NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 5A
ACTIVISM
Phelps protests at Tenn. funeral
BY BETH RUCKER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The church members were met with scorn from local residents. They chased the church members' cars down a highway, waving flags and screaming "God bless America."
SMYRNA, Tenn. — Members of a church say God is punishing American soldiers for defending a country that harbors gays, and they brought their anti-gay message to the funerals Saturday of two Tennessee soldiers killed in Iraq.
"My husband is over there, so I'm here to show my support," 41-year-old Connie Ditmore said as she waved an American flag and as tears came to her eyes. "To do this at a funeral is disrespectful of a family, no matter what your beliefs are."
The Rev. Fred Phelps, founder of Westboro Baptist Church, in Topeka, contends that American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.
The church members carried signs and shouted things such as "God hates fags" and "God hates you."
About 10 church members protested near Smyrna United Methodist Church and nearly 20 stood outside the National Guard Armory in Ashland City Members have demonstrated at other soldier funerals across the nation.
The funerals were for Staff Sgt. Asbury Fred Hawn II, 35, in Smyrna and Spc. Gary Reese Jr., 22, in Ashland City. Both were members of the Tennessee National Guard.
Hundreds of Smyrna and Ashland City residents and families of other soldiers turned out at both sites to counter the message the Westboro Baptist members brought.
So many counterdemonstrators were gathered in Ashland City that police, sheriff's deputies and state troopers were brought in to control traffic and protect the protesters.
The church members held protesting permits, and counterprotesters in Smyrna turned their backs to Westboro Baptist members until time expired on the protest permits.
"If they were protesting the government, I might even join them," Danny Cotton, 56, said amid cries of "get out of our town" and "get out of our country."
"But for them to come during the worst time for this family — it's just wrong."
STATE
K-State receives gift from teachers
MANHATTAN — Kansas State University has received a gift of more than $1.7 million from the estates of two former teachers, a brother and sister who were graduates of the school.
The bequests by Lillian J. Brycha, who died in 1992, and Edwin G. Brycha, who died in 2004, were announced last week.
They both graduated from Kansas State in 1931.
Part of the gift, $1 million, will endow a faculty chair in the College of Arts and Sciences.
The remaining $736,000 will be used for scholarships.
"It's a significant gift and a great gift to K-State from a great family", said Pat Bosco, the university's associate vice president for institutional advancement. "It responds to our greatest need at the university
— recognizing outstanding high school students who want to join the K-State family.*
The Associated Press
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