Patriot Guard to the Rescue in Michigan

I have a policy of not swearing on this blog, so I can't truly and accurately describe how I feel when some idiot group protests at a military funeral and shouts things like "God hates your son... He's glad your son died...your son is in hell." I know a certain church in Topeka, Kansas are satan-worshippers disguised as Christians, and I won't say any more than that.

But I can sing the praises of the Patriot Guard.

Michigan resident, Army Cpl. Nyle Yates III, died in Iraq. He gave his life for the cause of freedom - both for those of us here at home, and for a people in a land far away.

While a certain group of satan-worshippers from Kansas tried to make a stink at the funeral, the Patriot Guard honored our fallen hero.

...their words were drowned out by 300 people standing shoulder to shoulder with their backs to the protesters, forming a human shield, holding hundreds of flags so the Yates family would not have to see or hear the protesters.

"God bless Cpl. Yates!" the group chanted. "God bless Cpl. Yates!"

The funeral turned into a scene that has played out more than 100 times across the country, including three times in Michigan in the last month. Most of the supporters were members of the Patriot Guard, a motorcycle group with nearly 22,000 members formed in October to shield families from protesters and to honor fallen soldiers.

The Patriots are a motorcycle group, a patriotic group of men and women who shouldn't be crossed.

"We are Patriots," said Larry (Grumpy) Helser, a Vietnam veteran from Holt who organized the event for the Patriot Guard with the edge of a man who used to be in charge of 120 combat Marines.

"This is a fallen hero. We are here to respect the family of the fallen."

Unfortunately,

A heavy police presence kept the two sides from anything more than an intense verbal battle, although they stood less than 30 feet apart.

One uniformed soldier took a few steps toward the protesters with the intention of attacking one of them, but he was stopped by a police officer. The solider cooled off and walked away.

These protesters do NOT have any First Amendment rights to disturb a private affair such as a funeral. Nowhere in the Constitution is this allowed, period.

I thank God for the men and women like Cpl. Yates, who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I thank God for the men and women who served, who gave of themselves, at any time during our country's history. And I thank God that there are people like the Patriot Guard who protect the dignity of our nations heroes when satan-worshipping hate-mongers come to protest.

Patriot Guard