Hateful Protesting, freedom of speech?

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Quote:

WASHINGTON - Demonstrators would be barred from disrupting military funerals at national cemeteries under Legislation approved by Congress and sent to the White House Wednesday.

The measure, passed by voice vote in the House hours after the Senate passed an amended version, specifically targets a Kansas church group that has staged protests at military funerals around the country, claiming that the deaths were a sign of God's anger at U.S. tolerance of homosexuals.

The act "will protect the sanctity of all 122 of our national cemeteries as shrines to their gallant dead," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said prior to the Senate vote.

"It's a sad but necessary measure to protect what should be recognized by all reasonable people as a solemn, private and deeply sacred occasion," he said.

Under the Senate bill, approved without objection by the House with no recorded vote, the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act" would bar protests within 300 feet of the entrance of a cemetery and within 150 feet of a road into the cemetery from 60 minutes before to 60 minutes after a funeral. Those violating the act would face up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

The sponsor of the House bill, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said he took up the issue after attending a military funeral in his home state, where mourners were greeted by "chants and taunting and some of the most vile things I have ever heard."

"Families deserve the time to bury their American heroes with dignity and in peace," Rogers said Wednesday before the Hosue vote.

The demonstrators are led by the Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kan., who has previously organized protests against those who died of AIDS and gay murder victim Matthew Shepard.

In an interview when the House bill passed, Phelps said Congress was "blatantly violating the First Amendment" rights to free speech in passing the bill. He said that if the bill becomes law he will continue to demonstrate but would abide by the restrictions.

Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Kansas, said the loved ones of those who die have already sacrificed for the nation and "we must allow them the right to mourn without being thrust into a political circus."

In response to the demonstrations, the Patriot Guard Riders, a motorcyle group including many veterans, has begun appearing at military funerals to pay respects to the fallen service member and protect the family from disruptions.

More than a dozen states are considering similar laws to restrict protests at nonfederal cemeteries. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against a new Kentucky law, saying it goes too far in limiting freedom of speech and expression.

Personally speaking I am not against this measure. It doesn't limit their right to protest or say what ever they want, it just limits how close they can get to a military funeral while protesting.

Here is another artical on it.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Originally Posted by a lurker

You are asking whether the Westboro Baptist Church is seriously insane. The answer is yes. Yes they are.

Unfortunately half of them are also lawyers, and tenacious fucks at that. The measure is unconstitutional in the same way that murdering pedophiles when they're not kiddie-touching is unconstitutional. Making this law was a bad idea, and it will not end well.

That may be true, but these people are doing something that makes flag burning look like a Sunday walk through the park. They can pull what ever legal crap they want, I do not think the American people will not tolerate it.

The worst part about this is the fact that they actually had to make a law that you couldn't protest with in a certain distance of a military funeral. Some of the signs that they had were so awful that I can't understand how those who had to see it remained peaceful. Those people are fucking insane and to inflict that upon a griefing family is just wrong.

How ya doing, buddy?

Originally Posted by Duo Maxwell

What do they mean by America is tolerating homosexuals, anyway? I'm always hearing about people getting beaten and killed simply due to the suspicion that they're homosexual. We don't allow samesex marriage and anything other than the missionary position is still illegal in many states.

Do they want America to start jailing and executing homosexuals? Where is their God's supposed love in that?

Maybe we should let the wackjobs have their way and change the nomenclature of this continent to Middle East II.

Dark ages comin liek wut.

Where the fuck did that come from? I think you seriously fucking need to re-read what I wrote. I was referring to the fucking insane protesters and their utter hate for everything that they don’t agree with them... not homosexuals O_o

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