Kansas-based group to protest Caylee Anthony's memorial

Right: Members of the Westboro Cult, led by Fred Phelps

Amy L. Edward

Sentinel Staff Writer
February 9, 2009

Members of a controversial Kansas church known for protesting military funerals plan to picket Caylee Marie Anthony's memorial Tuesday. Unbelievable. Westboro Baptist Church detailed its plans in a recent news statement, which concludes with the phrase "GOD HATES AMERICA." The Topeka church claims that U.S. troops killed in combat are God's punishment for a nation harboring homosexuals. Westboro Baptist Church is considered a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. But why protest the death of this child?

Please don't blame the good people of Kansas for this group of hate-filled lunatics. They are a small family, all mentally deficient evidently, though highly educated. We Kansans are embarrassed and ashamed of these people, but they are able to twist Constitutional law to harass innocent people who are greiving their loved ones.

Here in Kansas a group of people have come together to form the "Patriot Guard", a group of people, many on Harleys and other loud motorcycles. They show up and hang American flags or large sheets of fabric to block the protesters from the sight of the grieving family, and will rev their engines and play loud music to block out the hatred that comes out of Fred Phelps mouth. Check out the website: http://www.kspatriotguard.org/Patriot%20pages%20county.pdf and this: http://www.patriotguard.org/WhoRidesWithUs/tabid/164/Default.aspx It shows a few groups in Florida, but groups will come in from all over.

And don't forget the wonderful group of young people who stood in front of the Anthony's house to stand between them and the skin-head protesters at their home early on.

I hope they all realize they will be needed tomorrow. Fred Phelps is pure hatred, satan reincarnated.

Meanwhile, preparations are continuing for Caylee's memorial service.The service will be at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Orlando, 3000 S. John Young Parkway. The church is at the intersection of Interstate 4, southwest of downtown Orlando. The doors will open at 8 a.m., said Brad Conway, the lawyer representing Caylee's grandparents. But the church stated Monday afternoon that the doors will open at 9 a.m.

Click here to see a map:

The service is open to the public, but the Anthony family is reserving the right to refuse entry to certain people. No cell phones, still or video cameras will be permitted inside the building.

Purses, bags and backpacks also are not allowed. Everyone who attends the service has to pass through a metal detector.The church's worship center seats 5,000 people. The lawyer representing Caylee's grandparents has said he expects the church to be packed.

Already, people from as far as California and New York have told the Orlando Sentinel they plan to attend. Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, who is accused of killing the toddler, cannot attend the service. She is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail, which is near the church.

Anthony, 22, has not requested to watch the service on television. She does have a transistor radio (bet she misses that blackberry). A jail spokesman has said no one from his agency will comment on Anthony's jailhouse demeanor or whether she listens to the memorial on her radio.

I got my first transister radio longer ago than I want to think about. They were the newest thing, had a little faux-leather cover and a three foot antennae. I was a faithful follower of Wolfman Jack late at night. It was a simpler life.

Westboro Church members have failed to post bonds

Right: Fred Phelps. Isn't it scary how normal he looks?

May 6, 2008
The Associated Press



BALTIMORE - Two members of the Westboro Baptist Church have failed to post bonds needed to stay the collection of a $5 million jury award pending appeal.

U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett, on April 3, granted motions by Shirley L. Phelps-Roper and Rebekah A. Phelps-Davis to delay payment of the verdict for protesting a U.S. Marine's funeral. The postponement was contingent upon their posting $125,000 and $100,000 bonds, respectively.

Bennett also imposed a lien on the properties of the church and its founder, Fred W. Phelps Sr.
The sisters had argued for lesser bond amounts; Phelps-Roper said she would not be able to offer such collateral to the court.

As of 5 p.m. Monday, the deadline imposed by Bennett, the women had not posted the bonds, according to court records.

Sean E. Summers is an attorney for plaintiff Albert Snyder, the plaintiff. He said the sisters' appeal of Bennett's ruling on their motion to stay made it improbable they would put up the cash Monday.

"It would be counterintuitive to do that if they were going to post the money," Summers said. "It's hard to cry poor to the 4th Circuit if they've already paid the money."

Phelps-Roper confirmed her refusal to obey Bennett's order granting a stay and discounted that part of the proceedings. "All this collection stuff, it's a lot of fluffy talk," she said. "If I don't have no $5 million, you can't take no $5 million."

In November, a jury found that the Topeka, Kan.-based church intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon Snyder, of York, Pa. Snyder's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, 20, was killed in Iraq in March 2006.

Summers said he will file a motion with Bennett to execute on the sisters' property - houses and small bank accounts, according to their submissions to the court. But until Bennett rules on that motion and the Richmond appellate court rules on the appeal of Bennett's original ruling on the motion to stay, that property will remain safe.

"It's not going to happen immediately," Summers said. "The wheels of justice turn, but they turn slow."