View Full Version : Bush bans protests at military funerals
elsid13
05-29-2006, 09:53 AM
Aimed at that wack job. Something I think we all can agree upon:
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 20 minutes ago
President Bush, marking Memorial Day with a speech paying tribute to fighting men and women lost in war, signed into law Monday a bill that keeps demonstrators from disrupting military funerals.
In advance of his speech and a wreath-laying at America's most hallowed burial ground for military heroes, Bush signed the "Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act." This was largely in response to the activities of a Kansas church group that has staged protests at military funerals around the country, claiming the deaths symbolized God's anger at U.S. tolerance of homosexuals.
The new law bars protests within 300 feet of the entrance of a national cemetery and within 150 feet of a road into the cemetery. This restriction applies an hour before until an hour after a funeral. Those violating the act would face up to a $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison.
Monday's observance at Arlington National Cemetery was not a funeral, so demonstrators were free to speak their minds at the site.
And several did.
Approximately 10 people from the Washington, D.C., chapter of FreeRepublic.com, a self-styled grass roots conservative group, held signs at the entrance of the cemetery supporting U.S. troops. A large sign held by several people said, "God bless our troops, defenders of freedom, American heroes."
They were faced off against a handful of anti-gay protesters who stood across a four-lane highway as people headed toward the national burial grounds.
The FreeRepublic.com group was trying to counter demonstrations by the Kansas-based group, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps. He previously had organized protests against those who died of AIDS and gay murder victim Matthew Shepard.
In an interview at the time the House passed the bill that Bush signed Monday, Phelps charged that Congress was "blatantly violating" his First Amendment rights. He said that if became law, he would continue to demonstrate but would abide by the law's restrictions.
Bush signed a second bill Monday that allows combat troops to deposit tax-free pay into individual retirement accounts. Supporters of the legislation argued that rules governing these accounts were punishing soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq who earn only tax-free combat pay.
___
On the Net:
http://www.whitehouse.gov
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060529/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_1;_ylt=Am0rQkKbSkEEBMuGBLQqG4lsbEwB;_ylu=X3oD MTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl
Meck77
05-29-2006, 10:34 AM
I had no idea anyone was even sick enough to protest at a military funeral. I can't even imagine LABF disagreeing with this bill? I could be wrong though.....
elsid13
05-29-2006, 10:37 AM
I had no idea anyone was even sick enough to protest at a military funeral. I can't even imagine LABF disagreeing with this bill? I could be wrong though.....
Meck do a search on this forum, what this guy and his followers were doing was criminal. I don't think that there is anyone here that thought it was morally right. I still pushing for the Selective Service to draft everyone of those bozos for duty in Iraq as IED detectors
The "funny" thing is that Fred Phelps is a Democrat.
Rigs11
05-29-2006, 03:33 PM
What a crock.This president is taking away our freedoms before your very noses, he is simply wrapping these laws in a flag and tugging at your heart strings. I don't agree that you should interrupt a funeral procession but if you want to protest the president for a bullshet war so be it.
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.
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.
Indeed. Pity so few Americans understand the above.
Meck77
05-29-2006, 04:34 PM
I don't agree that you should interrupt a funeral procession but if you want to protest the president for a bullshet war so be it.
.
That is the laws intent as far as I read in the article. If you don't think funerals should be interrupted with protestors than what's your beef with this law?
Have you ever had to bury a family member before? I had to watch my mother be buried just a few years ago and if I had people yelling at me during her funeral I would have physically removed them from the area regardless of any laws.
Why should a grieving family have to listen to people screaming at a funeral?
Crushaholic
05-29-2006, 05:51 PM
What a crock.This president is taking away our freedoms before your very noses, he is simply wrapping these laws in a flag and tugging at your heart strings. I don't agree that you should interrupt a funeral procession but if you want to protest the president for a bullshet war so be it.
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.
These people aren't protesting the president. Their "message" is that soldiers dying is God's way of punishing America for homosexuals. They are the same group of people who carry signs such as "Thank God for 9/11". This has NOTHING to do with a political protest AT ALL. They are spitting on the graves of the dead and their families/friends...
Dudeskey
05-29-2006, 06:52 PM
I understand protesting against the war as I don't agree w/ it either but ****, don't go disrespecting the people that were following orders by protesting at their funeral. People really need to use a little common sense for **** sakes.
Garcia Bronco
05-29-2006, 06:59 PM
They aren't protesting the war ...Phelps is protesting Homosexuals and using the war as a vehical
Rigs11
05-29-2006, 07:19 PM
That is the laws intent as far as I read in the article. If you don't think funerals should be interrupted with protestors than what's your beef with this law?
Have you ever had to bury a family member before? I had to watch my mother be buried just a few years ago and if I had people yelling at me during her funeral I would have physically removed them from the area regardless of any laws.
Why should a grieving family have to listen to people screaming at a funeral?
Again I stated that I don't believe that one should interrupt a funeral, but for the goverment to pass a law prohibiting it is wrong. Yes I've had to bury family members before. If some demonstrators,feel that they need to protest during a funeral to get their message across then they are morons.But the constitution was written for a reason. I think Bush should maybe start attending funerals and showing respect, instead of signing these silly laws.
elsid13
05-29-2006, 07:46 PM
I am treating this like yelling fire in crowded theater. This isn't about political protest, or abridging someone religious freedom, it about protecting the rights of the mourners to praise/bury their loved ones. They have rights too, and being left alone in that moment is something they deserve, too.
Bronco_Beerslug
05-29-2006, 08:14 PM
The "funny" thing is that Fred Phelps is a Democrat.
Right on cue, bashing the left in the name of libertarians or is that really the religious right that you are in league with?
But of course, Bush has no right to sign any kind of law restricting our rights but the religious right and the uninformed hop right on board without first educating themselves on what is the actual law. Does anyone know what the penalty for violating other demonstration laws are?
This law is $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison. So all the other demonstration crimes must be the same, right?
It's easy enough to deal with (these religious radical scumbags), have the congress enact legislation that no political or any other demonstrations are allowed within .5 miles or so of any cemetery (with punishment in line with current laws).
Right on cue, bashing the left in the name of libertarians or is that really the religious right that you are in league with?
We already have one idiotic lefty here - do you really need to be one too?
Bronco_Beerslug
05-29-2006, 09:44 PM
We already have one idiotic lefty here - do you really need to be one too?
Do you really need be sheep for the Christian right, plenty of them here too. Once you preface a comment with your right slant and bias you statement loses most of it's credibility.
Crushaholic
05-29-2006, 09:58 PM
Does anyone know what the penalty for violating other demonstration laws are?
This law is $100,000 fine and up to a year in prison. So all the other demonstration crimes must be the same, right?
I'm afraid that this law could be tossed out in court because of the severity of the fine. According to this, some of the laws go up to $10,000.
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=16584
L.A. BRONCOS FAN
05-30-2006, 12:15 AM
We already have one idiotic lefty here - do you really need to be one too?
Says the idiot with egg on his face after defending every move the Bush/Exxon administration has made for the last six years.
You don't even have the good sense to be embarrassed for yourself.
defenseman
05-30-2006, 07:14 AM
Congress didn't need to write a law for me to enforce it. Someone does this at one of my family members gravesite, they'll pay dearly. The last thing one should do is besmerch the good name of a soldier, sailor, airmen or marine who gave up everything for this country. Anyone protesting this, they belong down under with the departed...dman
Garcia Bronco
05-30-2006, 07:43 AM
It's easy enough to deal with (these religious radical scumbags), have the congress enact legislation that no political or any other demonstrations are allowed within .5 miles or so of any cemetery (with punishment in line with current laws).
That would be a better law
Rascal
05-30-2006, 07:54 AM
These morons have been protesting at a lot of funerals here in Oklahoma and Kansas. Personally I like it but I can understand the problem people have with it. The fact that a law had to be created so that people in the military could be buried peacefully is disturbing.
Rascal
05-30-2006, 07:55 AM
That would be a better law
Their protesting is not limited to cemetaries. It includes churches or funeral homes where the service is held so that wouldn't work.
Rohirrim
05-30-2006, 07:59 AM
New laws are not the answer to every problem. These people have the right to protest. As an act of civil disobedience, a bunch of people should just get together, go to one of these protests, and kick the living **** out of them.
Garcia Bronco
05-30-2006, 08:11 AM
Their protesting is not limited to cemetaries. It includes churches or funeral homes where the service is held so that wouldn't work.
Either way...it's like Augusta did to those stupid bitches from NOW...yeah...you're welcome to protest...but ahh we're going to put you over here about 2 miles away.
Rascal
05-30-2006, 08:11 AM
New laws are not the answer to every problem. These people have the right to protest. As an act of civil disobedience, a bunch of people should just get together, go to one of these protests, and kick the living **** out of them.
And they would go to jail. You can no longer do that sort of thing, hence the need for laws to prevent it.
For what it's worth...at every military funeral here in Oklahoma a couple of the biker organizations would show up and drown out their protests by riding by and reving up their engines or by putting their bikes between the protestors and the family.
Rascal
05-30-2006, 08:13 AM
Either way...it's like Augusta did to those stupid b****es from NOW...yeah...you're welcome to protest...but ahh we're going to put you over here about 2 miles away.
I have a bigger problem with that then this. Only allowed to protest against the president at a site x miles away? Uh no. I have sympathy for funerals hence the reason I don't have a problem with this. I don't have any sympathy for the president.
defenseman
05-30-2006, 08:45 AM
And they would go to jail. You can no longer do that sort of thing, hence the need for laws to prevent it.
For what it's worth...at every military funeral here in Oklahoma a couple of the biker organizations would show up and drown out their protests by riding by and reving up their engines or by putting their bikes between the protestors and the family.
At least part of our society has it right. These bikers are alright with me..dman
bendog
05-30-2006, 10:04 AM
Why anyone would protest at a funeral is pretty disgusting to contemplate.
Garcia Bronco
05-30-2006, 10:23 AM
I have a bigger problem with that then this. Only allowed to protest against the president at a site x miles away? Uh no. I have sympathy for funerals hence the reason I don't have a problem with this. I don't have any sympathy for the president.
Yeah...Phelps and his crew aren't protesting the war...they're protest homosexuals at funerals.
Rascal
05-30-2006, 10:38 AM
Yeah...Phelps and his crew aren't protesting the war...they're protest homosexuals at funerals.
Pretty much.
Oh wait I hate homo's according to some people's standard Christian stamp...this is horrible it goes against people's first ammendment right...blah blah blah.
Do you really need be sheep for the Christian right, plenty of them here too. Once you preface a comment with your right slant and bias you statement loses most of it's credibility.
That Phelps is a Democrat isn't a "slant" or a "bias", it simply is.
Why does a plain fact make you so upset?
Says the idiot with egg on his face after defending every move the Bush/Exxon administration has made for the last six years.
:bs:
That aside, I just knew that when I wrote "idiotic lefty", you'd answer.
bendog
05-30-2006, 10:46 AM
By 1998, Gore will be seen as such an enemy by WBC that its members picket the funeral of Gore's father.
...
1998
Carrying signs attacking "fags," WBC members picket the funeral of slain Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard, bringing Phelps' church international notoriety.
Immediately after announcing a plan to study gay issues, the Topeka Human Relations Commission is abolished by the city council. After an uproar, the commission is reinstated in a considerably weakened form.
WBC begins picketing evangelist Jerry Falwell after Falwell makes a conciliatory gesture toward a gay former aide.
In the latest WBC battle over religious tax exemptions, a WBC pickup truck is ruled taxable because it is used for political, not religious, purposes.
1999
Charges of disorderly conduct and aggravated intimidation — related to the alleged harassment of a local lawyer in 1993 — are dropped against Phelps and his son, Jonathan, after a court rules that the Phelpses did not receive a speedy trial.
2000
WBC continues to picket Falwell, who has called Phelps a "loon," around the country and even in Canada.
Lord almighty! If Falwell calls someone a loon ....
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=184