Senate Nixes Protests At Military Funerals

[racaulk]

(Washington) Demonstrators would be barred from disrupting military funerals at national cemeteries under legislation approved by the Senate Wednesday.

<---snip--->

Under the Senate bill, approved without objection with no recorded vote, the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act" would bar protests within 300 feet of the entrance of a cemetery and within 150 feet of a road into the cemetery from 60 minutes before to 60 minutes after a funeral. Those violating the act would face up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison.

The sponsor of the House bill, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Mich., said he took up the issue after attending a military funeral in his home state, where mourners were greeted by "chants and taunting and some of the most vile things I have ever heard."

The demonstrators are led by the Rev. Fred Phelps of Topeka, Kan., who has previously organized protests against those who died of AIDS and gay murder victim Matthew Shepard.

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Link: http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/05/052406phelps.htm

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

1. Good.

It's about time the Senate did something I approved of LOL

[proud2BlibKansan]

2. It won't stick

Phelps will challenge it all the way to the Supreme Court. It's a free speech issue. So he will win.

[Rabrrrrrr]

3. You know, it just seems to me that, given the unconstitutional shit this

admnistration does, they could at least do one bit of good work and kind of, you know, disappear Phelps and his entire church.

I have a distinct feeling that would garner the most bipartisan support of anything done in the last five years.

[Maat]

4. I approve of it also.

I just don't see how it is constitutional. Per my understanding, government actors may only regulate the time, place, and manner of speech (e.g. requiring a non-discriminatory permit), and that is only going to fly if the regulation is not content-based (and there is no viewpoint discrimination). If the regulation is content-based, then the compelling interest standard must be met (the most stringent standard). And that's for starters.

[msongs]

5. but NOT at funerals of glbt's?

is it still ok to have these protestors slime dead gays as long as they are NOT dead gay militariats? Or is it ok to slime dead soldiers who were gay?

Msongs
www.msongs.com
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[ComerPerro]

7. no kidding. "Slander all the fags you want. They aren't people"

[MADem]

6. Many people are buried in the family plot, or the military section of a

private or church cemetery. These folks are NOT protected. If you are at one of the national cemeteries, from the Punchbowl to Arlington, your family will not be abused, but if you are buried in the old church plot, or the military section of your local town cemetery, your family will still hear from these assholes.

A load of these funerals occur at these sites. I know, I've attended many.