Shirley Phelps-Roper charged in Sarpy County, Nebraska

Christian hate monger Shirley Phelps-Roper has been formally charged with negligent child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, flag mutilation and disturbing the peace. Right here in military sympathetic Sarpy County, home of Offutt AFB.

The charges stem from her outrageous use of her child in a US flag stomping incident while her husband's church was protesting at the funeral for Bellevue firefighter and soldier Spc. Bill Bailey. Baily was killed in Iraq, serving in the National Guard. From KETV Omaha's account:

Bellevue Officer Joe Gray, who made the arrest, said that at first the group brought out a couple of members' own American flags.

"The arrestee, Ms. Phelps-Roper, put one around her waist. The second one was given to a 10-year-old, who put it on the ground and started kicking it in the area they were protesting," Gray said.

Nebraska law states that it is a Class 3 misdemeanor when a person "intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling upon such flag." The law was passed in 1977.

"It appears the adults weren't stepping on the flag because they knew it was a violation of the law. But they allowed the children to go ahead and do that," Gray said.

Naturally, now that the news has gone national, the liberal press and the ACLU will try to paint us Nebraskans as examples of what out-of-touch with the times, jingoist hayseeds in the fly-over states are all about.

Makes me proud to be a Sarpy County resident.