Soldier's mom describes dealing with funeral protestors

An automatic reaction to this is that this group of a family calling themselves a church has no right to do what they do. The truth is, they have every right but are too self-centered, too filled with hate, to notice why they have the right to say what they want. They have this right because of the constitution, the same one the men and women in the military serve to protect and defend.

The good news here is that while these people apparently know nothing about why they enjoy the right to say what they want, they are regarded as pests far outnumbered by everyone else. When people see their signs and hear their words, they are repulsive.

The only thing that needs to happen so that the family of the fallen soldiers are provided with the ability to bury their family member in peace is that the folks from Westboro are kept away much like a restraining order keeps predators and abusers far away from victims. Let them say what they want and prove how disgusting they are but keep them away from the families they are trying to harm.

Soldier's mom describes dealing with funeral protestors
Chris Williams 8 On Your Side Reporter
4:12 PM CST, March 9, 2010


KNOX COUNTY, Illinois - A Quad Cities Area mother had to deal with protestors during her son's funeral. Now the same church group wants the U.S. Supreme court to protect them from a lawsuit.

Members of Kansas based Westboro Baptist Church gained a reputation for taking their anti-homosexual message to funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. A Maryland family sued the group for pain and suffering and won but a Federal Appeals Court ruled in favor of the church setting up the showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court should get the case this fall.

For the first time since her son's funeral a local woman spoke publicly about dealing with the same protestors at her son's funeral. News 8 reporter Chris Williams has her story.

This June will mark 4 years since Knox County gathered to honor Private First Class Caleb Lufkin. Most people will see the video and pictures in this story and wonder if it really has been that long. For Caleb's family the memories of that day are as vibrant and painful as though it were only yesterday.

"The pain never goes away. It never goes away", said Caleb's mother Marcy Gorsline.

For many, Caleb's day was marred by out-of-town protestors using the loss to push their agenda. One woman from Westboro Baptist said she brought nine of her 11 children here to make a point.

The Patriot Guard Riders tried to shield the family from what they saw as a political message that was way out of place.
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Soldiers mom describes dealing with funeral protestors