Woman Arrested During Soldier's Funeral

[scotto]

OMAHA, Neb. -- A woman was arrested in Bellevue on Tuesday during the funeral for a fallen soldier.

Shirley Phelps-Roper was arrested on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allowing her 8-year-old son to stomp on an American flag.

Phelps-Roper is a member of a Topeka, Kan., church that conducts anti-homosexual picketing

Hundreds of people packed Bellevue streets Tuesday morning to pay tribute to a firefighter and soldier.

Spc. Bill Bailey was serving in the National Guard in Iraq when he was killed by a roadside bomb.

Police said the group to which Phelps-Roper belongs had a permit to protest 300 feet from Bailey's funeral.

Bellevue Officer Joe Gray, who made the arrest, said that at first the group brought out a couple of members' own American flags.

"The arrestee, Ms. Phelps-Roper, put one around her waist. The second one was given to a 10-year-old, who put it on the ground and started kicking it in the area they were protesting," Gray said.

Nebraska law states that it is a Class 3 misdemeanor when a person "intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling upon such flag." The law was passed in 1977.

"It appears the adults weren't stepping on the flag because they knew it was a violation of the law. But they allowed the children to go ahead and do that," Gray said.

Phelps-Roper said she believes she has the right to use the flag as a symbol, and said Nebraska's law is outdated.

"We're going to challenge that statute," she said. "That statue should have been repealed."

Gray said the arrest wasn't personal and has nothing to do with his beliefs. He said he's simply doing his job.

"It's state law, so we were enforcing the laws of Nebraska," the officer said.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said the words from the group are fighting words and that takes it away from protected speech.

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[las47032]

What a loon!

Servicemen and women have served, and some have given the ultimate sacrifice in order for her and the rest of us to have the freedoms we enjoy today.

Perhpas she ought to study and remember what the red stripe stands for in Old Glory. But she and her ilk don't care. Consequently trying to educate people like them is a waste of time.

Doesn't make any difference how she and her kind spin it, they have no respect for the deceased as well as the flag.

In this case, busting their... saving hers.

[conlor]

This is mob mentality. They can't think on their own. Lucky for whoever is running their church. Is that why they call the parishioners 'the flock'.

[KBay84]

Of all the crap that is labeled "hate crimes", this should actually be one. Hateful actions during a funeral can be labeled as nothing but a hateful act.

Assault, battery and murder is just that, no matter your color, religion or sexual preference. To protest a funeral in a hateful and degrading way (is there any other?) needs some special attention.