WBC to Protest Fallen Soldier's Funeral in Williamsport
2 min readWILLIAMSPORT – The WBC (Westboro Baptist Church), an Independent Baptist Church formed in 2002 and based out of Kansas, which is known for picketing soldiers’ funerals and burning American Flags, has decided to protest the funeral of Lance Cpl. Abram Howard, a Williamsport native who was killed while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, earlier this year.
Howard was a 2007 graduate of Williamsport High and a decorated Veteran with hopes of becoming a CIA or FBI agent. Howard was only 21 when he was killed.
The United PROTECTORS of Fallen Soldiers, a group formed to protect the families of fallen soldiers and to counter WBC protests, has released a news bulletin requesting that followers and anyone interested to join them in a ‘silent and peaceful protection’ of Lance Cpl. Abram Howard’s funeral, which is at 10:15 am today, at the Saint Joseph the Worker Parish, Annunciation Church, on Fourth Street in Williamsport.
The United PROTECTORS of Fallen Soldiers plans to use a ‘human shield’ of silent supporters to shield Howard’s friends and family from the protesters during the funeral.
Susie Baruth, head of the United PROTECTORS of Fallen Soldiers, told Coudy News that the WBC will typically picket shopping centers and malls the night before a funeral, and many times will scope out churches and funeral places in advance, but that she feels confident the protesters in Williamsport will not have easy access to Lance Cpl. Abram Howard’s funeral.
Anyone wishing to support the United PROTECTORS of Fallen Soldiers, may contact Susie at 321-914-5966, or may show support by joining her Facebook Cause page here.
The United PROTECTORS of Fallen Soldiers has over 1 million members.
Photo from Wikipedia.
So glad there are groups out there to protect and defend our soldiers and their loved ones. Thank you for your dedication to this cause. My husband is active duty military and I just could not imagine having to deal with such terrible and harsh word, signs, etc. as well as the loss of a man that I love. My husband and father to our child. It is truly heartbreaking.
You have got to be kidding me! These people need to be arrested! That WBC is not really a Church, look at their website, it is sick and they are not fit for society!
They have been doing this for some time and someone with authority needs to stop them.
This is an absolute outrage. This is obviously a product of misguided and uneducated people. They have NOT seen what we go through from day to day and if they HAD seen what these people say and do to my brothers and sisters or perhaps had an experience of their own like the many reporters have before then who were just trying to expose the atrocities of the events there and show how real this thing is. I understand the freedom to assemble well…but I didn’t think that it would be mis-used so disgustingly. These people are grieving the losses of American heroes…ones that died to protect their very right to do what they are doing! Unappreciative leaches who just enjoy the spoils of the blood spilled over things like these is what they are. Maybe we should just bring all of us back stateside and give the “bad guys” a chance to make it BACK to American soil in force and just let them see what that would bring…when they are at their front porch bringing them their own brand of protests in the form of suicide bombers that have no regard for any life including their own THEN maybe some light will be shed on the subject for them…when it’s too late. I have no respect for these individuals yet, I will continue to press on with our mission praying that we don’t lose any more of my brethren to protect THEIR rights.
Thank god you r all supporting this cause, from someone who has family and friends in the military, and know of people who have passed away fighting for our rights, i thank all americans who silently protest, verbally, or on computers, etc. for standing out agains these small minded have nothing better to do cults!!! They can drink their KOOL-AIDE now!
Westboro “Baptist Church” needs to remove the name baptist and church from their name. I personally am a Baptist and in NO WAY support what they are doing. Every soldier deserves a respectful and unprotested funeral. These soldiers are dying for our country and so that people may worship freely. I can’t believe that they can claim to be church and do this. God calls his church to love people not protest them. God says for us to love the sinner and not their sin. So this “church” needs to read their Bible and pray for he soldiers safety not cheer for their death!