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Anti-gay protesters arrive for Bush wedding
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In Crawford an hour before the wedding of first daughter Jenna Bush and fiance Henry Hager at the nearby Bush ranch:
Six protesters including a child about 5 or 6 years old, all from the aggressively anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., made good on their threat to protest in Crawford an hour or so before tonight’s wedding of President Bush’s daughter, Jenna.
Just before 6 p.m., the protesters gathered in town at the road leading to the 1,600-acre Bush ranch, began waving signs that read “God is your enemy, America is doomed,” “Pro-gay Bush” and “Not blessed, just cursed,” and sang fractured versions of song religious and patriotic, including the Marine song, “From the Halls of Montezuma.”
At one point, they sang “God bless America,” except they dropped the word “bless” and replaced it with “hates.”
While three area law enforcement officers said the group was within its rights to protest, a handful of Crawford residents wasted no time expressing anger.
“I may end up in jail, but if the cops don’t do something fast, we’re going to do this the country way,” Harlan Burgess said.
The Westboro Baptist Church, with its homophobic philosophy, has gained notoriety in recent years for showing up to protest at the funerals of war dead.
Tonight’s protest came on the same day that officials at the nearby Crawford Texas Peace House opted to shelve any protests out of deference to the president’s daughter who, they said, shouldn’t be blamed for her father’s war policies. To protest, one of the Crawford protesters told the Tribune-Herald, would be “tacky.”
Rachel Hockenbarger, 42, one of the Westboro Baptist Church protesters this evening, at one point quoted a Bible verse about “odious women,” then blasted President Bush for raising Jenna to be tolerant of gay people.
Others, however, had their own say in the way of protesting. Thomas MIller, 18, a self-described “counter-protester” from Waco’s Lake Shore Baptist Church, stationed himself across the street with his own sign that read: “For God so loved the world.”
And a number of neighborhood children hastily put together their own tongue-in-cheek sign lampooning the Kansas protesters: “These people are gay.”
A Crawford police officer, noticing the youngsters’ comical sign, told them at one point they were waving it upside-down.
While all this was going on, other vehicles passed by on the way to the Bush ranch, including two luxury buses and an M&M Special Events truck.
Comments
By TG
May 10, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
Best wishes! God bless you both.
By Jeffy
May 10, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
I’m so glad the right thing is happening the right way, it’s about time, I was thinking before this nothing like nothing was the way it was always going to be but boy was I wrong, thanks again for the flowers and the sentiments under the stars. Abraham would be proud.
By B
May 10, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this
This is one of the most entertaining articles I’ve read. Phelps is such a nutcase, good for the kids who made fun of him. Also, tactful decision by the Peace group.
By Robert
May 10, 2008 7:49 PM | Link to this
Nothing like protesting homosexuality at a wedding between a man and a woman.
By Sunny
May 10, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
It is a sad day when two people in love and celebrating their monumental day can not be allowed to do that without the tactics of others trying to over shadow them. These ridiculous people need to go and get a life! This is why I have had such a hard time with church, and trust me I love Jesus, but his hipocrits take the cake! They obviously have not read the bible because if God clearly states he’s against certain things, homosexuality, he still loves ALL of his children. What gives them the authority to judge others? LOVE THEM, that’s what Jesus would do!!!
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