Lawmakers ban picketing of funerals in Arizona

[Jackson]

One of the few laws that make sense these days. May other states follow.

Lawmakers ban picketing near Tucson funerals - FoxNews.com

correction: Guess it's just Tucson.

 

[Sallow]

I hope this goes to all 50 states. It should be common sense. You DON'T picket funerals. It's a vile and disgusting thing to do.

 

[Ravi]

I don't see three hundred feet making much difference.

State lawmakers Tuesday passed legislation that makes protests illegal within 300 feet of any home, house of worship, cemetery, or funeral home just before, during, or after a ceremony or burial.

Funeral protest: Arizona rallies to foil Westboro Baptist Church - CSMonitor.com

I also don't know what to think of this...is it not against the first amendment to pass such a law? And aren't the rightwingloons up in arms about silencing vitriolic hate speech?

 

[Revere]

Waitaminute. Who are the "right wing loons?" The Westboro Baptist Church, or the politicians who want to keep them the hell away from funerals?

 

[Revere]

Both?

 

[California Girl]

I don't see three hundred feet making much difference.

State lawmakers Tuesday passed legislation that makes protests illegal within 300 feet of any home, house of worship, cemetery, or funeral home just before, during, or after a ceremony or burial.

Funeral protest: Arizona rallies to foil Westboro Baptist Church - CSMonitor.com

I also don't know what to think of this...is it not against the first amendment to pass such a law? And aren't the rightwingloons up in arms about silencing vitriolic hate speech?

It's not silencing anyone. It's saying 'not here, move back'. I'm ok with that. Funerals are private events. My right to speak freely does not outweigh the right of others to assemble peacefully, it does not give me the right to invade their privacy, it does not give me the right to inflict emotional distress on anyone. In short, you have the same rights as I do. Mine do not outweigh yours.

(Unless you are a left winger - then, clearly, you have no rights. )*

*Anyone wanna bet that someone is, in months to come, gonna misquote me and claim I said that in seriousness?

An oft overlooked part of our 'rights' is our responsibility. With rights come responsibilities. I have the right to speak freely... I have the responsibility not to use that right to lie, mislead, etc. Pity that our politicians (both sides) don't remember their responsibility.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

 

[geauxtohell]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

The SCOTUS just made a ruling on this. I think they worded it so that states could establish boundaries like this, but I could be wrong.

 

[westwall]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

I don't agree with you on this one. I feel it falls in the same realm as yelling fire in a theatre.

 

[LordBrownTrout]

I'd line up about 50 AR totin peaceful citizens in front of the westboro church members.

 

[California Girl]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

They've worded it so that it is an exclusion zone specifically around funerals. How is that taking away your rights? And, with that right, comes the 'don't yell fire in a crowded theater' responsibility. Your right to speak does not supersede the right of others to privacy, their right to go about their lawful business and does not give you the right to deliberately inflict emotional distress on others.

 

[Truthmatters]

do you think it could be an simular case to yelling fire in a crowded theater?

I think this is an issue of inciting a riot.

these people want to stir the pot until someone attacks them physically and causing a riot.

It is a very tuff one but this court move will keep people from being physically harmed

 

[Madeline]

It's a freedom of assembly issue, I'd think, more'n freedom of speech. I'd be very surprised if reasonable time and place restrictions were unconstitutional.

Good on AZ lawmakers...the families of the slain should not have to cope with these despicable people.

 

[goldcatt]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

The SCOTUS just made a ruling on this. I think they worded it so that states could establish boundaries like this, but I could be wrong.

They already exist in other circumstances, and have been approved by SCOTUS. Protesters outside abortion clinics, for example, have to maintain a mandatory buffer zone. In the Matthews case you refer to, the town had an ordinance that resulted in a similar distance or buffer zone between the WBC protesters and the funeral, the court didn't bat an eyelash.

It's called a time, place and manner restriction, and it exists as a compromise between the right of the speaker to speak and the rights of others. Nobody is saying they can't speak, they simply can't speak in the exact location at the exact time that would infringe on another's rights.

 

[manifold]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

^ What he said

 

[Madeline]

This is a clear violation of the First Amendment and should be overturned in court. As much as I agree with all of you that the practices of the Westboro Baptist Church are vile, passing laws like this is how we start down the road to government taking our rights away piece by piece. Today it's banning wacko funeral protesters, but what will the new problem be tomorrow?

^ What he said

They can say anything they like, mani. They just can't say it to the mourners face to face with spittle landing on them. Do you seriously believe any of us "needs" a right to disrupt funerals? Why's it so threatening to you to move them back, away from the mourners?

 

[goldcatt]

There is no slippery slope here. Time, place and manner restrictions have been established in law for a long, long time now. So long as they are crafted narrowly, as this seems to be from what I've seen, they're not a problem.

Unless you'd prefer protesters be allowed to picket a residential street at 3 in the morning? Or interrupt religious observances at whim? Or physically block off all public access to whatever it is they're protesting, whether that be a clinic or a gun shop? ALL rights need to be protected, these types of restrictions are the compromise that does that as best as the law can manage.

Remember, we are all guaranteed the right to speak - not the right to be heard by the specific audience of our choosing, whenever and however we see fit and completely disregarding the rights of others.

 

[Marie888]

Yeah, I hope we can all agree on this definately So sad if someone tried to.

 

[WillowTree]

How to create new jobs. Hire speech nazis. Forbid words. Write new dictionaries. print them. then start over. I wonder which words we are going to be forbaden to utter in liberland??

 

[WillowTree]

When liberals are in the minority protest is patriotism. when liberals are in power protest is treason. I so detest liberals.