Alabama proposing ban on protests at funerals

[Guest Anonymous]

The title says it all! :clap: :clap: I just heard this on my local news. I'm proud of my state for this, and I hope this legislation passes. The last thing a grieving family needs are a bunch of crazy fools like WBC spouting hate! If doesn't happen, all WBC needs to do is protest at a redneck funeral. They will literally get their asses kicked back to Kansas! Rednecks don't wait around for the law to get rid of pests.

[Alecto]

The title says it all! :clap: :clap: I just heard this on my local news. I'm proud of my state for this, and I hope this legislation passes. The last thing a grieving family needs are a bunch of crazy fools like WBC spouting hate! If doesn't happen, all WBC needs to do is protest at a redneck funeral. They will literally get their asses kicked back to Kansas! Rednecks don't wait around for the law to get rid of pests.

It won't stand up in court.

As much as I hate WBC and their message, I defend their right to protest because I don't ever want MY rights infringed on to protest when I see there is an issue.

[Guest Anonymous]

It won't stand up in court.

As much as I hate WBC and their message, I defend their right to protest because I don't ever want MY rights infringed on to protest when I see there is an issue.

QFT. Not to mention that I don't think confronting speech (regardless of how vile) with violence is anything to be applauded.

[nomi]

I totally disagree with this. Who's to say who's next.

[darareaksmey]

It won't stand up in court.

As much as I hate WBC and their message, I defend their right to protest because I don't ever want MY rights infringed on to protest when I see there is an issue.

Agreed. This has been tried before. WBC has a right to preach its fol-de-rol, no matter how repugnant. I like to believe that where speech is concerned, truth wins out anyhow.

[Guest Anonymous]

It won't stand up in court.

As much as I hate WBC and their message, I defend their right to protest because I don't ever want MY rights infringed on to protest when I see there is an issue.

I get your point, but I disagree. What possible issue needs to be protested at a funeral?

[keeperrox]

I get your point, but I disagree. What possible issue needs to be protested at a funeral?

Have you ever bothered to learn about the American government and our Bill of Rights?

[Alecto]

I get your point, but I disagree. What possible issue needs to be protested at a funeral?

Fred Phelps has to die sometime.

[ladypuglover]

Fred Phelps has to die sometime.

Note to self; Save money to be able to protest Freak Phelps funeral.

[MrsYoungie]

The U.S. was able to stop protesters within certain distances of the president when Bush was pres. I remember the so called Free Speech zones. maybe they could have something similar so that the protests could take place - but where the mourners would not have to see them.

[Alecto]

Those restrictions usually had to do with security issues.

[lilwriter85]

I agree with Alecto, a ban wouldn't stand. The WBC is always going to have the right to protest at funerals around the United States. Other countries have or threatened to ban them. They were denied entry to Canada back in 2008 when they tried to protest at Tim McLean's funeral and I recall there were denied entry into a European country.

[cnl2003]

The title says it all! :clap: :clap: I just heard this on my local news. I'm proud of my state for this, and I hope this legislation passes. The last thing a grieving family needs are a bunch of crazy fools like WBC spouting hate! If doesn't happen, all WBC needs to do is protest at a redneck funeral. They will literally get their asses kicked back to Kansas! Rednecks don't wait around for the law to get rid of pests.

I love my state for doing this! Being the daughter of a retired solder I can not imagine the anger and pain I would feel if someone protested my father's funeral. I believe in the right to free speech but sometimes a line needs to be drawn.

[Conuly]

It'd be terrific if we had a law that said "Everybody is allowed freedom of speech EXCEPT WBC because they're total assholes", but we can't actually do that :cry:

And while banning protests at funerals seems to make sense (and certainly funeral protests are tacky), what's to prevent them from setting up 1 foot away from the banned zone and protesting there? And what's to prevent the government to use that precedent to ban protesting in OTHER areas and at OTHER times?

[ElphabaGalinda]

I agree with Alecto, a ban wouldn't stand. The WBC is always going to have the right to protest at funerals around the United States. Other countries have or threatened to ban them. They were denied entry to Canada back in 2008 when they tried to protest at Tim McLean's funeral and I recall there were denied entry into a European country.

If I recall correctly, they were denied entry to Canada because we don't have "freedom of speech" in quite the same way as in the US. I forget which European country they tried to get into, but they were probably denied for the same reason. American style freedom of speech is pretty unique, as far as i know. So that's why they'd never be banned from protesting at funerals in the US, but they can't do the same in many other countries.

I personally like the way it works in Canada, but I agree with Alecto too, the WBC aren't doing anything illegal so this won't work.

[mirele]

If I recall correctly, they were denied entry to Canada because we don't have "freedom of speech" in quite the same way as in the US. I forget which European country they tried to get into, but they were probably denied for the same reason. American style freedom of speech is pretty unique, as far as i know. So that's why they'd never be banned from protesting at funerals in the US, but they can't do the same in many other countries.

I personally like the way it works in Canada, but I agree with Alecto too, the WBC aren't doing anything illegal so this won't work.

They'd been to Canada once prior to being banned. What was funny about that trip was that they decided to burn the Canadian flag. Let's just say Canadians aren't so attached to the Maple Leaf as Americans are to the Stars and Stripes. When the Phelpsies stepped up to do their flag burning, they were making such a hash of it that a police officer intervened to help them finish. His rationale: Someone was going to get injured and he wanted them to leave Canada sooner, rather than later. Canadians: sensibility personified.

As for Britain, the government specifically banned Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper due to hate speech issues and said that other Phelpsies could also be banned. This isn't the first time Britain has refused entry to people due to hate speech, but it was the first time allegedly Christian people were banned (the other banned people had been Islamic preachers).

If you're going to be a guest in someone else's country, you really should be polite. But that seems to have escaped the Phelpsies.

[emmiedahl]

I support the WBC's right to be assholes within the borders of the US, and I love American-style free speech. We are rather unique assholes over here, but even a four year old American child can tell you that they have a First Amendment right to it. :lol: Our government is fascist enough, let's hold on to every right we have. I can only wish the Founding Fathers had included a right to birth control in the Constitution.

I hope Alabama's law gets shot down. Although I might like to see limits on the right to protest near medical facilities, because it does interfere with privacy.

[sriracha]

The Supreme Court has already ruled on this issue, just this past year. The case is Snyder v. Phelps.

[J-Watcher]

Fred Phelps has to die sometime.

It's really quite a testament to the cool-headedness of the well-armed American public that he's still alive. Never ceases to amaze me that somebody hasn't just decided to take him out. Imagine elderly relatives of their funeral protest targets, suffering from terminal cancer or some other not-much-time-left condition. What keeps ALL of them from deciding not to just take him out?

But I do think this sort of protesting should be outlawed. It's well-established law that the right to free speech can be subject to reasonable restrictions on "time, place, and manner". There are plenty of times and places where these sickos could publicly spread their "message" without forcing their mindless hate-spewing on friends and family attending a funeral.

[StarrieEyedKat]

Fred Phelps has to die sometime.

:clap:

[aubrietta]

Okay, I'm not American, and so please excuse my ignorance, but how can the Phelps protest funerals and things and be so insanely offensive and not get arrested and women protesting the transvaginal ultrasound bill in Virgina get hauled off to jail?

[Arete]

I would personally love to see Fred Phelps and his ilk get banned, but it is not and should not be possible here. If they were banned by law, they would gain and unprecedented amount of martyrdom points and "street cred" for their views. It's like Germany's ban on Nazi memorabilia and hate speech. Very well meaning, comes from the best of places, but in the end their assholes get to say "look, our government and those aweful Jews are PERSECUTING us, and YOUR next, wahhhhh!" The views go slinking back to dark nasty places, fester and grow. A lot of times the best way to stop bacteria from growing is air and light. Let Phelps stay in the air and light where we can see how ugly his views are and where he will eventually die. I feel terrible for the families, and they deserve way better, but a ban will only allow this infection to take on new life and grow.

Edited to put space between a run-on word. I hate insomnia.

[Witsec7]

I'd rather have Phelps out in the open where we can keep track of the damn familychurch. And everyone, even the Nazi's in Skokie have a right to free speech.

[JesusFightClub]

They'd been to Canada once prior to being banned. What was funny about that trip was that they decided to burn the Canadian flag. Let's just say Canadians aren't so attached to the Maple Leaf as Americans are to the Stars and Stripes. When the Phelpsies stepped up to do their flag burning, they were making such a hash of it that a police officer intervened to help them finish. His rationale: Someone was going to get injured and he wanted them to leave Canada sooner, rather than later. Canadians: sensibility personified.

As for Britain, the government specifically banned Fred Phelps and Shirley Phelps-Roper due to hate speech issues and said that other Phelpsies could also be banned. This isn't the first time Britain has refused entry to people due to hate speech, but it was the first time allegedly Christian people were banned (the other banned people had been Islamic preachers).

If you're going to be a guest in someone else's country, you really should be polite. But that seems to have escaped the Phelpsies.

I want to point out here a. yes it was the UK and b. it is not only Islamic preachers. Other people have had the banhammer fall, including Animal Rights types (Dr Jerry Vlasak is an example of this).

I disagree with the ban. Let all of them come, and let the chips fall where they may.

[apple1]

As much as I hate the Phelps, I don't think they should be banned - freedom of speech and all that.

I do, however, think that it is totally within the bounds of the US constitution to prevent their expressing their freedom of speech at funerals, because at that point their freedom is oppressing the freedoms of the deceased's family and friends.

Take it somewhere else. I do not think threatens the US right to freedom of speech. (My opinion, of course).

(I do, however, agree with those who have said that the new Alabama law will get knocked down in court).