Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funera

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Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funeral Protests

President Barack Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 into law on Monday, providing a wide-ranging package of benefits to military personnel and enacting new restrictions on protests of service member funerals.

"We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform," Obama said before signing the bill, according to a pool report. "The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds."

The new law will have strong implications for the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have labeled a hate group. Westboro Baptist Church has drawn media attention for its brand of protest, which frequently links the deaths of soldiers to America's growing acceptance of gays.

Under the new legislation, protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and are prohibited two hours before or after a service. The law counters a 2011 Supreme Court ruling, which found that displays such as Westboro's were protected under the First Amendment.


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


One more nail in the coffin of what was once the bill of rights.

Whether you hate the westboro church or not, their right to assemble and speak their belief is protected. Well, it was anyway.
 
Court Lets Missouri Town Restrict Westboro Protests...
:clap2:
Appeals court: Town can restrict funeral protests
Oct 16, 2012 - Federal appeals decision says limits don't violate free-speech rights
A St. Louis suburb can enforce a funeral protest ordinance aimed at preventing picketing by an anti-gay Kansas church, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling reverses a previous ruling by a three-judge panel of the court. The panel ruling last year prohibited the St. Louis County town of Manchester, Mo., from enforcing the law it drafted in response to activities by members of Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church. A lawsuit claiming the Manchester ordinance violated the First Amendment right to free speech was filed by Shirley Phelps-Roper, a Westboro member and daughter of pastor Fred Phelps.

Members of the church frequently protest at funerals of soldiers with signs containing messages like "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "Thank God for 9/11," claiming the deaths are God's punishment for American immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion. The Manchester ordinance allows for protest activities but with limitations. Among them: Protesters are not allowed within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service while it is occurring and for one hour before and one hour after. Eighth Circuit Judge Diana Murphy wrote that the ordinance "survives First Amendment scrutiny because it serves a significant government interest, it is narrowly tailored, and it leaves open ample alternative channels for communication."

Judge Lavenski Smith agreed, though he wrote in a concurring opinion that the appeals court "is extending the circumference of what this circuit has previously found constitutes a significant government interest." Courts around the country have wrestled with city ordinances and state laws aimed at keeping Westboro members away from funerals. Some laws, like a statewide law in Missouri, have been overturned. Others have been upheld. Manchester City Attorney Patrick Gunn said the Manchester law was written to resemble an Ohio law already upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. "We were confident that eventually our ordinance was not in any way unconstitutional or overimposing on a person's right to exercise free speech," Gunn said.

Tony Rothert, an American Civil Liberties Union attorney who represented Phelps-Roper, said a decision about whether to appeal will be made soon. "We think it's a slippery slope not justified by the First Amendment or Supreme Court precedent," Rothert said. "Ultimately that's probably an issue for the Supreme Court to decide." Manchester adopted its ordinance in 2007, though Gunn said Westboro members never have protested at a funeral or burial in that community. Steve Drain, a member and spokesman for Westboro Baptist, said the church will continue to protest at military funerals in spite of the ruling. "It won't have any impact," Drain said. "We're not interested in breaking any laws, we're interested in preaching the word of God to a doomed nation."

Source
 
Anonymous Hacks Westboro Baptist Church...

Anonymous hits Westboro Baptist Church over Sandy Hook picket plans
Sunday, Dec 16, 2012 - Hackers publish private information about church members following news that it would picket the Newtown school
The ever-hateful Westboro Baptist Church has not failed to deliver in the wake of the Newtown school massacre. The Church, notorious for picketing the funerals of fallen troops with “God Hates Fags” placards, announced Saturday that they would picket Sandy Hook elementary school, where 20 children and six adults were shot dead Friday. Tweets from the Phelps family suggest they believe the horrors in Connecticut are a punishment from God for gay marriage.

WBC_20051202_sacco-topeka5.jpg


Hacker collective Anonymous was swift to respond, releasing private information of Westboro members including email addresses, phone numbers and home addresses. This video, decrying the church for spreading “seeds of hatred” was also released. It warns, “We will destroy you. We are coming.”

Source
 
How exactly do they expect a statute to overturn a Supreme Court Ruling on the First Amendment?
 
How exactly do they expect a statute to overturn a Supreme Court Ruling on the First Amendment?


Congress exercises a check on Supreme Court power because they can write legislation which addresses the Constitutional faults found in a Court ruling. That's what they've attempted to do here.

It is worthwhile to note that Congress has NEVER attempted to do that with the Roe v Wade ruling, even during those 6 years that the GOP held uncontested control of the Legislative and Executive branches.
 
Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funeral Protests

President Barack Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 into law on Monday, providing a wide-ranging package of benefits to military personnel and enacting new restrictions on protests of service member funerals.

"We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform," Obama said before signing the bill, according to a pool report. "The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds."

The new law will have strong implications for the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have labeled a hate group. Westboro Baptist Church has drawn media attention for its brand of protest, which frequently links the deaths of soldiers to America's growing acceptance of gays.

Under the new legislation, protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and are prohibited two hours before or after a service. The law counters a 2011 Supreme Court ruling, which found that displays such as Westboro's were protected under the First Amendment.


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


One more nail in the coffin of what was once the bill of rights.

Whether you hate the westboro church or not, their right to assemble and speak their belief is protected. Well, it was anyway.

How many feet closer should they be to the funeral hurling insults until their demonstration turns into "fighting words"? I would think that calling someone's dead son or daughter a bunch of vile insults during a funeral service is fighting words. I don't think that those parameters are restriction their free speech.
 
Good for Obama. Fuck Westboro or any group protesting a soldier's funeral. They have no place there. There are limits to free speech.
 
This is the same group who planned on picketing in Newtown, CT. Should they be allowed to use public space to tell grieving parents that God wanted their children dead?
 
I don't find these limitations unreasonable. They are still allowed to broadcast their hateful message and I fully support their right to do so. Whether the Westboro realizes it or not, these limitations also attrmpts to protect their sorry asses from getting themselves killed.....
 
Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funeral Protests

President Barack Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 into law on Monday, providing a wide-ranging package of benefits to military personnel and enacting new restrictions on protests of service member funerals.

"We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform," Obama said before signing the bill, according to a pool report. "The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds."

The new law will have strong implications for the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have labeled a hate group. Westboro Baptist Church has drawn media attention for its brand of protest, which frequently links the deaths of soldiers to America's growing acceptance of gays.

Under the new legislation, protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and are prohibited two hours before or after a service. The law counters a 2011 Supreme Court ruling, which found that displays such as Westboro's were protected under the First Amendment.


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


One more nail in the coffin of what was once the bill of rights.

Whether you hate the westboro church or not, their right to assemble and speak their belief is protected. Well, it was anyway.

Your hate for Obama is so strong, you wont even support him for this? Damn. That is hate ladies and genltlemen. True, real hate.

Either that or you are a fucking hack.
 
Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funeral Protests

President Barack Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 into law on Monday, providing a wide-ranging package of benefits to military personnel and enacting new restrictions on protests of service member funerals.

"We have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform," Obama said before signing the bill, according to a pool report. "The graves of our veterans are hallowed grounds."

The new law will have strong implications for the Westboro Baptist Church, a Kansas-based organization which the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League have labeled a hate group. Westboro Baptist Church has drawn media attention for its brand of protest, which frequently links the deaths of soldiers to America's growing acceptance of gays.

Under the new legislation, protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and are prohibited two hours before or after a service. The law counters a 2011 Supreme Court ruling, which found that displays such as Westboro's were protected under the First Amendment.


Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.


One more nail in the coffin of what was once the bill of rights.

Whether you hate the westboro church or not, their right to assemble and speak their belief is protected. Well, it was anyway.

How many feet closer should they be to the funeral hurling insults until their demonstration turns into "fighting words"? I would think that calling someone's dead son or daughter a bunch of vile insults during a funeral service is fighting words. I don't think that those parameters are restriction their free speech.

and if Bush had the balls to propose this, the right would have called him a hero.

I hate hacks. I really do.
 

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