Americans Abroad

It is safe to say that I am happy to be an American. An article I read a few minutes ago does not, however, make me proud to be one. The article appeared in today's Winnipeg Free Press.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church plan to picket the funeral of Tim McLean this weekend. Apparently, they were here in Canada staging some other protests when they heard the news of Mr. McLean's murder on a Greyhound bus. Shirley Phelps-Roper was told of the grizzly news and reportedly said: "Lo and behold, we were going to Canada and God offered us a gift. The curse of God was put upon you (Canada) when that young man's head was cut off." I hate to lend credence to their position by repeating it, but they maintain that the people of Canada are being punished for their tolerance of homosexuals.

Several US states have passed laws to keep members of this group from disrupting funerals - their favorite platform. The group gained media attention first for their demonstrations at the funeral of Matthew Shepard in 1998. Since then, they have moved on to picketing and demonstrating at the funerals of American soldiers killed in Iraq (God is also punishing America for its increasing acceptance of homosexuality - they claim to believe) as well as the funerals of the miners in Sago, West Virginia and the funeral of Coretta Scott King. Closer to my heart, members of the sect regularly picket Broadway shows in Topeka, Kansas (their hometown) and harass cast and crew members at the stage door.

While I am an absolute believer in the freedom of religion, the freedom of speech and the freedom to assemble, I am truly sorry that these people feel the need to attract media attention to their idiotic cause by harassing people in their time of grief. I wish they would go back home to Kansas and leave the family of Mr. McLean alone. They have suffered enough without wing-nut Americans showing up at their loved-one's funeral. Clearly, the vast majority of Americans disagree with these people and mourn the senseless death of Mr. McLean.

JV