The ACLU Vs. Right Wing News On Protesting The Funerals Of Soldiers

by John Hawkins | July 24, 2006 3:48 am

“It goes without saying that what Fred Phelps and the rest of the lunatics in God Hates F*gs are doing is completely beyond the pale, especially when they’re protesting these funerals. That community can — and should — be able to legally ban their funeral protests without running afoul of the First Amendment.

If it’s permissible under the First Amendment to require permits to protest, prohibit the use of, “fighting words,” and disallow people from disturbing the peace by, let’s say, holding rallies at 3 AM in residential neighborhoods, then certainly communities should be within their rights to ban people from protesting funerals — and again, they should.

At a minimum, Phelps and his group of wackos are incredibly disrespectful to people who are mourning and at worst, their behavior is so intentionally provocative that it could very easily lead to violent confrontations.

That’s why it’s time for local governments to step in and shut down these funeral protests once and for all.” — John Hawkins on Jan 9, 2006[1]

“A Kansas church group that protests at military funerals nationwide filed suit in federal court, saying a Missouri law banning such picketing infringes on religious freedom and free speech.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the lawsuit Friday in the U.S. District Court in Jefferson City, Mo., on behalf of the fundamentalist Westboro Baptist Church, which has outraged mourning communities by picketing service members’ funerals with signs condemning homosexuality.

The church and the Rev. Fred Phelps say God is allowing troops, coal miners and others to be killed because the United States tolerates gay men and lesbians.” — The Washington Post On July 23, 2006[2]

So, Right Wing News, a conservative blog, opposes the picketing of soldier’s funerals. On the other hand, the ACLU, a liberal group, supports the picketing of soldier’s funerals.

It’s even more telling that one of the reasons listed for the ACLU’s support of Fred Phelps’ right to picket funerals is “religious freedom.”

In the ACLU’s book, having the 10 Commandments on a Courthouse wall, having a cross on public land, and saying “God” in the Pledge of Allegiance don’t fall under the mantle of “religious freedom,” but nutjobs standing outside of funerals screaming about “f*gs” does.

Those would seem to be some rather important differences between what most liberals and most conservatives believe.