Paging M. Voltaire . . . paging M. Voltaire. . . .

OK, it's time for a Voltaire "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it" kind of moment here.

Fred Phelps' band of allegedly "Christian" whackadoodles were in Bellevue -- an Omaha suburb and home of the U.S. Strategic Command -- for one of their tasteless hate fests outside the funeral of a local National Guardsman blown up in Iraq.

Apparently, not only does God hate "fags," the Almighty hates American soldiers, too.

Anyway, the nutball daughter of the nutball pastor finally went Too Far (TM) and got herself arrested Tuesday by having her 10-year-old son stomp on an American flag. Despite recent Supreme Court decisions, that's still illegal in Nebraska.

Probably part of an effort to keep idiot "God Hates Fags" troglodytes from doing something that just might get them killed in Bellevue-By-God-Nebraska -- home of Offutt Air Force Base, thousands of airmen and sailors therein, and thousands more Air Force vets who stayed around when their hitch was up.

The Associated Press fills us in:

Shirley Phelps-Roper, 49, will be charged with flag mutilation, disturbing the peace and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said Wednesday.

Phelps-Roper, a member of the Westboro Baptist Church, acknowledged that she allowed her son Jonah to stand on the flag Tuesday — something she says is protected by the U.S. Constitution.

“It’s utter nonsense,” said Phelps-Roper, a lawyer. “I don’t know what else to tell you other than that we’ll see them in federal court.”

Phelps-Roper is a daughter of Westboro’s founder, the Rev. Fred Phelps. Members have protested at more than 280 military funerals in 43 states since June 2005, she said.

The group says the deaths of U.S. soldiers are God’s punishment for a nation that harbors gays and lesbians. Nebraska and 37 other states have laws restricting how close protesters can get to funerals, inspired at least in part by the Westboro protests.

Tuesday’s funeral in suburban Bellevue was for Nebraska Army National Guard Spc. William “Bill” Bailey, who was killed May 25 when an explosive device struck his vehicle in Iraq.

Phelps-Roper was arrested because she was involved in a potentially volatile situation in the presence of Bailey’s friends, relatives and fellow soldiers, Polikov said. Bellevue has a strong military presence, with Offutt Air Force Base located at the south edge of town.

“To come into that environment and communicate what I would call fighting words — provocative language and acts — you can’t do that,” Polikov said. “You might illicit a violent response. That’s against community peace and community law.”

PERSONALLY, I AM DISAPPOINTED that the mourners didn't beat the crap out of her and the rest of the Nut Brigade. Legally, I hope -- and strongly suspect -- she'll ultimately get the flag law tossed.

But I'm not so sure she won't be doing some time in the Sarpy County Jail on disturbing the peace and contributing to the delinquency. "Fighting words" (or actions) are called that for a reason, and if she hadn't been hauled away by the cops, she may have been fighting for her life.

Ordinarily, if she were convicted on disturbing the peace and was contrite as all get out, she'd probably walk away $100 lighter in the pocketbook, but a free woman. But she was trying to disrupt and desecrate the funeral of a local soldier and volunteer fireman.

And she's a first-class jerk.

And her daddy's a jerk.

And their whole church is full of jerks.

And she's spent two days waving a stomped flag in the face of the county attorney and courts.

After -- Did I mention this? -- trying to disrupt and desecrate the funeral of a local soldier and volunteer fireman.

Yep. She, I hope, will beat the rap on the First Amendment issue. But on the rest, let's just say I hope she has a long and extremely unpleasant sojourn in the Pissed Off Veterans cellblock of the Sarpy clink.