Table scraps

Dear Editor,

I was outside the auditorium during the Matheny funeral on Friday. Kudos to the Patriot Guard. They brought with them a beautiful display of American flags, and behaved like perfect gentlemen and ladies. For a while, a group of them marched a short distance down West C Street, where they stood in ranks, holding their flags aloft to block from view the laughably small group of troglodytes gathered at West 4th and C Streets at the legally prescribed 300 feet from the funeral location.

Periodically, I could hear the Patriot Guard sing the national anthem or recite the Pledge of Allegiance, presumably to drown out any animalistic noises originating from the aforementioned troglodytes.

From my vantage point in front of the auditorium, it was nearly impossible to see or hear any poorly organized public displays of poor upbringing. The only people who got a good look at, or listen to, this pathetic little gaggle of reprobates were those who went out of their way to do so, or who were required to be there by their employers.

When I read the article which took up most of the front page of the weekend Gazette, I was pleased to note that there was no mention whatsoever of the foiled attempt at unpleasantness. I recalled a brief conversation I had on the auditorium steps with a member of the media. She asked if any protesters had appeared. This was after they had headed back towards the slimy rock they call "home."

The reporter advised that her crew would not publicize their actions. I commented upon the irony that, were people in her profession not there to provide them notoriety, and were people in my profession not there to deter mayhem, creatures such as those would not do what they do.

Imagine my dismay (though not, I must confess, surprise) when I turned the page and discovered that Mike Hendricks had provided them the publicity which everyone else denied. If you keep slipping them table scraps, Mike, how do expect them to ever go away? 

Owen J. McPhillips

McCook