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thedrifter
02-04-07, 03:55 AM
War protestors no show at Marine funeral
KREM.com & Associated Press

Spokane – A group from Kansas planning to protest Saturday outside Ferris High School where U.S. Marine Corporal Darrel Morris was to be remembered did not show.

Instead, hundreds of people attended the funeral service, including veterans and fellow Marines, showing support for Cpl. Morris and his family. Morris was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq two weeks ago. He was 21-years-old.

Last October, President Bush signed a law ensuring the remains of fallen service members be handled with respect. The legislation was passed after a Post Falls family learned their son’s remains were going to be shipped as cargo.

Friday, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire signed legislation to restrict demonstrations at funerals. The law bans "tumultuous conduct" and other disruptions within 500 feet of funerals. It took effect immediately. However, a group from Kansas still planned to protest outside Ferris High School, as well as two other military funerals taking place on Saturday across the state.

Followers of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka have been demonstrating at military funerals around the country, saying the deaths are God's wrath on the United States for tolerating homosexuality. The church had also planned to demonstrate at a funeral in Yakima, but it said there were too many funerals to get to all of them.

Ellie