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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.

"The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares," said Don Woodrick, the group's Kentucky captain. "When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement."

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Originally posted by HalfMooner

This is wonderful news. I only wish I had a motorcycle:

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

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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.

"The most important thing we can do is let families know that the nation cares," said Don Woodrick, the group's Kentucky captain. "When a total stranger gets on a motorcycle in the middle of winter and drives 300 miles to hold a flag, that makes a powerful statement."

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No, it isn't. It's how Phelps finances his little vacations of hate. He is counting on a counter-protest. He will send his supporters into the midst of the counter-protests to provoke a physical confrontation. He then calls the police and sues the person provoked. He has people standing by to "witness" the event who will swear up and down that their person did nothing wrong and the mean counter-protester just started wailing on them.

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... evil pigfucker ...

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Originally posted by HalfMooner

Valiant Dancer objected:

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No, it isn't. It's how Phelps finances his little vacations of hate. He is counting on a counter-protest. He will send his supporters into the midst of the counter-protests to provoke a physical confrontation. He then calls the police and sues the person provoked. He has people standing by to "witness" the event who will swear up and down that their person did nothing wrong and the mean counter-protester just started wailing on them.

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Then I hope the Patriot Guard Riders have good attorneys, too, and learn tactics that can deal with Phelps. The bottom line is these families deserve to be sheltered from the Theonazis in their time of grief, whatever the risk.

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A good left hook makes for a right fine wife. Brethren, they can lock us up, but we'll still do what the Bible tells us to do. Either our wives are going to obey, or we're going to beat them!

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The congregants, when asked by the Topeka Capital-Journal in interviews years later, recalled an incident one Sunday morning when Phelps' infant son, Mark, began to squirm during a sermon; Phelps responded by repeatedly punching the baby in the face. Afterwards, several men of the congregation confronted Phelps about the attack. [23]

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Phelps graduated from Washburn University in 1962, attending classes while maintaining his pastoral duties at Westboro.

Sometime following his graduation from Washburn, Phelps became addicted to amphetamines and barbiturates, which he often combined with large quantities of alcohol. [25] One of his sons claims that his first memory in life was that of the drunk, stoned Phelps shooting a dog for defecating on the lawn (see above) [26][27], the incident which led to the majority of Phelps' supporters leaving him and returning to Eastside. The owner sued Phelps, but Phelps defended himself in court and won. In the middle of the night, for the next several weeks, his ex-congregants sneaked into the front yard of Westboro and placed signs reading: Anyone who'd stoop to killing a dog someday will mistake a child for a dog. [28]

Phelps continued to take drugs, consume alcohol, and binge eat for six years, and would often go for days or weeks without leaving his bedroom. When Phelps did leave his room, it was to throw temper tantrums, during which he would throw food, break plates, and scream at his children for not eating. When Phelps was then too exhausted to continue his fit, he would take his wife back to their room for sex while the children cleaned up after him. Son Mark recalls:

It established a life habit for me. Even today, the moment I get home, I'm thinking 'Is Daddy mad?' Our walls were stained with food. And my mom used to cry because she couldn't keep good dishes. My father would also bust holes in the walls and doors. If they were on the outside, he'd fix them quickly. On the inside, he'd leave them unrepaired for months. [29]

Because of his habits, Phelps stopped earning money for the family, and because he refused to allow his wife to get a job, the family's financial resources quickly dried up. Phelps's binge eating pushed his weight to nearly 300 pounds.

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Originally posted by Sheri berri

It's okay to say slang on this site??? Namaste sheri

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Do you mean is it ok to curse? Well, it isn't encouraged, but for the most part we're all adults and a little harsh language never hurt anyone. The use of obscenities in reference to other members is strongly discouraged, however.

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Originally posted by InsultMohammed

Is phelps the guy who owns Godhatesamerica.com? I believe he visited my hometown a year or so ago. I missed the counter-protest unfortunately. If it's the same guy, then yeah, pig-fucker is certainly not a derogatory description.

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