News & Politics - Bush bans protests at military funerals

Lexis · 05-29-2006, 11:08 AM

Quote:

President Bush, marking Memorial Day with a speech paying tribute to fighting men and women lost in war, signed into law Monday a bill that keeps demonstrators from disrupting military funerals.

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In advance of his speech and a wreath-laying at America's most hallowed burial ground for military heroes, Bush signed the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act." This was largely in response to the activities of a Kansas church group that has staged protests at military funerals around the country, claiming the deaths symbolized God's anger at U.S. tolerance of homosexuals.

The new law bars protests within 300 feet of the entrance of a national cemetery and within 150 feet of a road into the cemetery. This restriction applies an hour before until an hour after a funeral. Those violating the act would face up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060529/...NlYwMlJVRPUCUl

My heart says this is the right thing but legally, does this law stand up? Fred Phelps and his disgusting supporters are saying it goes against their First Ammendment rights - is this true?

Lain · 05-29-2006, 11:22 AM

I can safely assume this was inspired by those crazy protestors from Westboro Baptist Church.

I would say this goes against our First Amendment rights to free speech.

WalkingOnSunshine · 05-29-2006, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by angel_boogiepop

I can safely assume this was inspired by those crazy protestors from Westboro Baptist Church.

I would say this goes against our First Amendment rights to free speech.

How is this exactly violating their rights? They are still able to assemble & speak just now there are a few provisions on space & time. I doubt it will stop these nut jobs anyway, but it is step in the right direction.

86amanda86 · 05-29-2006, 03:11 PM

I totally agree with this. There are certainly things people shouldn't be legally allowed to do, and say horrible things to the families who have just lost a son or brother or father is one of them.

cls21c · 05-29-2006, 03:44 PM

The 1st Amendment guarantees the right to peaceful assembly. Protesting at a funeral is just asking for trouble.

86amanda86 · 05-29-2006, 04:38 PM

Yes, that is definitely not peacefully assembling...

Milo-phile · 05-29-2006, 07:26 PM

I agree with Bush's ban. Although we have free speech, some people take it to far and protesting funerals is a prime example of that. It's like - we have freedom of religion, but you'd have to ban a "religion" that sacrificed babies, right?

VU&NICO · 05-29-2006, 07:28 PM

Isn't a military funeral itself the strongest kind of protest against war?

(and those banned protests are not even against it, they're against homosexuality, right? Bad taste and waste of time)

*Lauren · 05-29-2006, 09:12 PM

Intresting though, that people are still able to protest at abortion clinics. You really can't choose where its right to protest. If one's OK then so is the other, no matter how distasteful it might be.

It will be intresting to see if it holds though, as the case could be made it was violating their free speech.

LittleMilkJug · 05-30-2006, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Lauren

Intresting though, that people are still able to protest at abortion clinics. You really can't choose where its right to protest. If one's OK then so is the other, no matter how distasteful it might be.

It seems to be a case of selective freedom of rights blah blah... just as long as it's got the OK from Bush.

WalkingOnSunshine · 06-01-2006, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Lauren

Intresting though, that people are still able to protest at abortion clinics. You really can't choose where its right to protest. If one's OK then so is the other, no matter how distasteful it might be.

It will be intresting to see if it holds though, as the case could be made it was violating their free speech.

Aren't the protestors being able to protest still? There are just restrictions in regards to a time frame & space issue.

Abortion protestors can't go into the clinic can they? Isn't that a restriction as well.

I don't see how anyone's rights are being violated with these provisions.

*Ledi* · 06-01-2006, 02:36 PM

I agree with this ban for the simple fact that what those people do is disgusting. Sure, people have free speech, but there's a lot of responsibility that comes with it too, so you can't really abuse it. And these people are abusing it.

86amanda86 · 06-01-2006, 03:15 PM

Agreed.

*Lauren · 06-01-2006, 03:39 PM

Ledi, but isn't that the point of free speech? That you can say disgusting things because its your right? Do we next ban neo-Nazis because their speech is wrong?

*Ledi* · 06-01-2006, 05:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Lauren

Ledi, but isn't that the point of free speech? That you can say disgusting things because its your right? Do we next ban neo-Nazis because their speech is wrong?

If they don't bug anyone, no. If they go up to Jewish/black people and started bugging them, wouldn't they get in trouble?

I think I remember my Law teacher saying something like, "They're allowed to do whatever they want within their own party as long as they don't bug the public," when I asked about how it was possible for a Nazi party to still exist.


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