No protest if pickets unwanted?

If the family of a fallen military member wants a private funeral without any Patriot Guard Riders present, the members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church say they won't be there to picket.

"We'll stay away," said Shirley Phelps-Roper, wife of Westboro pastor Fred Phelps.

As of Tuesday, however, both groups plan to show up at the funeral of Army Pvt. Dan Dolan, who was killed Aug. 27 in Iraq during an ambush on his vehicle.

Parents Tim and Fay Dolan were still planning Tuesday for the funeral when the Kansas-based Westboro Church sent out a press release, saying its members will show up Friday to picket. The release stated the time and place of the services.

Family members, however, said Tuesday afternoon they had not released those details to the public and questioned how Westboro members in Topeka knew.

Phelps-Roper said she doesn't want to reveal "trade secrets," but she did say that the Web site patriotguard.org is one source.

A check of the Web site Tuesday showed pages that listed details about where and when funeral services for Dolan are taking place and directions on the best routes to take. The plans to ride for Dolan's funeral are considered a "confirmed" mission by the Patriot Guard.

The Patriot Guard is a national group that includes military veterans who show up to military funerals on motorcycles if invited by the family. Part of their mission is to "shield the mourning family and friends from interruptions created by any protester or group of protesters," according to the group's Web site.

To Phelps-Roper, Dolan's funeral already has the makings of a "patriotic pep rally" and a launch pad for people to gather and say, "God bless America."

But according to the signs she and other church members held up this week at a military funeral in Minden, Neb., "America is doomed." She and others from the 70-member church believe God has "irreversibly" cursed America because of this country's tolerance of homosexuals.

The church has picketed several military funerals, but as recently as last week it stayed away from one in South Carolina. The church threatened to protest at the Aug. 30 Salt Lake funeral of Marine Cpl. Adam Galvez. No protesters showed, but more than 100 riders held up large American flags at the funeral and burial.

Phelps-Roper said no one was able to make the Galvez funeral because soldiers were dying too "fast and furious," referring to reports of at least 10 deaths last week.