Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Ban Protests At Military Funerals
Posted on March 19, 2006
Hat tip: Bare Knuckle Politics
Recently I posted about the loonatic hate cult of Westboro Baptist Church, and how the ACLU are fighting for them to protest at military funerals. The Cult is lead by Fred Phelps, and they believe that God is punishing America for our arrogance and our tolerance of gays. They feel that the best place to express their hate is picketing the funerals of veterans killed in the War on Terror with signs saying such things as “God Hates Fags”, and “Thank God For Dead Soldiers.”
To learn more about them, make sure to Watch The Sky News Undercover Expose on Fred Phelps.
After posting on how the ACLU are defending these creeps, I was linked to at the God Hates Fags website, and recieved quite a bit of hate mail casting judgement on where I would spend eternity.
Regardless of all that nonsense, legislation is on its way to curb some of this hate.
A Michigan congressman will introduce federal legislation to block protests during military funeral services in response to a Kansas church’s continued demonstrations at servicemembers’ burials.
Rep. Mike Rogers said he won’t officially submit the bill until later this month, but colleagues in Congress have already scheduled a hearing in early April and pledged their support for the measure.
The proposal would prohibit protests an hour before or after a funeral at any national cemetery, and force protesters back at least 500 feet from the grieving family. Penalties for violations still need to be worked out.
“When you go to a funeral, it’s difficult enough to show up and pay your respects to someone who died for their country without getting jeered, taunted and harassed,” said Rogers, a Republican. “There’s a difference between free speech and hateful, harassing speech.”
On Thursday, Sen. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., introduced similar legislation in the Senate, creating a 300-foot buffer zone and making violations punishable by up to five years in prison. Bayh’s bill would apply to “all funerals for soldiers who were killed in active duty service.”
Rogers began crafting the legislation after attending a funeral last week picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church, whose members have been demonstrating at military funerals across America.
The group insists that troops are being killed to punish the United States for embracing a pro-gay agenda, and usually wave signs with slogans such as “Thank God for IEDs” as mourners approach.
Rogers, a former Army officer whose brother has served as a soldier in both Iraq and Afghanistan, said even though he knew the group was coming he was incensed when he saw their protest.
“It was worse than awful,” he said. “It was darn close to being criminal.”
I hope the legislation goes through, but you can bet that the ACLU will fight it.
For a worthy cause to SUPPORT the troops…go to Mudville Gazette
» Filed Under ACLU, News, War On Terror
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5 Responses to “Lawmaker Proposes Bill to Ban Protests At Military Funerals”
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Oh the irony! First off that the ACLU headed by a Homosexual is defending these creeps. Second that we here at Stop The ACLU are often times labeled homophobic and these idiots from this cult sent hate mail to us.
What I’m wondering is how the attorneys for the ACLU squeezed this past Anthony Romero?
They should be ashamed to call themselves Christians. No Bible I have ever read says anything close to “God Hates Fags”, though He does hate homosexuality. “Thank God for dead soldiers.” That is the most un-Christian thing I’ve ever heard anyone say. I’ll be blogging about that on my Christian site to let every Christian know what I think of that behavior.
On the funeral issue, which I totally skipped, that’s a tricky one.
These people suck. Badly. Honestly, though, so long as they operate on public property and don’t cause immediate violence they should probably be allowed to do what they want to do…. maybe?
I hate them for it. A lot. They’re scum. I hate NAZI’s, too. They pull the same kind of ridiculous, obnoxious nonsense. In general, though, I would never fight against the scums ability to spread their disgusting messages. It isn’t my place, or the government’s to decide what opinion is right or wrong.
HOWEVER. I would be all for a ban of ANY political social gathering at a funeral. Isolating special cases of calm doesn’t bother me one bit so long as those bans are carefully considered.
We totally agree. In the future I”d like to see a graveyard stay a protected location.
I thought grave yards were private property. If they are private property then trespassing laws should prevent the protest or push them back. The federal government does not have legal jurisdiction unless the grave yards are federal property. Even if the graveyard in question is government owned they have the right to determine who does and does not enter it and what purposes it can be entered for. Court houses are government property and yet no one has the right to enter them and set up protests when court is in session. The same for legislative and executive buildings and so why should graveyards be immune. So even if the graveyard is public property then trespassing laws should protect those burying their friends, associates, and loved ones. If you cause too much of a scene in a business they will call the police and have you thrown out so I don’t see what the problem is with handling these protestors.
Fred Phelps is a long-time Democrat. He has sought election to office a few times, and he and his brother actively campaigned for Al Gore. The ACLU will pour its heart into this litigation.
The ACLU is really an acronym for America’s Champion of Lascivious Uniformity.