Report: Controversial Church to Picket East Texas Soldier’s Funeral

TYLER — Westboro Baptist Church plans to picket East Texas soldier Sgt. Russell R. Bell’s funeral, according to a report by The Fort Bragg Patch. Kansas-based Westboro Baptist is known for its extreme and disruptive protests at military funerals, because they believe the deaths are a punishment from God. One of the organizers for Westboro Baptist’s protests, Jonathan Phelps, tweeted “Thank God for killing Sgt. Russell Bell, Tyler, TX by IED. WBC 2 picket funeral as service 2 all. God is not mocked: U reap what U sow. Gal 6:7.” Fort Bragg’s 4th Brigade soldier, 1st Sgt. Russell R. Bell from Tyler, Texas was killed by an IED last Thursday in Afghanistan.

Military support organization Patriot Guard Riders will occasionally attend soldiers’ funerals where Westboro plans to picket, in a show of support for the family. KETK spoke with a representative of the East Texas Patriot Guard Tuesday morning, who said that the organization has not yet heard confirmation that Westboro Baptist was planning to picket, and had no plans to attend Bell’s memorial service. KETK has learned that the funeral service will be held at Fort Bragg. The date and time of the service will not be released, per request by the family. No word yet on whether there will be a local memorial.

In July, a large group of students and supporters turned out at Texas A&M to form a human wall to block Westboro Baptist protestors from the funeral of soldier Roy Tisdale. Just last week, congress passed a veterans bill that included restrictions on demonstrations at service members’ funerals. The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, introduced by Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, states that protestors can not picket military funerals two hours before or after a service. Demonstrators are also required to stay at least 300 feet away from family members during a memorial.