Does anyone know?
Published on August 6, 2005 By philomedy In Current Events
I was watching the news last night. Their top story was about a 21 year old soldier from Indiana, Specialist Adam Harting, already on his third tour of duty, who was killed when a roadside bomb exploded. Lost in the background of the coverage of this man's funeral, and of the town that turned out in its entirety to mourn him, was a group of people holding up large, colorful signs and parading back and forth across the sidewalk.

I thought, "What bad timing for those picketers, couldn't they have joined in and paid their respects, and then protested what they had to protest later?"

Never did it cross my mind that they were picketing the funeral. The sick bastards.

Five minutes or so later in the story, they were mentioned. They belong to a "church." They believe that the events of September 11, as well as the war and every American casualty in it, is God's retribution for the acceptance of the gay lifestyle in our society. As the news anchors explained this, the camera focused on one of the signs they were holding. It read "Thank God for dead soldiers."

Words cannot express what I feel about these people. If anyone deserves a one way ticket out of the country, it is them. There was much talk after 9/11 about those who would say that we brought these attacks on ourselves by "disrespecting" or "threatening" the terrorist's world with our capitalism and our advertising, and those words were rightly ridiculed, attacked, and then dismissed. Where these individuals sought, disgustingly enough, to justify the terrorists actions on 9/11, this "church congregation" does not only justify, it glorifies the attacks. They rejoice. They thank God for every American soldier who falls, thinking it is God's way of punishing us for "accepting" homosexuality.

Forget the fact that the United States, time and time again, has shot down gay rights in the courts. Forget the fact that nation's who have reacted favorably to gay marriage, nations such as Canada and soon-to-be Spain, have had no such "punishments" from God as the United States did on September 11.

Forget all the fact because this is not about facts, it is about selfishness and greed. It is about hating a group of people so much, despite the fact they don't really affect you at all, that you would name them as the cause of the greatest tragedy that has ever befallen your nation. It is about hating a group of people so much, despite the fact that they have nothing to do with you, that you would allow yourself to think that by isolating, exiling, or even eliminating them, all threats of terror would disappear from this Earth. It is disgusting. It is obscenity. It is a one-way ticket to hell.

It is treasonous as well. Whenever an American soldier falls, the terrorists cheer. So too do the members of this "church." The terrorist world celebrated the destruction of the WTC. So too do the members of this "church." The terrorists believe that it is God's will that all this has happened. So too do the members of this "church."

If it acts like a terrorist and thinks like a terrorist...

We keep tabs on Muslims simply for being Muslim. A country of origin, a style of dress, a choice of religion, the sound of an accent, or a type of appearance is enough for us to keep tabs on people because they might pose a threat. Forget about evidence that they might pose a threat, we look at appearances and investigate based on that.

Meanwhile, there are people among us, who "look" like Americans, who "act" like americans, who "sound" like Americans, whatever the hell that all means, who are all but standing and clapping every time one of our soldiers dies. Are they being monitored? Are they being watched? Or are they simply being dismissed, because they "look" fine, they "look" safe, despite their despicable actions and thoughts? I honestly don't know. Perhaps one of you can answer that for me.

What I do know is that it doesn't seem too far between "God is using terrorists to punish us for accepting homosexuality" and "God wants me to punish America for accepting homosexuality."

***I apologize for not being able to name the particular "church" I am writing about, but the name was mentioned rather quickly on television and I failed to catch it. I tried their website, but the only thing covered on there was the funeral of Specialist Adam Harting, who I will mention again here, and who I will thank for his service to our nation. If anyone here knows the "church" I am talking about, please enlighten me. If anyone wishes to peruse the web site that I did, it is here:

Link




Comments
on Aug 06, 2005
I agree. There is no difference between someone who excuses terrorism by saying our imperialism or support for Israel caused it, and someone who says we brought it on ourselves through our sinfulness.

They have the right to say it, just like the Liberal freaks who excuse terrorism have the right to say what they say. We don't have the obligation to keep out mouths shut, and we can vote with our disdain, our influence, and our pocketbooks.

I have to say, though, were my child's funeral used as a site of a protest, the protestors would be far, far less safe than soldiers in combat. I can't imagine the sheer gall of someone who thinks they could do that and remain physically sound...
on Aug 06, 2005
Moving. Twin brother survives, also serving in the military. Almost scary details, as if they or their force were split in half symbolically.

Even if pickateers were doing what they called a good thing (nobody often mentions bribery involved making this happen instead of ideals), they better expect somebody lynching them for it soon, they want to provoke us back to medieval times, they will one day if we let it get this far. Some cities make a permit mandatory for picketing, and this one would have been directed elsewhere. Poor family!
on Aug 06, 2005
Wow. That story makes me feel physically ill. If anyone deserves an ass-kicking, it's those ghouls.

Ugh. That's just sickening.
on Aug 06, 2005
There are few more qualified for an extensive interrogation about where their allegiance lies.
on Aug 06, 2005
There are few more qualified for an extensive interrogation about where their allegiance lies.


I agree with you completely, Philomedy.
on Aug 06, 2005

I dont care where their allegiance lies.  These people (sorry Baker) are as animalistic as the terrorist.  To glorify death that way is to cheapen your own life.

Put them on a raft and let them fend for themselves.  To accuse a soldier of whatever sins may or may not be on the administration is to debase one's ideas and self, not the intended victim.

on Aug 12, 2005
First of all, I'd like to say thank you for those of you that realize how DISGUSTING this group was. They were from a Kansas Baptist Church. They held signs saying thank god for IED's for which was responsible for Adam's death. But have a lil glee they didn't stick around very long. The communites came together and blocked any vision of these Bastards. You saw them as you pulled into the cemetary only. WHICH WAS ENOUGH Many vets wanted their tails. No scene was made in respect to Adam and his family and friends.

Now about the "liberal" tag by Bakersfield. Ma'am or sir our son is also in the Army he too is a specialist and will be going back to Iraq hell in November or December. Let me tell you something, I'm neither liberal or conservative I'm an American. I have never voted because I didn't want my vote to be responsible for putting yet another crook in. But my son is serving this country and re-upped for another 3 years. When our men and women are on the line of fire they don't ask hey are you a liberal or a conservative? They are holding each others back. Alot of Americans should really think about that.

Proud Blue Star Mom----not proud of our government
on Aug 12, 2005
The amazing Karnac is gonna go out on a limb here and guess that the "church" was probably the one led by "Reverend" Fred Phelps, who, among other things, picketed Matthew Shepard's and Ronald Reagan's funerals.

Phelps is definitely a concern, though not a person to be greatly feared. More like pitied. He has made his name because of his outlandish behaviour and fundamentalist position that almost serves to PARODY, rather than typify, conservative Christianity.

If it's not Phelps, my words remain for whoever the idiot actually is. But I'd be surprised to learn it wasn't Phelps. It has his fingerprints all over it.
on Aug 12, 2005
Are these those people from that Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas? I saw an interview with the leader on some website, and he was, in the words of Ricky from Trailer Park Boys, just plain f*cked in the head. He was saying that we have to thank God for everything that happened, including 9/11 and the tsunami, because god did it, so it was good because it eliminated "undesirables" (usually homosexuals and other "sinners"). I think he also runs that "god hates fags" website. This is one guy who needs an ass-kicking.
on Aug 12, 2005

think he also runs that "god hates fags" website. This is one guy who needs an ass-kicking.

Now you see how whacked the whacky are.

on Aug 12, 2005
Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas?


yeah, that'd be the one! Thanks for the church's name, latour
on Aug 12, 2005
Yes it was Fred Phelps and about 9 or 10 others. Spc. Adam Hartings funeral was attended by over 500. At his awake there was well over that; most never knew this special young man, just paying their condolances to his family.

Proud Blue Star Mom----not of our government
on Aug 12, 2005
It definately stinks and something should have been done about them protesting. Even if it stepped on their freedom to do what they were doing it was definately inconsiderate!

It galls me that there are people and churches like that out there who call on the name of God and blame and say they're doing whatever they're doing in His name. They need to sit and read the bible from cover to cover and revisit the meaning of christianity!