Chief Scott Bohn:
I’m a member of and one of the lawyers for Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. We have members that are closely connected with law enforcement and understand and appreciate the magnitude of the job you have.
This e-mail is a request that you stop violating your oath of office. (Interestingly when I Googled your name the first entry related to a report about you taking your oath of office). I refer to your improper statements to Jennifer Carboni which she republished in her newspaper which is cut and pasted here:
By JENNIFER CARBONI
Staff Writer
A radical religious group has threatened to protest any public service held for daredevil, actor and reality TV star Ryan Dunn.
The Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. – which is notorious for protesting high-profile funerals including services for American soldiers – announced Tuesday members will protest Dunn’s services.
DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home in West Chester is handling arrangements for Dunn. The funeral home said Tuesday Dunn’s funeral and interment will be held privately and a subsequent memorial service will be held at a later date.
Dunn, 34, and his 30-year-old passenger, Zachary Hartwell – a Naval veteran who served during Operation Enduring Freedom – were inside Dunn’s Porsche on Route 322 in West Goshen when the vehicle veered off the roadway and burst into flames Monday morning. Both men were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Westboro Baptist Church – a group many Christian churches have publicly separated themselves from – announced Tuesday that members will protest Dunn’s funeral because of his work in the MTV reality series “Jackass” and three subsequent movies with the same title, all of which included shocking and sometimes dangerous stunts.
“WBC will picket any public memorial/funeral held for Dunn, warning all not to make a mock of sin, and to fear and obey God,” the release states. The headline for the release states, “Ryan Dunn is in hell!”
A representative with the group could not be reached for comment Tuesday evening.
West Chester Police Chief Scott Bohn said Tuesday night his department will be prepared for any potential protest. Bohn acknowledged a person’s right to protest and said if a protest occurs in the borough his officers will enforce all local and state laws.
“We will be prepared to ensure order is maintained,” Bohn said.
Bohn said groups have the right to protest in the borough so long as private property is not disturbed, traffic is not blocked and sidewalks are clear. At the same time, Bohn questioned the group’s motive
“While there is a legal and constitutional right to protest, certainly we all recognize (the threatened protest) is insensitive and the motive is truly to bring attention to themselves,” Bohn said. “It would appear that the only reason (for the group) to be in attendance at that particular time and at that particular location would be to draw attention to themselves.”
The Westboro Baptist Church has made national headlines in recent years for their controversial protests outside American soldiers’ funerals. During their protests, the group argued God was punishing America for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality. Some of the group’s protest signs have read, “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates America.”
The father of one of the soldiers filed a lawsuit against the group for emotional pain. The case went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In March, the court ruled the protests are protected under the First Amendment, so long as protestors abide by local laws and ordinances. Many news media organizations, including the Associated Press, had urged the court to rule in the group’s favor.
To contact staff writer Jennifer Carboni, send an e-mail to [email protected].
http://dailylocal.com/articles/2011/06/21/news/doc4e013d15e8ae4325456554.txt?viewmode=default
You are an unfaithful servant who needs correction immediately. You can’t give lip service to your duty to remain impartial and uphold and defend the Constitution (which is meaningless unless you do so on behalf the rights of the minority view) and then nullify that duty with your mouth in the next breath. More importantly you have put WBC members in imminent risk when they come to faithfully do their duty to God and man in the public fora of West Chester Pennsylvania. Every one of your officers and every citizen over which you have any influence now believes it is just fine to break the law and breach the peace towards WBC members with immunity.
It is not your business what motivates the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the Gospel to this generation of rebellious, abominable sinners who have no shame for their villainy and hatred of the King of eternity. God made them and set down the rules; they don’t get to wildly break them without serious, eternal consequence. From a real, practical point of view they are dangerous to themselves and others and need to be warned. The Bible squarely condemns drunkenness (130 mph alcohol-fueled death trip by this donkey resulting in the worst vehicle crash that Goshen Police Chief Michael Carroll had ever seen elevates the debate platform to a world-wide stage) and calls abominable the behavior of this “Jackass” star. A generation that would magnify and glorify this fool needs the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ more than they need air to breath and water to drink. Dunn is a metaphor for 310 million doomed americans who are drunk and going at a neck-break speed down the highway to hell. This has been highlighted and pronounced since Dunn’s demise as evidenced by the reaction thereto. What comes to my mind is Isaiah 5: “22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23 Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!”
But since you stuck your big, lying nose and mouth into it; be instructed: 1 Corinthians 9:16: “For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!” There are countless verses that fairly describe our motive, but Paul the Apostle did a great job in that short verse. Now, get over it!
YOU DON’T GET TO TAKE A SIDE IN THE DEBATE. YOU HAVE TO SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND DO YOUR JOB. PRIMARILY that job is to vigorously make the fora (public sidewalks, rights-of-way, parks, etc.) safe and available for wide-opened, robust debate. You have no reason to exist and function if you do not do that job first and foremost. That means you use all your resources first and foremost to make sure WBC delivers the message: “Unless ye repent, ye shall likewise perish [like the “Jackass” did]” (Luke 13:3 and 5) if the Holy Spirit sends us to your jurisdiction.
The net effect of your undisciplined words (you have to keep your dark heart from manifesting itself when you put on that gun and badge) is to place your officers in the direct line of fire from an angry God. It is our experience, and we can give you the specifics if you wish, that the ones who end up injured in this scenario are the police and the fools the police have enabled to get stirred up to violently oppose WBC’s preaching.
This is the LORD’s work and you better behave yourself.
On behalf of your friends at Westboro Baptist Church who hope this reminder will shake you to reality.