Honoring America's Veterans Act Signed By Obama, Restricting Westboro Military Funera

jamesrage said:

If there was a 300 foot rule away from any businesses and parks for occutard protesters I guarentee you would be screeming that this is a ban on free speech.

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Ikari said:

I could be convinced to suffer reasonable restriction, "free speech zones" are not reasonable restriction.

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American said:

Though I dislike WBC, I wonder what the future holds for the 300 feet measurement or another arbitrary measurement. What other event could an expanded law affect?

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Ikari said:

The will of gods has nothing to do with the laws of man. Freedom has repercussions and to keep it, we must accept those repercussions.

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Mustachio said:

i actually was just making fun of how westboro claims to be able to correctly interpret things like court cases of extensions of god's will. If they win a court case, they say god wants to destroy their enemies, and if they lose a court case, they say god is hastening the end times so they will finally ascend with the chosen. it all makes sense as long as you listen to everything they say, ignore everything everybody else says, and don't think - not even for a second

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Matt Foley said:

What you people think is freedom is not freedom. What you people think should not be considered freedom is freedom.

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hazlnut said:

Honestly, I have not seen every example of 'free speech zones' -- The ones I have seen, I thought, were reasonable restrictions in the interest of safety and keeping the peace. They were located close enough to the event to be noticed by news and others passing near the area of the event -- however they weren't blocking streets or sidewalks etc.

If you own a business next to a hotel or convention center, you pay taxes, and you expect police and city hall to protect your property.

It's about balance.

There many be examples of overzealous police (like we saw with campus police) or unreasonable placement of 'free speech zones'.

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Free speech zones were also used in New York City at the 2004 Republican National Convention. According to Mike McGuire, a columnist for the online anti-war magazine Nonviolent Activist, "The policing of the protests during the 2004 Republican National Convention represent[ed] another interesting model of repression. The NYPD tracked every planned action and set up traps. As marches began, police would emerge from their hiding places — building vestibules, parking garages, or vans — and corral the dissenters with orange netting that read 'POLICE LINE – DO not CROSS,' establishing areas they ironically called 'ad-hoc free speech zones.' One by one, protesters were arrested and detained—some for nearly two days."[15] Both the Democratic and Republican National parties were jointly awarded a 2005 Jefferson Muzzle from the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression, "For their mutual failure to make the preservation of First Amendment freedoms a priority during the last Presidential election".

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Mustachio said:

i actually was just making fun of how westboro claims to be able to correctly interpret things like court cases of extensions of god's will. If they win a court case, they say god wants to destroy their enemies, and if they lose a court case, they say god is hastening the end times so they will finally ascend with the chosen. it all makes sense as long as you listen to everything they say, ignore everything everybody else says, and don't think - not even for a second

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tessaesque said:

I don't support WBC, but I don't support that segment of the bill, either. WBC isn't doing anything illegal or dangerous. They're being assholes. There's no constitutional limitation on being an asshole.

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hazlnut said:

My understanding is this is specific to Military funerals. It seems reasonable.

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American said:

No, it's a precedent to be use later to encrouch some more, and then more again later....until your liberty is gone.

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lpast said:

I think i posted one last week...where they went to a service but was swarmed by thousands who blocked them from getting near or disrupting the service....You do realize that one day they are going to cause some nutjob to go off and start mowing them down....Im shocked it hasnt happened already.....they attempted to block a service quite recently and were foiled

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Hatuey said:

What does it matter? Your right to freedom of speech, doesn't give you the right to harass others at their events. We have a million kind of laws where things like freedom of speech do not trump things like property rights.

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TheDemSocialist said:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

Uhhh where is the limit in this?
This is clearly prohibiting the free exercise of speech and assembly.

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Matt Foley said:

Right. People killed and were killed for the freedom to harass and insult people at funerals.

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Ikari said:

What if one is trying to protest at a funeral not to exalt the death of the soldier, but rather to protest the actions of government which led to the death? Is that not legitimate protest? Not under this law it's not, off you go and enjoy jail.

I cannot believe there are people who support bills like this, I have to wonder if they've thought any of this through.

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Μολὼν λαβέ;1060781891 said:

Like this...

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

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Boo Radley said:

Not to be done at a funeral. When the planes bring the bodies home? OK. At the convention, go for it. On the forth? Sure. There are all kinds of places I'd allow, even for WBC vermin. But, familes losing a love one should not have to be forced to listen to that vile garbage. Just as you can't yell fire in a crowded theater, the right is not absolute. And this is not political supression. This is allowing families the right to peacefully bury their loved ones.

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Ikari said:

You cannot yell Fire in a crowded theater when there is no fire because it will cause panic and directly cause a situation which endangers the rights of others. The same is not true for protesting at a funeral.

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Boo Radley said:

But it can and likely will eventual lead to violence. I'm shocked it hasn't already. But the point is, they are free to speak, to protest, to be a vile as they want to be, but leave the grieving family alone. This is not hardship or abuse on free speech.

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Ikari said:

It can maybe, possibly, under these certain conditions, almost be able to is not legitimate reason to curtail an exercise of a right. They are not advocating violence and they have not caused any massive call to violence either. They have not infringed upon the rights of others during the course of their stupid spewing. As such, they must be left alone.

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Boo Radley said:

I honestly don't see a right being infringed. they can still speak, protest, march, paint signs, be as abusive as they want. Just not abuse the family. The rights stops when it infringes on someone elses right, and I believe people have the right to grieve without the abuse.

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Ikari said:

They were not abusing anyone before. They had not infringed upon the rights of anyone previously.

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Boo Radley said:

Yes they were. when you're grieving the loss of a loved one, that vile vomit is abuse. Some took to having gangs and guards to hold them back. And all this law does is move them further back and not where the family can be abused. they still can protest and picket and shout vile ****.

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Ikari said:

It's 300 feet and 4 hours, it doesn't just back them up. And there was no abuse. It was annoying, it was a dick move, they were being douchebags, but they were not abusing anyone.

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