Tragedy at Boy Scout Camp

[Lindzy Foster]

I'm in tears as i write this, some of you may have read or seen as this made national news and members of the Today Show and Good Morning America were here to cover it, but Weds night one of our local communities was hit by tragedy....A tornado tore thru a Boy Scout Camp where a training session for those who excelled in leadership was going on...the camp was filled with boys ages 13-17 and they had little to no warning before the tornado touched down and leveled the camp.....4 boys were killed and almost 50 more boys and staff injured......some still in critical/serious condition at hospitals in our area.....
Please say a prayer for these boys and their families and our community to pull thru this......my heart is breaking for all of them.....
Sadly this devastation has attracted the attention of the Westboro Baptist Church and they are coming here to Omaha and surrounding areas to picket and protest at the funerals next week...this absolutely sickens me, as if these families or anyone needs that at a time like this while burying their children......(if you dont know who they are feel free to pm me to ask, their website is so inappropriate i cannot post the address on the forum)
These boys are all heroes, the troops responded by immediately starting triage on those who were injured until help could arrive.....the families are starting a fundraiser in memory of those lost, the money will be used to build underground shelters when the camp is rebuilt....

thank you...

[Vicki]

Lindzy . .

Call the Patriot Guard IMMEDIATELY!!!! Google and find the closest local chapter . . . tell them what this group is planning and they will show up and keep them from the funerals . . .
The Patriot Guard is made up of Veterans that ride motocycles and they organized a few years back to keep these same folks away from the funerals of soldiers . . .
Please contact them ASAP and let them know, they will get some of their group together and block the protestors . . . trust me, those folks know ALL ABOUT the Patriot Guard and they won't mess with them . . .here is the link:
http://www.patriotguard.org/

Vicki

[Lindzy Foster]

i will send off an email but sadly the first funeral is tomorrow.......my hubby and i have seen the patriot riders before when WBC was in omaha the last time protesting and they had a run in....ugh the nerve of them..

[Marcus Momma]

I watched this on the news this morning about the boys. It is so sad. My prayers are with their families right now. I have family in Omaha and thankfully none of them were hurt.

[motherofthree]

I saw an article online about this - what a horrible tragedy! I can't imagine the fear all of these children endured. I can't imagine why anyone would want to protest these poor children's funerals! SO disgusting!

[Nicole Williams]

Oh how heart breaking! these families will be in our prayers! I honestly do not know how people can live with themselves protesting while these parents are grieving for their children. Just unreal : (

[JenniferBrown]

Yes I saw this on the news. It's so sad. Those families are hurting so bad, I'm sure.
I'm sickened at that website! I went to go see what that church thing was and I'm ill just seeing what I saw. Wow... I hope they don't picket the funerals. That is soooo not something the families need at that moment.

[courtneylambert]

wait. I didn't see it. Why exactly are
they picketing?

[Vicki]

Lindzy . . .
I contacted the Neb. PGR and they are seeing if this might fall under their guidelines for a mission. The ride captains are talking about it . . . they might just show up!!! Let's hope they can . . .
I've been a PGR member for a couple of years now ( I don't ride, I have "cage") and they are an amazing group of people. If they can ride, they will! I posted in their forum about this and then one ride captain sent me a private email that they are trying!!!
I've been sick about this since you started this thread and I hope something positive comes from this. Those kids do not deserve to have that kind of hate spewed at their funerals.
The WBC has been arrested in Neb. before for doing this so hopefully if the PGR cannot come through, the police will!!!

[Lindzy Foster]

Thank you Vicki, i really hope they can.....if i can travel this week(not sure yet until i see my OB) i may try to attend one of the funerals on Tues....it makes me physically ill to think of them spewing their twisted view of God at these families.......on the WBC press release it said they are doing it specifically because they hate Iowa and Neb. so much because of their arrests here and that they are thrilled that God took his wrath out and killed these boy as punishment for the problems WBC has encountered here..

[Marcus Momma]

Thats makes me mad God is not gonna punish children for anything. That is crazy I hope someone can stop them from protesting at these funerals and they better be glad it wasn't my families funeral because my family wouldn't have it. Half of them would probably end up in jail. Why people act so stupid sometimes when a tradgedy strikes.

[Leila]

My prayers are directed at to these families...I pray that they will have the strength to endure the heartache of loosing their sons...and the guidance and strength to endure the idiotic notions of those preying upon these families.

[Christine Barrack]

Very sad situation to say the least. I have been praying for the families since it came on the news. My boys are in Scouts here and we are a close group/pack like other packs and dens.
It really makes me sick to think WBC or anyone would torture these families at this time.

[Vicki]

Lindzy . . .
I'm sorry but they won't be organizing a ride for the funerals. I have attached the official response from the ride captain but I do want you to know that several members have stated that they will be attending the funeral as private citizens . . . I would not be surprised to see many of them actually show up. Plus I have received emails stating that the folks in Neb. are not very welcoming to this group . . I don't think they will get too close to the funerals . . .
We tried Lindzy . . . at least the PGR knows about it and will try to honor the scouts at their website . . .



Boy Scout tornado victims

The Patriot Guard Riders send our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the Boy Scouts that lost their lives and to all that were affected by the tornado at the Boy Scout Camp in Iowa. Please know you each have our full support as we share your deep sorrow mourning the loss and celebrating the all too short vibrant and promising lives of these extraordinary young men.



The Patriot Guard Riders are individually and collectively infuriated and outraged concerning the announced demonstrations in Omaha and West Point Nebraska by the misguided, misinformed, deplorable, attention seeking protestors from Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas.

The Patriot Guard Riders feel the presence of this shameful group is despicable and appalling.

While we recognize the public’s perception of our activity, any gathering of the PGR would be substantially beyond and contrary to our primary, military connected mission and may even produce the unintended effect of drawing attention away from the victims.



The Patriot Guard Riders will not be acknowledging these disgusting protestors with any official organized participation.



Members are encouraged to post their condolences.

[Dawn Marshall]

Oh, that is just sick!!! I looked at that site...then I felt like throwing up.

[Teresa Howell]

I am so sorry for your community. In January 2006 when the Sago Mines Miners died, this same church came to WV and protested the funerals. It was absolutely horrible. I grew up in WV. My brother-in-law, Jeff, was the superintendent of the mines at the time of the accident. His uncle, Junior Toler, was one of the miners trapped and is the one that wrote the note that said "it is just like going to sleep". Then two weeks later in Logan, WV (this is where I grew up), two more miners were lost. This is when the "church" really was bad and ugly. It is absolutely horrible. This church is made up of lawyers, doctors, and very high functioning individuals. There are not dummies. They know the laws and they know how far they can go. They placed signs along the side of the road saying the coal miners were child molesters and they needed to die. I remember how hard this was for my family and my hometown. I guess it goes back to freedom of speech. But this is more like freedom of cruelty. Your community is in our prayers.

[Marcus Momma]

Oh my gosh that is crazy. Why can't people just let people mourn and greive for thier loved ones without making things worse. I feel sorry for them when God gets tired of the craziness coming from them.

[ShannonCrowe]

Please do not think that this moron is a Baptist! However I would like to invite him and his followers on down here to Georgia, we leave those kind pushed down deep in the mud along the river banks, or the hogs eat good. I looked at the website and had to leave, my temp was getting way too high. Believe me when I say, that will not go unpunished. God deals with those in his way, and I would not want to be on HIS hit list!
We have a way of emailing God, and tonight I'll be sending some kneemail about this guy.
Even the thought of somebody calling themself a baptist while they are doing this just really boils my pot. I apologize now from all us " southern baptist" for this guy.
Shannon Crowe
Southern Baptist
New Prospect Baptist Church

[Ashley Campbell]

Oh this just makes me so sick to hear about this. We donated to the Patriot Guard and it's a good reminder I need to do it again. They have an amazing organization. I feel so sorry for the family and friends of those affected. *hugs*