Perhaps the police merely had other things to do than worry about towing vehicles in time for the creeps to disrupt the funeral. And giving the police the benefit of the doubt, yes, maybe the publicity hounds really were accused of being involved in a crime. You can’t assume the cops made it up. Should someone involved in abusive and abhorrent practices be given extra special rights and privileges under the law? I think not.</p>
<p>Anyone whom attacked one of the visitors from Kansas should be prosecuted, but I’m glad the local folks found a relatively harmless way to thwart the fools from Westboro Church. Okay, so the cops took their time and made the tow truck temporarily unavailable. If that’s the worst offense by the authorities in Rankin, well then I’m not worried that their actions are a threat to the U.S. Constitution. I’m guessing that Rankin is not the largest area in the world and thus, the Kansas delegation could have walked to the funeral. Did anyone stop them from walking along the public thoroughfare? Probably not.</p>
<p>I agree with LakeWashington. Maybe their rights were stepped on a little, but how can you compare that with the pain they were attempting to cause the family of that Marine?</p>
<p>Unfortunately I was told this was not a true story. It showed up on another message board and somebody from that area said it never happened…</p>
<p>IMHO … you can thank servicemen (and their families) for their service, or you can thank the Westboro people for celebrating their constitutional right to free speech. But you can’t thank both.</p>
<p>I think everyone should have free reign to do whatever they want to the WBC.</p>
<p>If it’s true that this story isn’t true, I say, more’s the pity.</p>
<p>Well, even if it isn’t true, it might give some other people ideas of non-violent actions to take against horrible people like this.</p>
<p>Jason Rogers is the Marine that lost his life in Afghanistan. We know that isn’t a hoax. My thoughts are with his family and friends.</p>
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<p>Amen and Amen. I winch every time I hear of the death of another of our fighting men or women in either Iraq or Afghanistan. My cousin (a female Lieutenant Colonel and transportation logistics officer) still suffers from PTSD in the wake of her experiences in Afghanistan. We should never forget the sacrifices our military personnel make in order to serve our country, nor the grief frequently suffered by their family members.</p>
<p>Hoax or not, I don’t understand these protesters any more than the Koran burning minister.</p>
<p>Westboro recently planned to come and protest at the funeral of a Metro Atlanta fallen soldier.</p>
<p>The community rapidly organized, even using a facebook page, and 1000 people, mostly strangers to the soldier and his family, showed up to assure that the funeral would not be interrupted.</p>
<p>WBC did not show… From the Atlanta Journal Constitution</p>
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