BF2S Forums Constitutional Amendment to Ban Funeral Protests

I didn't think state governments could actually ban protests.  I'm surprised that hasn't gone to the Supreme Court.

Well, I suppose if state governments can pass a ban on that without it being struck down by the feds...  that would be an even easier way to stop these idiots.

I heard the organizing guy on the radio...

"It's irrelevant that this marine was not gay. We live in an age of sodomy..."

no respect at all

Seems a bit extreme to pass an amendment to block one religious fanatic. WBC are a bunch of dicks but I really don't like any sort of laws or amendments which undermine free speech.

I'm surprised that with all of those disgruntled Iraq veterans running around one of them hasn't decided to wipe out WBC.

Much as I enjoy free speech, and dangerous precedent blah blah blah etc, I'm fully in support of this. But like Macbeth says, I'm really surprise no one has shot those fucks.

That should be included in the amendment. Protesters will be shot at.

Turquoise wrote:

Macbeth wrote:

Seems a bit extreme to pass an amendment to block one religious fanatic. WBC are a bunch of dicks but I really don't like any sort of laws or amendments which undermine free speech.

I'm surprised that with all of those disgruntled Iraq veterans running around one of them hasn't decided to wipe out WBC.

I don't like legislating out problems either, but this is one case where it seems like you could easily design the law to be completely limited to this specific context.

With most issues, you can't pinpoint the problem with a law.  With this one, you really can.

You can't really legislate away douchbags. I read the time article and the state laws do a fine enough job already. 

More than 40 states and the U.S. Congress have passed laws limiting funeral protests — largely as a direct result of the Westboro Baptist Church. Many municipalities have also passed funeral-protest ordinances at the local level.

The measures generally criminalize protests near funeral processions as a form of disorderly conduct. The measures typically impose both time and distance limitations. Some of the laws only prohibit protesting at military funerals, while many others ban protests at any funeral.

The Oklahoma Funeral Picketing Act blocks protests at military funerals, prohibiting such activity from one hour before to two hours after the funeral. It also prohibits protests within 300 feet of the location of the funeral service or 300 feet of the “military funeral procession or burial.”

http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/ass … l_protests

WBC wasn't anywhere near the Snyder family or the funeral. Snyder only saw the protest on the news afterward. The most emotional damage came when the father was online and accidentally opened a link by WBC that declared his son was in hell for being Catholic and a few other things.

WBC are asses rah rah rah but after we you ban them for funeral protesting and they find some other way to cause emotional distress to family members what then? Ban something else in reaction to them? Screw playing some stupid game legislative game with these assholes and screw anything that undermines my own personal liberty, rights blah blah blah.

Sorry if my post seems like a bit of a thought salad but something something not really in it right now.

the chance of seeing another amendment passed in our lifetimes is slim to none

Would this hypothetical ban only limit it for soldiers or would it ban all funeral protest? I mean: if the leader of the American Nazi party died and they wanted a massive funeral party in the middle of Atlanta or some equally rundown black area, would protesting the Nazi's funeral party be unconstitutional?

Macbeth wrote:

You can't really legislate away douchbags. I read the time article and the state laws do a fine enough job already.

That sums it up. Freedom does have this downside, people have a right to be douchbags if they want to. The governemnt should not ever legislate where you can or can't protest. If a douchbag did you wrong, the law that protects you are civil lawsuits.

If there is one thing I admire in American culture is how everyone fights for their freedoms. In Brazil, we put up with alot more than we should when it comes to freedom of speech. Don't ever loose that.

Last edited by EVieira (2010-10-06 07:58:48)

Idiots have their right to free speech. Most of the funerals don't even know they are being protested so whatever. I'm surprised there hasn't been any violence because you know the local sheriffs would look the other way if these people were assaulted by a bunch of angry vets. I suppose they video tape everything in order to protect themselves.

JohnG@lt wrote:

Idiots have their right to free speech. Most of the funerals don't even know they are being protested so whatever. I'm surprised there hasn't been any violence because you know the local sheriffs would look the other way if these people were assaulted by a bunch of angry vets. I suppose they video tape everything in order to protect themselves.

Would you rather risk violence?  I'd rather put something in place to avert the conflict altogether.

Turquoise wrote:

JohnG@lt wrote:

Idiots have their right to free speech. Most of the funerals don't even know they are being protested so whatever. I'm surprised there hasn't been any violence because you know the local sheriffs would look the other way if these people were assaulted by a bunch of angry vets. I suppose they video tape everything in order to protect themselves.

Would you rather risk violence?  I'd rather put something in place to avert the conflict altogether.

Sure. It's a one shot deal with no permanent repercussions on the country.

Last edited by JohnG@lt (2010-10-06 08:44:28)