Let me make one thing very clear, I can’t stand the WBC. Westboro Baptist Church was planning to picket the funeral of shooting victim Christina-Taylor Green of the recent Tucson shooting, but Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed emergency legislation to prohibit protests within 300 feet of any funeral services. That is a clear violation of the WBCs’ first amendment right. Just because you don’t like what they say, so what it is their right. If laws are being passed staying where you can’t protest about or what you can’t protest about I long before the freedom of protest is gone.
Loading ...
It’s not violating the first amendment. They can still protest. Just not near the funeral. It’s for their own safety really.
The litmus test for any violation of rights is to ask what is their relief and is it adequate? They are not being told they cannot protest, just that they cannot do it close to the funeral. They are welcome to scream and shout their message at the top of their lungs, just 300 feet away. Perfectly legal.
you damn americans and your free speech, hate is hate, they should be charged
They’re free to voice their own opinions. But when they’re near the funeral, it can be considered harassment and defamation to a certain extent.
They merely sold out for radio airtime. No harm, no foul, no spiritual integrity.http://www.theonion.com/articles/tucson-…
It’s not violating their rights, since they are still allowed to protest. For that matter it is protecting the people at the funeral.
No. They still have the freedom to protest. They do NOT have the freedom to invade privacy or disturb the peace.
The constitution ensures us freedom of religion and freedom to peacefully assemble. They are still being able to assemble and practice their religion, so their rights are not being violated.
300 feet from the funeral of a 9 year old girl who was murdered seems to be reasonable to me.
They aren’t saying they can’t protest and they aren’t telling them what they can’t protest. They are just saying where they can’t protest. And, in all honesty, it might even be for their protection. That group is incredibly disliked, imagine the emotions at that funeral? Someone could very easily target WBC in their grief. (I don’t know how that hasn’t happened already.)
There have been laws regarding where we can demonstrate and when for years. No ones rights are being violated except the families right to respect. That’s a human right these misled people obviously don’t understand. Society will not tolerate this hate for long.
That one has been to court and they ruled that a buffer zone requirement on public property didn’t. They can still speak all they want.
I tend to agree with then. Frankly the bike clubs here were going to confront them and it would have been very ugly.
Are they applying for permits to demonstrate? If not, it’s disturbing the peace.
Actually, I’m not sure.
“Congress shall make NO law…”
Yes, it’s a violation. Yes, the Phelps’ will sue. Yes, they will win untold amounts of money to fund further protests.
I can’t wait for politicians to stop falling for their bait.
i think it has more to do with keeping an angry mob from dragging the WBC members’ dead bodies through the streets
Nope.
Their right to free speech is being balanced by the family’s right not to have their religious practice interrupted.
the wbc abuses the first amendment by preaching hate, disrupting funerals and defacing christianity. no, we’re not violating any rights. if you do not respect the intent of the ammendment, you should not enjoy the protections it allows. send them to pakistan, or saudi arabia.
any restriction against them affect everyone…people don’t get that …its your freedom to that’s being affected