OK, it is rare that I will cheer restrictions on 1st Amendment rights, but...

[Ariux]

Why doesn't the government ever pass laws designed to target Liberal protesters (Liberals protest more and are far more disruptive)?

 

[westwall]

As vile as these people are, they have the same rights I do and the same as you. I'm horrified that the congress would even consider changing the rules for some while upholding those same rules for others.

We all, right and left, need to fight this. Loud and long, write your congressperson and ask them to vote against this.

Nope, I consider what they do to be akin to yelling "FIRE" in a theatre.

 

[Luddly Neddite]

As vile as these people are, they have the same rights I do and the same as you. I'm horrified that the congress would even consider changing the rules for some while upholding those same rules for others.

We all, right and left, need to fight this. Loud and long, write your congressperson and ask them to vote against this.

Nope, I consider what they do to be akin to yelling "FIRE" in a theatre.

How is it the same?

 

[FA_Q2]

Why doesn't the government ever pass laws designed to target Liberal protesters (Liberals protest more and are far more disruptive)?

!!!! These are not ‘conservative’ protesters and there are EXTREMELY few protesters that are more disruptive than these. The government should not be targeting any protesters.

As for the OP, the problems are real but I have a strong aversion to any limitation on the right of free speech that does not involve physical harm (like the fire in a crowded theater limitation). The protection of offensive speech is paramount. I prefer when the people take care of this insanity.

Also, are funerals not on private property anyway? The protesters cannot actually protest at the funeral, they don’t have the right to protest on another’s property. They have to do so from the street. I also believe that many places have placed proximity regulations on protests and funerals.

 

[Ernie S.]

You know the funny thing about Westboro?

I recently learned that they dont think ANY of us are going to Heaven, not even themselves. They arent trying to change our minds about anything other than that. LOL. They actually believe they are just doing us a service by letting us know that God hates us all ( including them ) and is going to send us to hell ( including them )



Oh and while I agree with the idea that these people shoudlnt be allowed to protest at a funeral, I say the best way to do that is like this:

Texas A&M Students Form Human Wall To Block Westboro Baptist Church Protestors From Soldier Roy Tisdale's Funeral (PHOTOS)

Then there's the Patriot Guard Riders...

 

[Peach]

You know the funny thing about Westboro?

I recently learned that they dont think ANY of us are going to Heaven, not even themselves. They arent trying to change our minds about anything other than that. LOL. They actually believe they are just doing us a service by letting us know that God hates us all ( including them ) and is going to send us to hell ( including them )



Oh and while I agree with the idea that these people shoudlnt be allowed to protest at a funeral, I say the best way to do that is like this:

Texas A&M Students Form Human Wall To Block Westboro Baptist Church Protestors From Soldier Roy Tisdale's Funeral (PHOTOS)

The A & M students were exercising their right of assembly. Thanks for the photo.

 

[Vidi]

As vile as these people are, they have the same rights I do and the same as you. I'm horrified that the congress would even consider changing the rules for some while upholding those same rules for others.

We all, right and left, need to fight this. Loud and long, write your congressperson and ask them to vote against this.

Nope, I consider what they do to be akin to yelling "FIRE" in a theatre.

I disagree. They are disruptive and distracting at best. They piss people off ( for good reason ) but they are not putting peoples lives at risk.

Larry Flint once said "If the 1st amendment applies to me, then it applies to everyone, because Im the worst. "

Well, Larry was wrong. He wasnt the worst. The Westboro people are the worst. But the sentiment of Larrys statement is still true.

 

[catzmeow]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

Why? They're not denying them their right to protest, they're simply creating reasonable conditions under which they can protest to promote public safety.

Namely, their own safety.

Can you see where that might lead? Protest zones, well removed from political candidates, for instance, all in the guise of protecting public safety.

I call bullshit. Government, particularly the federal government, does not have a role in this situation. It's yet another form of undermining free speech, under the mask of protection.

People need to wake up.

 

[Desperado]

Bottom line is that you either have the right to free speech or you don't
There is no middle ground. The is no such thing as limited freedom of speech.

Wrong. No right is absolute.

I understand what you are saying, but that doesn't mean I agree with it

 

[ItsjustmeIthink]

Question: Is there anything you CAN do to "disencourage" those nutjobs from either coming to protest in the first place, or "persuade" them to leave if they're already there?

I want to support this, but a lot of people are right: Not really a middle ground with freedom of speech.

Couldn't they have made something that prevented protests within cemetaries?

Whats so annoying about this is the fact that the law is really on the protesters side. The people having the funeral can't even take it upon themselves to remove the protesters, without getting sued or some shit. Or at least as far as I know.

 

[westwall]

As vile as these people are, they have the same rights I do and the same as you. I'm horrified that the congress would even consider changing the rules for some while upholding those same rules for others.

We all, right and left, need to fight this. Loud and long, write your congressperson and ask them to vote against this.

Nope, I consider what they do to be akin to yelling "FIRE" in a theatre.

I disagree. They are disruptive and distracting at best. They piss people off ( for good reason ) but they are not putting peoples lives at risk.

Larry Flint once said "If the 1st amendment applies to me, then it applies to everyone, because Im the worst. "

Well, Larry was wrong. He wasnt the worst. The Westboro people are the worst. But the sentiment of Larrys statement is still true.

Sure they are. They are putting their own lives at risk as well as anyone else who happens to be in the area. People have gone to blows for much less than these assholes have done. Eventually, they would pick on somebody who wouldn't put up with their crap and beat the crap out of them and quite probably kill one of the poor darlings.


Then, there would all sorts of more problems with the clowns.

 

[ItsjustmeIthink]

Allowing this is a dangerous precedent and a slippery slope.

EDIT: If tear gas is legal...some would probably get dropped upwind of one of those crowds if they ever protested a funeral in my area. OR, goggles, football gear, big cans of mace+sprinting. I'm just typing random things.

 

[rightwinger]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

Sadly, I suspect you are right

Westboro is slowly fading away anyway. They have limited membership, mostly Phelps family members and very little funding

What funding they have usually comes from lawsuits against those who have violated their first amendment rights

 

[hortysir]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

That's IF Obama doesn't veto it

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

That's IF Obama doesn't veto it

He wouldn't in a million years.

I would, but he wouldn't.

One of the many reasons I don't like Obama.

 

[hortysir]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

That's IF Obama doesn't veto it

He wouldn't in a million years.

I would, but he wouldn't.

One of the many reasons I don't like Obama.

Given his history as a community agit.....I mean, Organizer, it would seem that this type of behavior is right up his alley.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

That's IF Obama doesn't veto it

He wouldn't in a million years.

I would, but he wouldn't.

One of the many reasons I don't like Obama.

Given his history as a community agit.....I mean, Organizer, it would seem that this type of behavior is right up his alley.

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

What does Obama's background as an organizer have to do with the WBC?

 

[hortysir]

He wouldn't in a million years.

I would, but he wouldn't.

One of the many reasons I don't like Obama.

Given his history as a community agit.....I mean, Organizer, it would seem that this type of behavior is right up his alley.

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

What does Obama's background as an organizer have to do with the WBC?

Senseless protests from ignorant sheep????

 

[theDoctorisIn]

Given his history as a community agit.....I mean, Organizer, it would seem that this type of behavior is right up his alley.

I'm not sure what you're talking about.

What does Obama's background as an organizer have to do with the WBC?

Senseless protests from ignorant sheep????

Ah.

Well, "senseless" is in the eyes of the beholder - but I think it's pretty clear that Obama would be on the side of silencing homophobic assholes, rather than protecting them.

Both sides have their issues, and their "agitators".

 

[Charles_Main]

Strongly suspect it will not be upheld by the supreme court, and it shouldn't be. Westboro Baptist Church is offensive, but living a life free of being offended is not a right.

I don't Agree, I think a Reasonable Society can place limits in places like a Cemetery during a Funeral and not Lose their rights all together.

Though I do agree the SCOTUS will likely over turn this.