Piper

So, I watched the news before I got in bed, as is my wont each evening. I like for Kevin Lemanowicz to tell me how warm or humid or rainy or thundery or sunny it will be the next day, so my dress may be appropriate. One of the lead stories disturbed me deeply. It concerns the funeral of a serviceman who died on June 15, 2005.

The serviceman, Christopher Piper of Marblehead, died as a result of injuries he sustained in Afghanistan. He made it all the way from Afghanistan to Germany to Texas, and died. Friends and family are shocked, and deeply saddened -- of course. He leaves behind a wife and two children.

The news reports that there is this religious group from another state (whose name and philosophy I am reluctant to even mention here lest a Google search link me somehow to them) planning a protest AT HIS FUNERAL. This group has a problem with homosexuality. A big problem. So why are they targeting a married man with two teenaged sons if they hate gays and gay people? Because Army Special Forces Staff Sgt. Christopher Piper was tolerant and supportive towards gays. According to the news report.

I went to their webpage, and they don't mention Christopher Piper at all as one of their picket sites. But they do mention plenty of other servicemen who were killed by IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) on their "Thank God for IEDs!" page. I get the impression they're happy that soldiers are killed by IEDs because an IED was used against their church. They also think Billy Graham is evil and plan on protesting him. I really don't get their reasoning or understand what they're doing. But I do know that what they're doing, even if I agreed with it, is in incredibly bad taste and exhibits pride and poor judgement that only truly fanatical and delusional people can show.

It isn't bad enough that these men suffered. They're dead... For Christoper Piper, his wife is a young widow, his kids have no dad. It isn't bad enough that men like him are in harm's way constantly and are doing so with the belief that they are protecting the individual rights of citizens here in this country to speak, live, breath, exist, and protest.

But because he was a nice guy to people, of whatever philosophy or stripe, a bunch of yahoos are going to come in and protest him. I can't think of anything that God would hate more than what they are planning to do.

It is getting completely out of hand with these people. They've protested gay students graduating high school. They've protested middle school students writing papers in school about gay figures in pop culture. Now they will drag their opinion into a private arena, where a woman and her two children cannot quietly and solemnly lay this man to rest.

I'm pissed.

I'm all for people protesting any stupid thing they believe in. Go ahead -- just do it somewhere appropriate. Don't like the war? Great. Protest it until your lungs fly out of your mouth, just do it on appropriate turf. Support gay rights? Yeah -- wave your sign and yell and scream... on appropriate turf.

At this man's funeral, there should only be family, friends, loved ones, members of the community who know and adore him - gay, straight, male, female, young and old. Not the frothing blatherings of someone's political agenda no matter what it may be.

There used to be places in society where rhetoric dare not tread. This was one of them. A funeral. Sacred ground. Find another venue, another spot, another something -- and allow this family to hopefully find the blessing of the peace that passes understanding.

See, I think that maybe God would like that.

There are lot of things I personally and humbly think that God would like better. See, just because I've read the bible and believe the contents doesn't mean I can speak for God. So I can't say God likes this and God hates that. But I have an inkling of an idea. I believe God would rather see these people putting their efforts into, I don't know -- feeding hungry kids? Building houses for people who have no homes, no shelter? Maybe?

I think God probably doesn't like when people stand up and shoot their mouths off in anger towards others while saying that these are God's opinions. God likes when we mirror his love, mirror his compassion, mirror his understanding. In fact, I think God loves it.

I don't believe that God hates any one of us on the planet. If they want to pinpoint passages of scripture to back up their philosophy and say "See, this is why God hates gays or Sweden or Christopher Piper or whatever..." then I just ask why he'd send us the blood of his son if he hates the vast majority of the planet? Why would he have done that in the first place -- he so loved the world. Every last one of us.

And I still believe he does, even these jerks who run around spitting venom in his name.

Another thing that chafes my britches about this is that the funeral is Monday in Marblehead. I only know of one cemetery in Marblehead. I have to drive past it daily. There is a VFW hall in town, and it is across the street from the cemetery. I have a feeling this entire scene could get ugly. Fast. And I have to drive past it.

I have a sinking feeling this event could mess with my commute, or my going to get lunch, or my just having a pulse in that town on Monday. We'll have to see.

A big part of me wants to see one of these guys with their signs so I can go up to them and beat the crap out of them. But the smart part of me that doesn't want to go to jail says that they'll get theirs eventually, when they find out what God truly loves and hates.