Jackson Free Press

Hundreds of motorcycle-riding veterans will assemble tomorrow to shield mourners of a slain Brandon Marine from an extremist anti-gay hate group that protests military funerals. Alan "Dragonslayer" Smith, a regional ride captain for the Mississippi chapter of the Patriot Guard Riders, said he expects more than 200 riders to show up Saturday for the funeral of Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers, who died serving in Afghanistan earlier this month.

"We had about 100 riders (for the arrival of Rogers' body at the Mississippi Air National Guard Base) yesterday, and the public support was outstanding," Smith said. "I've seen these things grow into 600 to 700 riders from all over."

Westboro Baptist Church, based in Topeka, Kan, has announced plans to picket Rogers' funeral, scheduled for 3 p.m. tomorrow at Pinelake Baptist Church in Brandon. The Southern Poverty Law Center's Intelligence Report calls Westboro a hate group. The small extremist group regularly protests at military funerals--among other high-profile events--ostensibly to condemn America's tolerance for homosexuality. WBC identifies itself as following a hard-line "Primitive Baptist" creed, but the Southern Baptist Convention and the American Baptist Churches denounce the group and reject the affiliation.

The Patriot Guard Riders formed in 2005 in direct response to Westboro's protests. Members work with local law enforcement to provide escorts for funeral processions and provide a physical barrier between the funeral and protesters, sometimes revving their engines to drown out protesters' chants.

Smith, who has been with the group since its formation, says that he has seen local law-enforcement officials mislead WBC protesters about the route of a funeral procession and intentionally park logging trucks in front of designated protest areas.

In March, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed Westboro's constitutional right to free speech in protesting military funerals on public property. Westboro's protests are typically limited to areas designated by law enforcement. Several states, including Arizona and Indiana, have passed laws prohibiting protests within certain distances of funerals.

The Mississippi Legislature passed a similar law last year, making it a misdemeanor to protest within 1,000 feet of a funeral, with violations punishable by a fine of up to $500 and six months in jail. This year, the state House of Representatives attempted to strengthen the prohibition, passing a bill that would have elevated the crime to a felony and raising the maximum punishment to a $5,000 fine and five years imprisonment. The bill died in the Senate Judiciary B Committee.

Previous Comments

ID

163150

Comment

It really makes one wonder which side the Senate Judiciary B Committee stands with. Raising the maximum punishment is sending the right message although Westboro does have a tape measure they carry with them.

Author

DeGuyz

Date

2011-04-15T13:15:40-06:00

ID

163154

Comment

While I respect the WBCs' right to free speech, I kind of hope that someone shows up at their demonstration who doesn't respect that right.

Author

Rico

Date

2011-04-15T16:15:04-06:00

ID

163168

Comment

It's a sad day in this country when hate-filled idiots are allowed to protest a funeral and especially one for a fallen soldier. Do these people know that someday they will be protesting at the funeral of a daughter, a son a niece, nephew or a neighbor's loved one? This is the real test of their belief as being on the "RIGHT" side of this issue. What is our world coming to? Even the dead is not protected from mean-spirited people. Their so-called "RIGHT" is a prime example of freedom of speech going too damn far.

Author

justjess

Date

2011-04-16T18:48:40-06:00