I think iit's a great idea.
Protesting at someone's funeral for a good or bad cause is just plain downright rude.
It's called have some respect for the dead and their bereaved.

And you know, as much as I personally detest Fred Phelps and his crew of "Christians,"[1] I'm not real comfortable with laws like this. It's banning unpopular speach and, at a fundamental level, no different from outlawing other forms of protest.

In spite of my liberal social stance, I'm a big fan of having only as much government as we need, and things like this (or the Baseball hearings, or the Terry Schiavo circus) seem to be a dangerous extension of government.


[1] Put in quotes so as not to malign the millions of people out there who are truly trying to follow the path of Jesus.

How can you Americans support this? You were founded on Freedom of Speech and here you are saying "Oh good they'll make sure we can only speek when they want us to."

Que pensez-vous!? What are you thinking!? What will be next, no more Freedom of Speech when the President is speaking? "Oh good that way he can say Ya'll gone nucular." before he invades another country. Thankfully France has no oil so should be safe.

Originally posted by zerotolerance

I think iit's a great idea.
Protesting at someone's funeral for a good or bad cause is just plain downright rude.
It's called have some respect for the dead and their bereaved.

So now, we're going to legislate rudeness and respect? Who gets to decide what's rude? Who decides what constitutes 'lack of respect'?

Is protesting the government at the White House "disrespectful"?

Don't get me wrong, I think this preacher and his tactics are about as low as one can get, but this is a continuation of "free speech zones" and I don't like where it could go.

Free Speech is MOST important for those who have something disagreeable, challenging or nasty to say.

Free speech is all fine and dandy, but everthing has limits, and everyone must comply with the laws of the land.

No one is saying they cannot protest at military funerals. The "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act" simply prohibits those protests from occuring within 300 feet of the entrance of a cemetery, or within 150 feet of a road into the cemetery. This would only be in effect from 1 hour before the funeral, during the funeral, and 1 hour after the funeral.

These are very simple limits. Protesters are free to protest anywhere else, or at the cemetary before or after the funeral.

My major problem with these jerk-offs is that they are not targeting policy makers, elected officials, or people with power who can enact change. Nor are they protesting in an area where the largest number of people could see their message (such as a town square or city shopping area).

No, they are targeting the families of fallen soldiers, who are already vulnerable, weakened, and suffering. They are not interested in communiating with the people in charge, or getting a larger audience. They are simply interested in inflicting pain and suffering on those who are already hurting enough as it is.

Were anyone to ask any of the founding fathers what their opinion of this "right" to protest at a military funeral would be, does anyone seriously think the George Washington, Sam Adams, or Thomas Jefferson would reply that it is a solemn right?

I am all for free speech and everything as well but there is no reason why these families who are suffering need Fred Phelps and his goons in their face while they are trying to say goodbye to their loved one.

The group can still protest, they just have to do it a little farther away that's all.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Who gets to decide what's rude? Who decides what constitutes 'lack of respect'?

So you don't know what respect means at all? We're talking funeral here. You know, the thing where people cry and fall apart over loss. Some are even traumatized by the tragedy. How would you feel if I showed up at your mothers, fathers, wifes funeral and made lots of irritating noise because you or your family did something that bothered me, or you followed a government law that bothered me. How would you feel if me and my friends started chanting really loudly as your wife's casket was lowered into the ground? Totally disrupting your sadness and unrest. Okay, hmmmmmm, you'd sit there and smile at us and say, "They deserve their freedom of speech"..................bullsh*t.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Is protesting the government at the White House "disrespectful"?

It's not a funeral. Totally different scenario.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Free Speech is MOST important for those who have something disagreeable, challenging or nasty to say.

Wow, that's just great. We need more nasty people in the world.

Originally posted by Whiskey Jack
In spite of my liberal social stance, I'm a big fan of having only as much government as we need, and things like this (or the Baseball hearings, or the Terry Schiavo circus) seem to be a dangerous extension of government.
[1] Put in quotes so as not to malign the millions of people out there who are truly trying to follow the path of Jesus.

Ahhhhh, so like me, youre a traditional conservative then

They are not even protesting the war. They are protesting the homosexual life.

So they shouldn't be allowed to protest at militry funerals at all.....let alone 300 feet.

Originally posted by zerotolerance
"They deserve their freedom of speech"..................bullsh*t.

Ah, I see. Only some people deserve the freedon of speech.

It's not a funeral. Totally different scenario.

My point is making a law against something because it's disrespectful or rude opens the door to deciding something else (like protesting at the white house) is disrespectful or rude and making a law against that or let's say, certain lyrics are disrespectful and rude and making a law against them.

The only thing I see wrong with this bill is that it seems to cover national cemeteries only. If the burial is at a private cemetery or one in a small town, it doesn't seem to cover it.

Maybe the congress does not have jurisdiction over those other cemeteries; it would have to be a state or local issue then.

BH is technically right regarding free speech. However, I believe that right is restricted when the speech is clearly intended to be injurious. I will research that.

You Americans who support this sicken me!

La liberté de la parole est supposent pour être un juste sacré pas quelque chose que vous donnez loin!!!!! Freedom of speech is suppose to be a sacred right not something you give away!

How can you say "Oh yea they are taking away my rights I feel so good and happy about that. Oh what they want to take that right away from me? Sure go ahead and here take this right from me to while you're at it."

I understand me not being able to say fire in a crowded place when there is none but saying I can't protest something because you don't like it? Well not me I am not an American citizen but you know what I mean.

Lady Liberty screams in pain as another knife is thrust in her back, while Justice stands on the sidelines and cheers. She is, after all, blind.

Originally posted by Whiskey Jack
I personally detest Fred Phelps

He's one of the most vile people on this planet. Disgusting.

I favor this. A funeral is a religious ceremony for grieving
family and friends. It's not a political platform. It's a
religious ceremony and people have a right to practice
their religions, as long as they don't hurt anyone, in peace.

I don't see this as a violation of free speech. The protesters
can still speak what they want, just not in places where it
violates other peoples rights to freedom of religion.

SIDE NOTE - something that we can all agree on???? That is
is a very sad thing that this has to even be discussed. It should
be common sense and common kindness to let people alone to
grieve.

[edit on 5/25/2006 by FlyersFan]

He listen, I'm all for free speech, but those of you who don't support this law, consider the following:

I'm not allowed to play loud music after 10 p.m. on weekdays and after 2 am on Saturdays. This makes a lot of sense, even though at times I would like to party till 5. I have to think about how hneighborhs feel, right? Only an idiot would argue that me playing guitar out loud at 3 a.m. is my constitutional right and must be protected.

In this cases, the 'protesters" were homophobic nut jobs. I really wish some of them were incarcerated.

Heck, next you claim that spray painting swastica on Jewish tombstones is just dandy and must be a protected right. What bull.

I agree that they should have freedom of speech and expresion but then so should I and I would express that with beating these protester until they understood my point of veiw.
There comes a point where old fashioned justice must prevail.

I think people who support this as free speech will continue to do so until the day they have a loved one buried and these idiots are at the funeral. I wonder how "Ok" it will be then?

CX.

These people are not losing their freedom of speech. They can protest anywhere in the world for people to hear, just not at the funerals. So what's the problem? I'm telling you right now that if they showed up at one of my loved one's funeral that would be the least of their worries.