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In reply to the discussion: Congress Passes Restrictions On Military Funeral Protests, Delivers Blow To Westboro Baptist Church [View all]bucolic_frolic
(42,676 posts)Demonstrators couldn't get within blocks of a Bush Presidential Rally.
And I really wonder if this isn't all about publicity.
Certainly protestors don't often hope to convert the people they protest against.
As politicians, I would hope they do hear about the protestors and at least acknowledge
that there are two sides to debate. I'm not sure that happens very often though.
Reducing confrontation and preventing violence should be a viable goal of policy.
Respecting the rights of the minority, without which we have not much of a democracy,
by seeing that their topics and protests receive adequate media attention should be a goal
of the third rail, the media.
When protest causes emotional pain to the grieving I think we've crossed a line. Let the
mourning have its time, place, and respect. These people have lost sons and daughters and
husbands and wives in the service of our country. The least we can do is to provide them
a safe, calm, supportive place to grieve as they participate in their right of passage.
If protestors are heard in the media, that's enough. Rubbing it in the faces of those who lost
loved ones is simply distasteful.