The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend

by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist


Stars and Stripes, the military's de facto newspaper abroad, ran three pictures this week of the Westboro Baptist Church hate group.   The photos accompanied articles about these "Christians" and their systematic disruptions of military funerals.   The first, which ran on Wednesday, October 6th, (the day the Phelps circus  appeared before the United States Supreme Court), had a front page photo of retired Maj. Gen. Bill Branson saluting in uniform, with sign-carrying protesters in the background.  The signs carried by those vermin said:   "Thank God for Dead Soldiers,  God Hates Your Idols, God Hates You, God Killed Your Sons, and Thank God for 9/11."

Two days later, on Friday, October 8th, Stars and Stripes ran another front page photo of the hate group from Topeka, Kansas.  The only two readable signs in that picture showed one of the Phelps' terrorists holding a sign that read "America is Doomed," and someone else holding up a sign picturing a rifle's cross hair targeting Uncle Sam and the words, "God's View."  On page eight of that same issue was one other photo in which a young male child was holding a pair of signs stating "Fear God" and "You're Going to Hell," and young adult male holding a sign aloft proclaiming "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."

What is unique about all three of those photos is that they appeared to be selected in such a way as to completely avoid the Phelps' mantra:   "God Hates Fags."   (In absolute fairness to the publication, the photo on the inside of Friday's paper did show the young adult male wearing the group's website, godhatesfags.com, on his tee-shirt, but that message was partly obstructed by the strap that ran diagonally across his chest.  Also, the Phelps' bizarre hatred of homosexuals was pointed out within the text of both articles.)

Unfortunately, not everyone reads the text of articles - far more are likely just look at the pictures and get angry without realizing exactly why the Phelps' trash are disrespecting our deceased service members and their families,  The root of all this evil is the group's obsession with gays in society.  They believe that the United States government, and by extension, its military, enables the existence of gay individuals in our society and promotes the acceptance of a gay lifestyle.

The United States military, unlike modern military in many other countries, has itself yet to come to grips with the fact that gay Americans do love their country, and gay Americans do serve vital roles within the military in defense of their country.   The arcane policy of "Don't Ask - Don't Tell," forces many of this country's finest to deny who they really are - or face expulsion from the service of their country.

Stars and Stripes, by the careful selection of the photos it chose to run - or by photoshopping, failed to fully express to its public just what all of the hullabaloo is really about.  It was a golden opportunity to show their readership the true nature of these homophobic monsters, to let their readers know the agenda of the enemy within - and it was an opportunity sadly missed.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.


But Stars and Stripes didn't want to go there.  At least not with color photographs!