You vile bastards.  You inconceivably appalling interlopers.  You who pour salt in open wounds, who spit in the faces of the very people who will fight to the death to defend your freedom of speech.

Will you stop at nothing?  Is there anything that can be said to make you cease this injustice?  You have slapped the face of every Soldier, Sailor, Marine and Airman killed in action.  And you have slapped the faces of their grieving families too; their spouses, parents, children.  You have violated one of the most private, most intimate moments a grieving family shares.

And the most disgusting part is you do it in the name of God.

You say IEDs are God's punishment for tolerance of homosexuality.  You say God hates fags.  Does God really hate the sinner, or does he just hate the sin?  Do you presume to know the mind of God?  Shame on you.

I hear murmurs.  Nay, shouts, calling for your deaths so that your funerals can be attended by those who would avenge our fallen heroes, so that your families may also know the sting of grief violated by intruders carrying signs that read "HATE."

Am I among those would-be avengers?  No, I am not.  I absolutely would not do that to you or your family, because I am not like you.  I am not perfect, but I do have something called compassion.  I will walk away from your family's private moment.  I will not disturb their lament, no matter how "righteous" I think I am.

If you want to spread the Word of God, stop the shock tactics.  You are doing more harm than good.  Do you want to be a fisher of men?  Try to be more like Jesus.  Invite sinners to your table and break bread with them.  Or perhaps you are not trying to spread the Word of God.  Perhaps you are just a group of twisted persons who gain pleasure by adding to the pain of others.  Do you enjoy twisting the knife in the wound? 

Don't preach hate, because you will reap what you sow.  Someday you will die.  Who will attend your funeral?  What will they say about you when you are gone?  Will people visit your grave site?  Will they mourn your passing, or will they be grateful you are gone?

Or do you even care?

- A Soldier