Westboro Baptist Church protesting the funeral of the 9 year old girl killed in AZ!!!

[buckslayer]

Lawmakers to head off picketing at Tucson funerals | Richmond Times-Dispatch

PHOENIX — Arizona legislators planned to consider emergency legislation Tuesday to head off picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church at the funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was among six people killed during Saturday's shooting in Tucson.

The proposed law would prohibit protests at or near funeral sites.

It would take effect immediately if passed by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Jan Brewer.

Legislative aides said the bill appeared to be on track for quick passage, and Brewer spokesman Paul Senseman said the Republican governor would sign the legislation if it reaches her desk.

The Westboro Baptist Church said Monday it plans to picket Thursday's funeral for Christina Taylor Green because "God sent the shooter to deal with idolatrous America." The fundamentalist church has picketed many military funerals to draw attention to its view that the deaths are God's punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Lawmakers denounced the church's plan to picket the funeral of a child.

"This is just horrific that ... people have to deal with this. We shouldn't have to do this in time of great pain for our state," said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, a Phoenix Democrat.

The girl was the youngest of the six people killed during the shooting at an event held by U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was among 14 people injured. Giffords was shot in the head and critically wounded.

Numerous states have passed laws restricting protests at funerals after members of the Westboro church began protesting at the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Sinema, who said she is the lead sponsor of the Senate's version of the bill, said the Arizona legislation is modeled on an Ohio law that was upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The U.S. Supreme Court heard an appeal from the Westboro church in October and is expected to issue a decision by late spring.

The four-paragraph Arizona bill would make it a misdemeanor to picket or conduct other protest activities within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service from one hour before the event to one hour after.

Sinema said the prohibition would only apply to funeral and burial sites because courts have struck down picketing prohibitions for procession routes.

Spokesmen said House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President Russell Pearce both support the bill and that it enjoys strong bipartisan backing in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Adams "feels its very important to pass this today because he feels that the Westboro Baptist Church is despicable for what they plan to do at the funeral of the 9-year-old," Adams spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said. "He used the word 'disgusting' too."

[rocketboy]

I completely agree that what Westboro Baptist Church does is despicable - protesting military funerals, and saying that they are going to protest this girls funeral. However, I cannot agree with what seems like attempt to outlaw free speech. The First Amendment is there to protect all speech, in particular speech that you don't like.

I remember reading about a motorcycle group that volunteered at military funerals to help shield families from the douche-bags of WBC and others like them. What they would do is position themselves between the WBC protesters and raise US flags to block the protesters from view. Perhaps, something like this can be arranged for the service.

[B2Tall]

I completely agree that what Westboro Baptist Church does is despicable - protesting military funerals, and saying that they are going to protest this girls funeral. However, I cannot agree with what seems like attempt to outlaw free speech. The First Amendment is there to protect all speech, in particular speech that you don't like.

I remember reading about a motorcycle group that volunteered at military funerals to help shield families from the douche-bags of WBC and others like them. What they would do is position themselves between the WBC protesters and raise US flags to block the protesters from view. Perhaps, something like this can be arranged for the service.

A very long time ago the Supreme Court ruled that the items in the Bill of Rights, the 1st Amendment in particular, do not give people a blank check, so to speak. My right to free speech doesn't give me the right to slander or threaten somebody, to lie in a business deal, or to "disturb the peace", etc. I would consider the action of the Westboro Baptist Church to be of the latter but I'm not a judge. I believe the WBC must stay 300 ft away from the funeral.

I'd like to see a member of that little girl's family walk up to the protest leader and knock several of their teeth down their throat. There wouldn't be a jury in America that would convict them.

[Ed Hamberger]

Arizona Governor Jan Brewer signed into Law 1/11/11 a bill banning Protestors at Funerals in her state. Now lets see what the Kansas "John Brown JayHawkers" do. I'll bet Pima County Sheriff Clarence Dupnik doesn't intervene if they try to protest...

[rocketboy]

Oh, hey here is the thing I read - their called the Patriot Guard and word is that something similar is going to be done for this girls funeral.

Heroes « Whatever

[rocketboy]

A very long time ago the Supreme Court ruled that the items in the Bill of Rights, the 1st Amendment in particular, do not give people a blank check, so to speak. My right to free speech doesn't give me the right to slander or threaten somebody, to lie in a business deal, or to "disturb the peace", etc. I would consider the action of the Westboro Baptist Church to be of the latter but I'm not a judge. I believe the WBC must stay 300 ft away from the funeral.

I'd like to see a member of that little girl's family walk up to the protest leader and knock several of their teeth down their throat. There wouldn't be a jury in America that would convict them.

Slander, and "dangerous speech" (yelling FIRE in a move theater) are different from a peaceful protest.

However, my heart goes out to the families that these people torture so I can't say that a ban on protesting funerals is out of line. I hope though that any laws put in place do not cause more of a problem then they solve. It may be worse to have cops show up arresting people then to let sleeping dogs lie...

[B2Tall]

Slander, and "dangerous speech" (yelling FIRE in a move theater) are different from a peaceful protest.

True, but a person's right to free speech doesn't give them the right to walk up and down the middle of my street at 3:00 AM singing "Dixie" at the top of their lungs, waking me and all my neighbors up. That's hardly "dangerous speech" yet it would still be illegal. Call it disruptive, call it disturbing the peace, call it creating a public nuisance. If those church people are going to be hurling insults, getting in people's faces, etc. like they have in previous "protests" then I'd call that disruptive. If they're going to stay 300 ft away like they're supposed to and let the funeral proceed, then fine.

Me and my neighbor's right to a good night sleep isn't going to be trumped by somebody else's desire to act like a blithering idiot under the banner of free speech and that family's right to bury their child in peace should not be trumped by it either.

[uscg4good]

What the heck are they protesting anyhow?

[oldbanjo]

If the News would stop filming them all together, I think their actions would change.

[SC Tiger]

What the heck are they protesting anyhow?

The fact that God made them so stupid perhaps?