Law would curb funeral protests (Westboro Baptist Church)

October 24, 2005

Law would curb funeral protests

A state senator angered over a recent protest at an Indiana soldier's funeral wants to make disorderly conduct a felony offense if it occurs at military funerals.

Sen. Brent Steele, R-Bedford, said he would propose legislation in response to an anti-gay group's protest at the Aug. 28 funeral for Army Staff Sgt. Jeremy Doyle, an Indianapolis native killed in Iraq.

Six members of the Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church dragged U.S. flags on the ground and shouted insults at Doyle's surviving family members outside a mortuary in Martinsville, about 30 miles southwest of Indianapolis.

"No family should have to go through this at a funeral," Steele said.

The Rev. Fred Phelps, the church's founder, contends American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. The church, which is not affiliated with a larger denomination, is made up mostly of Phelps' children, grandchildren and in-laws.

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051024/NEWS01/510240449

why does the law only apply to military funerals/


I notice Phelps can still haunt the funerals of all the other Americans he hates.

:(

was picketed?

He's trying to idolize someone just for military service. . .but then, would he change the law again if the servicemember was actually gay? Someone needs to ask this man that question.

... and what we got out of most straight folks was a few words of sympathy.

Now suddenly he's picketing military funerals and the breeders are worked up in a tizzy.

Frankly, my response to Sen. Brent Steele is the same as my response to Phelps: "Fuck you, you self-righteous, bigoted scum-bag!"

I am sick to death of breeders who ignore the bigotry the LGBT community faces until it spills over and affects "normal" folks. Those kinds of assholes are no different than Phelps ... and, sadly, we have more than our share of so-called "progressive" folks like that right here on DU.

There are a few really supportive, wonderful straight allies who post here in this forum, but for the most part posts here get ignored by breeders unless they have a snarky comment to post. Seems like we get stuck in an online "gay ghetto" because of all the subtle (and not-so-subtle) homophobia that occurs around here.

I live one state over from this dirtbag - otherwise I'd be on the phone with his office and sending along comments he is not likely going to want to hear. . .apparently he believes that OUR families are worthy of embarassment for the past seven years...but not the breeders.

There is nothing to prevent our courageous Democrats from amending the bill to expand it to cover all funerals.

Remember that constitutionally one cannot pass a law that targets an specific person, which is what the Phelps inbred clan is.

you live in Nazi Germany!

This is the sort of thing that can NEVER be solved by legislation. The legislation in question could/should never pass constitutional muster.

Truth be told, the remedy to this problem involves the following: one brave person, one baseball bat, and a willingness to roll the dice in front of a jury.

Regrettable only in that Westboro would have to stop their dispicable practice.

I support First Amendment and think that Westboro people probably have the right to do what they are doing, as horrible as that is.

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Oh, great. Let's get the ACLU involved in a freedom of speech violation! And, yes, this would be an excellent case for the ACLU who may jump in here as it did for the KKK when it was denied a right to assemble and march in a predominantly Jewish neighborhood a few years back! Remember, our constitution remains viable for all of us where no government action (including state laws) infringes upon speech no matter how vitriolic and hateful the speech may seem or who may spew it! PERIOD.

The first amendment's freedom of speech is express in our constitution. It is a very broad protection. Only in narrow circumstances do other constitutional rights override free speech; e.g., when the speech would imminently incite persons to cause bodily harm or when it is defamation. Phelps is incorporated in the (?)State of Kansas as a non-profit religious entity who couches behind biblical (religious) phrases and context; in other words, Phelps is raising his religious freedom plus freedom of speech, combined.

This is America where we have a constitutional amendment that protects individuals, including Fred Phelps and his children (the Westboro Baptist Church). This is not Germany, nor the U.K., nor Canada, where hate speech is illegal as well as each government decides what speech is hateful or not and whom to target.

The bottom line here is that Fred Phelps (the Westboro Baptist Church) earns his income -- makes money from -- this protesting as well as from litigation from his protesting and the rancor that it causes! Phelps may legally push it as proselytizing and evangelizing his religion. However, the more folks bring him into courts, the more publicity he receives, the more money he makes. Litigation such as this is what Phelps wants and seeks. His legal fees are free to him because most of his offspring are lawyers. In short, Fred LOVES lawsuits!


Fred "the Westboro Baptist Church" Phelps and his spawn
spewing their typical vitriol at a funeral, e.g., military funerals.

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edited to add: BTW, ever think that these politicians who sponsor these state laws are doing so to get publicity and votes and campaign funding for themselves? They have lawyers on their state payroll to legally analyze what's constitutional or not. And, yet here's two states "willing" to go for it. Will they be getting the military vote?

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frankly, those fundamentalist organizations have all kinds of legal groups who are supposed to defend their freedom. Let the Alliance Defense Fund or the ACLJ take care of their own - it would be fun to watch them get connected to the most extremist wingnut group in the country.