Protesters may plan to be at the location of the funeral of
Master Sgt. Thomas Maholic on Friday, but a national motorcycle
group plans to thwart any contact by the protesters with the
Maholic family.

“Our main mission is to attend the funeral services of fallen
American heroes as invited guests of the family,” explained Max
Howerter, assistant director of public relations for the Patriot
Riders Group.

“Each mission we undertake has two basic objectives: 1. show our
sincere respect for our fallen heroes, their families and their
communities; 2. shield the mourning family and friends from
interruptions created by any protester or group protester. We do
this by turning our backs to them and holding 3X5 American flags on
6-foot poles to block them from the families,” Howerter
explained.

Everything is done through strictly legal and non-violent means,
he added, stressing that Patriot Riders are not a protest
group.

“We do not conflict with them. We do not talk to them,” Howerter
said. “We build (the family) a tunnel of flags outside (of where
the funeral is held) and all they’ll see is American flags
flying.

“We do this out of honor and respect,” he said.

Explaining how their organization came about, Howerter said that
about eight months ago, the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas was
protesting a funeral of an American solider.

“A group of us veterans got together … we decided we couldn’t
take this anymore,” he said. “We decided to form an organization.
Today we have over 42,000 members. A lot of us are veterans.”

Howerter himself is a Vietnam veteran – one who was not treated
well when he returned home all those years ago.

“What happened to us we don’t want to happen to anyone else,” he
said vehemently.

“It’s our honor to do this,” he added emotionally. “We have
quite a few members who travel eight hours one way to go to
these.”

He could not say how many members may be at the ceremony for
Maholic. According to the organization’s Web site, where there is a
discussion forum regarding the plans for Maholic’s service, members
are planning to come from Ontario, Canada, all around New York and
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey and even one from Fort
Bragg, N.C., where Maholic was stationed.

Maholic was killed June 24 while on duty in the Kandahar
Province of Afghanistan.

The group of riders, who all have one thing in common other than
motorcycles, Howerter said, “have an unwavering respect for those
who risk their lives for every American’s freedom and
security.”

On the group’s Web site, a few relatives of Maholic have posted
responses thanking the members for their support and willingness to
perform this service for military men and women.

“We will ignore the protesters, if any are so foolish as to show
up,” reads a message from a nephew. “If their means and motivation
were not so vile, I would forgive them their ignorance. As it
stands, I can only feel a slight amount of pity for them and their
horribly skewed view of the world.”

Anyone attending the services on Friday will see that the
protesters are in the minority, Howerter said.

“You will see with your own eyes that patriotism still does
exist in the United States,” he said proudly.

And their patriotism and commitment to families of the military
have been lauded by President Bush and by Congress, Howerter
explained, saying the Patriot Riders were commended for “stepping
up to do the right thing.”

Closer to home, a contingent from the Open Arms Community Church
will be at the services Friday to support the Maholic family and
provide drinks to the Patriot Riders, explained Josh Hatcher,
outreach pastor, Wednesday night.

The Rev. Mike McAvoy, pastor of Open Arms in Bradford, offered
these comments.

“We as a church want to extend our apologies to the family of
Thomas Maholic, the community of Bradford and God for this group’s
behavior and misrepresentation of biblical Christianity. We have
been praying for the Maholic family for months before he was killed
and continue to do so.

“We trust that the Maholic family and this community will see
the love and truth of Jesus Christ demonstrated through the local
churches of this community and will see that this group does not in
any way represent us, our beliefs, or the person of Jesus
Christ.”

McAvoy added that the messages of the Westboro Baptist Church
are contradictory.

“These people contradict themselves in their declared theology.
They isolate Scriptures and focus on using them in a way to mask
their own prejudice and hatred in the name of God.”

The Bible says anyone who does not love does not know God, and
since their message is devoid of love, they cannot be God’s
representatives.

“This group’s picketing of a funeral shows no love or
sensitivity, and is not only unloving toward a grieving family, but
is hateful and sin,” McAvoy said.