SHIELDING THE FAMILIES--updated

In the not-so-distant future, Fred Phelps will be encountering something like this whenever he shows up to protest another fallen hero's funeral.
The Patriot Guard Riders have organized themselves to shield the families from the likes of this creep. And they have membership that stretches nationwide. I think Phelps' days of protesting are numbered. At their website, look on the right margin for "completed missions" and ones that are being planned for.

Read the full story at Michelle Malkin's site.

UPDATE: I sent an email to the national director of The Patriot Guard Riders, Jeff Brown, asking what we, as bloggers, could do to help in the cause. Donations, blogging, ect. Mr. Brown replied within 15 minutes. His email was very thoughtful and it explained exactly what his group is all about:

Dave,

Thank you for your support.

I feel I need to explain that our primary mission is to honor a fallen soldier, their family and community. We do this whether or not there are protestors present. We are not a protest or a counter-protest group. We work hard to down-play the protestor angle to our story because it interferes with our mission. Families and law enforcement can form a preconceived idea of what "bikers" are and fear that this solemn occasion will turn into a circus-like atmosphere. This is far from the truth. We establish Mission Rides as invited guests of the family and we conduct ourselves accordingly. We never have any contact with any protestors. If they are present, based on the family and law enforcement's wishes, we will form a barrier around them to shield the mourners from view of the protestors and their signs. The protestors see nothing but our backs for the duration of their presence. We have, at the family's request revved our engines to drown out the chants of protestors. The majority of our members are veterans and "military Bearing is the order of the day.

Having said all that, I urge you and your readers to go to our website (http://www.patriotguard.org/) and read our mission statement. Poke around and see if what you read aligns with your philosophy. If so, join. You don't have to ride two wheels to be a PGR member. We have lots of "cagers" :) We accept no donations, but sincerely appreciate the offer. We are a self sufficient organization. Just help us spread the word that our fighting men and women deserve nothing less.

Again, thanks for your interest.

Sincerely,
Jeff Brown "Twister"Patriot Guard RidersNational Directorwww.patriotguard.org

I'm impressed.