Update on Fred Phelps Funeral Protest

Colleen Kottke of the Fon du Lac Reporter ran a great piece on the planned protest by the insane Fred Phelps and crew. It was written before the funerals, but is awfully reassuring about the two towns' responses.

A Ripon law enforcement official said he is prepared should the protest actually occur, but he is taking a wait-and-see approach since the funeral in Theresa precedes the group’s anticipated stop in Ripon.

Members of the Westboro group may find themselves under arrest if they carry out plans to demonstrate at Wendling’s funeral, said Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls.

Nehls, who is a colonel in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and recently returned from active duty in Afghanistan, received an e-mail Monday morning from the Westboro attorney informing him members were planning a public demonstration/outdoor religious service at the funerals.

The area guardsmen were killed on Sept. 26, in Shaibah, Iraq, when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle during convoy operations. Both were assigned to the Army National Guard’s 2nd Battalion, 127th Infantry Brigade. A third soldier, Jeremy Roskopf of Brownsville was injured in the attack.

“When I saw the Web site address ‘www.godhatesfags.com,’ I knew it was a fanatic group that I wasn’t going to deal with,” said Nehls. “While I am all for the Constitution and free speech and the right to protest, I have a problem with the venue they’re trying to use to get their message out and inferring that these soldiers are homosexuals. I told them they are not going to do that in my county at this funeral.”

I've e-mailed Kottke to ask if there will be a follow-up, in hopes of getting some information. Thanks for your prayers; I'm sure they made a difference.

Cross-posted @ GMC.