How do you Honor your Freedom Fighter?

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Our First Amendment of the Constitution grants us the right to say whatever is on our mind, print and distribute without prosecution, worship any God of our choosing, lobby any law, and assemble any group of people with any common interest. But who do you think is defending those freedoms? During this ongoing, bloody conflict, our brave men and women of the Armed Forces have been fighting, struggling, and dying to preserve and protect the very freedoms many of us take for granted. Over 5,700 U.S. service members have perished fighting in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Those who have already made the ultimate sacrifice are still being targeted beyond the grave.

Select groups such as the Westboro Baptist Church have been “exercising” their rights in anger and hatred toward our heroes in arms. These groups of protestors have been picketing outside of military funerals with signs that read “Thank God for Dead Soldiers, “God is Your Enemy,” and “You’re Going to Hell,” led primarily by Rev. Fred Phelps. Do these actions fall under our personal liberties? Unfortunately the answer is yes and the courts have been ruling in favor of the protestors.

I wish I could say these people do not have the right to protest the soldiers, but I do believe in our freedoms. Having said that, I believe it is also my right to consider these people traitors and enemies of the United States. These groups blame the deaths of American Troops on U.S. tolerance for homosexuality and abortion. Apparently to groups like the Westboro Baptist Church a man or woman, differing in sexual orientation isn’t good enough to take a bullet for them in the name of freedom. However; when asked how he felt about the protestors and their message, Specialist Benjamin Kunkel of the 504 Military Police Battalion, currently serving in his first tour in Afghanistan says, “I would like to tell you that you’re welcome for your right to protest the soldiers because we are the ones fighting and dying for those rights.”