To the editor:

I grieve for each one of the soldiers killed in this tragic war, and I deplore the acts of Fred Phelps and his ilk. I cannot imagine living a life made so miserable and small by hate. However, the public outcry concerning Phelps’ picketing the funerals of these fallen soldiers has raised questions for me and many others.

Where was the public outcry when Phelps was picketing the funerals of people who had died of AIDS?

Where were the proposals for new legislation limiting picketing when Phelps showed up at Matthew Shepard’s funeral?

In a nation in which even the loathsome behavior of Phelps is protected, and rightly so, the most effective thing good people can do is exercise their own free speech rights and get between Phelps and those who are grieving, whether the death being mourned is that of a victim of AIDS or hate crimes or the war.

The Patriot Guard has the right idea, as did a group of citizens in Laramie. Peaceful counterdemonstrations and human shields speak louder than any legislation or any shouted words can.