Tucson mourners to rally against Westboro Baptist Church

The will to stand up against hate groups is alive and well within the United States, writes CNN. An accumulation of good people in Tucson, Ariz., in which the nightmarish Safeway shooting happened Saturday, will join together to shield mourners from the hateful reach of Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church. The hate will be brushed aside by angels’ wings – literally. No matter how large of a personal loan the Westboro Baptist Church takes out, they won't be able to purchase their way into the funeral.

Tucson is planning ‘angel action’ against hate

Tucson, which city resident Christen Gilmer described to CNN as a "caring, loving, peaceful community," will take an "angel action" against the Westboro Baptist Church, which plans to picket the funerals of those Jared Loughner killed. After the Westboro Baptist Church protested at the funeral of a gay man beaten to death in Wyoming in 1999, Matthew Shepherd, a Colorado resident Romaine Patterson came up with the idea of angel action.

How the angel action will work

Select volunteers will wear 8- by 10-foot angel wings during the funeral in order to physically shield mourners from Fred Phelps and the Westboro Baptist Church’s hate messages. CNN spoke with the Gilmer who is in charge of the angel action who said that there is "a peaceful haven" that those with love in their hearts can experience.

Seeing help from others

Political representative's right, left and center have offered up support for Tucson’s angel action.. Facebook pages entitled "Build Angel Wings for the Westboro Funeral Counter-Protest and Meeting" and "Show Support for the Families of the Tucson Shooting Victims" have attracted thousands of fans. Wings shouldn't cost too much. There have been donations of money and material. Gilmer explains where the donations will go. They will help pay for the victims' funerals of the Tucson funeral.

No counter protest to come

The support group "Show Support" on Facebook isn't meant to be a counter-protest according to Chelsea Cohen who started the group as a 20 year old senior at Tucson's University of Arizona reports CNN. The point isn't to get attention as the Westboro Baptist Church is trying to do. They also do not want to disrupt the funeral.

”We wanted it to show support for the families and to show that Tucson is there with love and support,” was what Cohen said. It was very clear.

Citations

CNN

edition.cnn.com/2011/US/01/11/arizona.funeral.westboro/?hpt=C2

Drop the politics and think of the children, Westboro

youtube.com/watch?v=vzCedbzyOls