Comments on: A Hero’s Goodbye: Family, Community Honor Fallen Soldier (With Photo Gallery)

By: Jim W

Jim W — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:43:16 +0000

William I commend you on your response above. I also commend you for not playing the Westboro game. As a Commander of a Honor Guard unit for over a decade I have had to deal with their presence at funerals and to include the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It is the most disrespectful thing that could ever happen when people are gathering to mourn and pay tribute to someone who has worn the cloth of their country. It is those same people who wears the uniform of our country who would fight to protect the 1st Amendment under which the Westboro crew exercises their right.

I do not agree with the Westboro people at all because I think they are disrespectful and disruptive to get attention. But I do understand there is a fine line there under the 1 st Amendment to allow freedom of speech and expression. So they have the right but the way to stop this behavior may be to shun them?

This is just my opinion so people please allow me to exercise my 1st Amendment right to express my opinion as well.

By: take1281

take1281 — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 13:22:29 +0000

One thing that the social media sites that were posting everything did was repeatedly remind everyone that it was about the soldier and his family and urge them not to try to interact with WBC. Most everything I read was urging people to be a blockade for the funeral so that the family could put their soldier at rest peacefully… or at least without the distraction of WBC.

By: Robert S.

Robert S. — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 11:36:02 +0000

It was heartening to see the area’s community turn out in large numbers to support the family and friends of Sgt. Thomas and to recognize him with the true honor and respect due an American Hero. God Bless America and please protect those who willingly place themselves in harm’s way to ensure us our Freedom. Peace be with all of you.

By: Jane

Jane — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 10:55:52 +0000

I realize we have freedom of speech but to protest at a military funeral is simply a way to get attention and I am glad the media here is NOT giving them the attention they want. Bless his family and let this be a happy homegoing for a hero.

By: Christopher maloney

Christopher maloney — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 10:37:26 +0000

may It Be About Our Hero And Not About Them.

By: William

William — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:43:06 +0000

>>>I’m of the belief that the Westboro Baptist Church is now saying they will show up just so more people show up to the funerals and stuff. I’m not really sure where these rumors come from though because I check their website and it’s not posted there.

Westboro did send out a press release to area media saying they would be at the funeral, and it’s still up on one of their websites.

The media in the area, NorthEscambia.com included, pretty much had a blackout about Westboro prior to the funeral. We reported nothing about them. I know we and several other media organizations worked hard to determine, to the best of our ability, that they were not going to be in Pensacola in making the blackout decision. This was not to be about Westboro, this was to be about a hero that lost his life in defense of our great country.

To have reported about their idle threat to “preach” at the service would have done nothing more than spread their message of hatred. Like an immature kid throwing a tantrum in the corner, we ignored them.

But Facebook was Westboro’s platform. Over and over people posted a link to the press release on Facebook, which included their vile message of hate.

One large local Facebook page (about 12,000 fans), one that’s usually more into humor than “news”, tried to “report” about the hate group and urge people to counteract — further fueling the Facebook fire. It was a noble effort on their part; they just did not realize how “real” media was handling the situation with the blackout. And they admitted such.

By: Safebear

Safebear — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 09:27:07 +0000

I’m of the belief that the Westboro Baptist Church is now saying they will show up just so more people show up to the funerals and stuff. I’m not really sure where these rumors come from though because I check their website and it’s not posted there. Besides, WBC is about out of money and members and even family members are abandoning that church.