Patriot Guard Riders

Not too long ago, I was forwarded information about a motorcycle riders group called the Patriot Guard Riders. This group was formed in response to the protests from members of the Westboro Baptist Church at soldiers’ funerals who were killed during the War on Terrorism. Sadly, fringe groups like this give ‘the religious’ a bad image overall.

Using Wikipedia for all the info, just take a moment to check out these fine citizens and what they stand for. Their axe to grind is homosexuality as a broad topic. Yet somehow, they have drawn the parallel that our military supports it with the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. OK, but at a funeral? I’m not going to post the pics of their protest banners because they are offensive, but here is the link to Wikipedia’s info on them. Here’s an excerpt about the roots of the protests at soldiers’ funerals.

Soldiers in Iraq
On October 29, 2005, the church put out a flyer saying “Praise the Lord for 2,010 Dead Soldiers in Iraq” and stating “We humbly pray to God to please kill many more”.[32] It should be noted that Westboro was supportive of Saddam Hussein’s regime, claiming it was the only Muslim country where Christianity could be openly preached on the streets. Phelps Sr. had even made a journey to Iraq at Hussein’s invitation.

Needless to say, I immediately joined. I’m not going to turn this into an advertisement for the PGR, but go to their site and check out what they stand for, what they do, why they do it. I still use “they” even though I am a proud member. I feel very fortunate that my services have not been needed in my local area of Phoenix, AZ to date.

The PGR recently got a Federal Commendation via HRES 731 for “Commending the Patriot Guard Riders for shielding mourning military families from protesters and preserving the memory of fallen service members at funerals.” The text of the Bill can be viewed here.

It takes all kinds in this great nation of ours, but the country would be better off if some simply weren’t around. We don’t have our freedoms because of the pen of a journalist, the bible of a priest, self-service of politicians, or the keyboard of a blogger. IMO, we have the freedoms we do because of the gun of a soldier.

You do not have to support the war to act in a dignified manner when the families of fallen soldiers are putting theirs to final rest. This notion has escaped those in the Westboro Baptist Church. Yes, they have the right to be there (good news – laws are being written in many states creating a protest-free zone for fallen soldiers), but having the right to be there should not superced common decency…especially given the circumstances.

It is a sad time where a group like the PGR has to even exist. It is a sad time when people, in the name of God, would purposely disrupt the funeral as our soldier is laid to rest. What is not sad is that folks – bikers – had the stones to organize on a national level and do the right thing. I couldn’t be more proud to be a member of this organization and what they stand for: RIDING WITH RESPECT.