Fred Phelps Protests Flight 3407 Funeral: Anti-Gay Church Claims Crash is God's Punishment of United States

Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church traveled to Buffalo to protest the funeral of Flight 3407 victim, human rights advocate Alison Des Forges. Des Forges, 66, died on February 12, 2009 in the crash of Flight 3407. She was a trained historian and human rights advocate who specialized in Rwanda and Burundi. She was also a senior advisor for the Africa division at Human Rights Watch.

The Westboro Baptist Church is claiming the tragedy of Flight 3407 is God's punishment for the United States permissive attitude toward homosexuality. Most people were unaware of the Topeka, Kansas group before this announcement. Westboro Baptist Church is an extremist sect centered on anti-gay ideology that has gained some infamy for their protests at the funerals of soldiers killed in Afghanistan in Iraq claiming their deaths are a result of the United States acceptance of homosexuality.

The protest of Des Forges' funeral was met with a large counter protest. Three members of the Westboro Baptist Church were surrounded by counter protesters carrying white flags and banners. Local groups such as OUTspoken for Equality and Vietnam Veterans Legacy Club took part in the protests. More than 150 people met outside the church to protect the memorial service for Des Forges and keep attendees from being approached by the picketers.

The police were present to make sure no violence broke out or laws were broken, which has happened in the past. Benjamin Phelps, the oldest grandson of Fred Phelps, was arrested in 1995 after spitting on someone at a protest. In 2007, Shirley Phelps-Roper, Fred Phelps' daughter, was arrested in Nebraska. During a protest of a soldier's funeral, she had her son stand on an American flag, which is illegal under state law. She was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

No arrests were made at the protest and there have been no reports of violence. Jonathon Phelps of the Westboro Baptist Church, however, claims he and the other two picketers were threatened by the counter protesters. He says he was pushed and put in imminent danger but there is no evidence any such event occurred. Video footage shows no physical contact between the two groups.

Westboro Baptist Church picketers will continue around the country focusing on other causes. This month, the Westboro Baptist Church plans to protest funeral of Marine Sgt. Trevor J. Johnson at Arlington Nation Cemetery in Virginia. They claim the funeral is "idolatry" because it worships the dead. They will also protest in Washington, D.C. against President Obama, who they claim is the anti-christ.

Feb 28, 2009 3:33 PM

Guest :

Justice For The Clarence Center 50 – FIRE FAA’s Lynne Osmus and Hank Krakowski
Photos and biographies of the aircrash victims, links, and the full text of this message, can be found at:
http://indictsturgell.blogspot.com/2009/02/justice-for-clarence-50.html
America continues to learn that the victims of the Clarence Center aviation disaster were great people.

But one example:
The late “Dawn Monachino of Clarence typically drove 10 hours round-trip to Pennsylvania, every two weeks, to be with her mother, who has Alzheimer’s disease”.
http://www.buffalonews.com/516/story/581786.html

Dawn was a hero. So were her fellow passengers. They died to make our air travel safer. But they should not have been taken from us.

Quiet Rockland extends thoughts, sympathies, and prayers to families and friends of the victims of the horrible airplane crash which occurred near Buffalo, New York in the nearby hamlet of Clarence Center, Continental (Connections) Flight #3407, on Friday, February 13, 2009. The crash of Flight #3407 was but part of the legacy of harmful malfeasance rendered to us by now-exited failed Acting FAA Administrator Robert Allan (“Bobby”) Sturgell, now-exited failed FAA “Safety Officer” Nicholas Sabatini - and still-in-office FAA COO Hank Krakowski and Acting FAA Administrator Lynne A. (Dobler) Osmus.

The victims of the Flight #3407 crash were kind and decent people, with hopes and dreams. None of them deserved to die at the hands of malicious bureaucrats. We again call upon the President, USDOT Secretary LaHood, and Congress, to immediately remove Lynne Osmus and Hank Krakowski from FAA and from all other government work, permanently. We again call upon President, USDOT Secretary LaHood, and Congress, to now give FAA the top-to-bottom clean-out of other FAA personnel recommended by Congressman Oberstar last year, before Flight #3407 ever happened. If the clean-out of FAA had happened already, the crash of Flight #3407 may not have happened. Finally, we want a Congressional investigation into the circumstances of the timing of the hasty departure announcement by NTSB Member Steven R. Chealander, which announcement occurred but a week after he commenced work on the February 13 Flight #3407 crash. We want answers. We want justice. We want a new FAA.

Photos and biographies of the Clarence Center crash victims, and the full text of this message, can be found at:
http://indictsturgell.blogspot.com/2009/02/justice-for-clarence-50.html< br />