Paul Smith of East Peoria, Illinois

The funeral home is located in the center of the following photo. It can hardly be seen because it is obscured by trees and flags. The three cop cars are there because our friends from Westboro were there, though we didn’t know it when I took this picture. The camera view down Washington Street is toward the west. Behind the camera, toward the east, I-74 crosses Washington. Just before that crossing is a spot exactly 300 feet from the funeral home property.

We know that spot because the police used their laser range finder to locate it. The Westboro-inspired Illinois law that keeps funeral protestors at least 300 feet away from the funeral would be strictly applied to Westboro this day.

The location thus established, the PGR leadership turned their attention to tactical flag placement.

Terry, Cowboy and Top discussed the matter.

They confirmed the sight-lines.

Then Cowboy and Top left to get the big flag and more regular flags.

Terry (on the right in the photo below) is standing at the end of a chain-link fence that extends all the way to I-74. He is placing rebar stakes in the ground for the flags that will soon arrive. Other PGRiders approach with other flags.

Then, to the surprise of all of us, a police officer escorts two of the protestors around the end of the chain-link fence. When Terry looks up, he realizes who they are but he doesn’t say a word.

Nor did they dare say a word. They know they are well within the 300 feet. They know the trailing cop would be just as happy arresting them as escorting them. They know it serves their interest to be victimized by “PGR thugs” – as they call us.

But what of the six PGRiders who came only to show respect for a fallen hero and find this opportunity suddenly available? These two approaching Westboro people say the most vile things to the grieving family at a time when they are most vulnerable. There were so many things that could have been said to them as they passed. After all, they are great trumpeters of First Amendment speech protections. At the very least, couldn’t someone spit on the ground in front of them?

We simply held our flags and waited for them to pass. It was a truly wonderful moment.

These two Westboro people who hide behind the First Amendment to inflict cruel injury were met with utter civility.

We held our tongues as we held our ground. We proved that we are better than they are.

You can see the relief in their faces. They were glad to find that we are not as cruel as they are.

I’m guessing, but I think they are Fred, Jr. (eldest son of Pastor Fred Phelps) and his wife.

They joined two other men and another woman at their van. No children this time. They are 440 miles from home.

Two of them noticed me photographing them and probably wondered why I was interested since they had no signs out.

As they say, “Guns don’t kill people. People do.” The sign is not cruel. It’s the person holding the sign who is cruel.

They re-parked their van on the other side of I-74, picked-up their folio of signs and hiked around the far end of that chain-link fence.

Even though no one at the funeral home could see them, they unpacked their signs.

After all, it was 880 miles for the round trip.

They got down to business.

Fred Phelps, Jr. is a defeated person.

He had happiness and rejected it.

Nothing can make them happy. They are addicted to hate.

We set up a 4X6 shield on poles so that no one would have to hold it.

Their theory is this: God is punishing America for its tolerance of homosexuality by killing American soldiers.

So its either political speech or religious speech – protected speech either way.

Lovely people. They look so normal. Why don’t they understand that their behavior doesn’t have to be against the law to be against common decency?

As usual, they broadcast their hateful messages at the ramps of the interstate for only 20 minutes, just before the service began and as PGRiders were arriving.