[ddawg]

PrometheusVII, First, thank you for your many years of faithful service to our country. Second, I am pleased, no, downright elated that you "get it". No knee-jerk reaction, just thoughtful "Big Picture" reasoning. Our Constitutional Rights are never to be determined by majority rule. The one HUGE disapointment in all of this is that ONE Supreme Court Justice is clueless, Samual Ilito. Chief Justice Roberts said it best; "Speech is powerful, It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and - as it did here - inflict great pain." But under the First Amendment, he went on, "we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker." Instead, the national commitment to free speech, he said, requires protection of "even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate." I am pleased to be associated with all the forum members who detest this cult/family's hurtful message, but underestand their right to do so.

Could I go stand outside an Elementary Grade School, on the sidewalk (public property), and yell @ the children inside: "Your wasting your time, you are stupid & you're losers!" Repeatedly - over & over, for 2 hrs.???? #1 I'm on public property. #2 I use no obscenities. #3 I sincerely believe what I am saying. True, I'm disturbing the peace - but so are the protestors @ the soldiers funeral. What's the difference???? Isn't it my free speech protected??? How about if I did this relentlessly - day after day - for weeks??

 

[jeepcanoe]

Legally I guess person or group has the right to protest any where they want. My morals tell to beat the crap out of anyone who does this at a funeral. I may go to jail for it but I know I did the right thing. But that's just me.

 

[Bigfoot]

Yeah, you could yell at school children all day if you choose. You might need a permit, but they would have to issue one to you. You can actually give the police the finger and yell obscenities at them if you want. If any of you have seen video's of this dysfunctional family of religious protesters you would know that only a few of them are male adults. It's mostly women and children who carry the signs and yell and scream. If you go punching women and children then I believe you need to be locked up. Ignore them.

 

[iabob]

What about yelling "Fire" in a theatre???

Assuming that you are asking about yelling "fire" in a theater when there's actually no fire...it's not your freedom to express yourself that is restricted, it's your ability to put others in danger that is. Another way to look at this is do we the people allow the court to place restrictions on our constitutional rights simply because of what the court thinks is decent and proper? And consider this. We have a conservative court hearing a first ammendment case. What if it's a liberal court hearing a second ammendment case? Do we flip flop our support of this kind of activism? Because that is exactly what it would be had the Supremes gone the other way. It should never be ok for a court to restrict freedoms for the convienence of decency. Not on the First, the Second, or any constitutional right.

 

[jeepcanoe]

Let me preface this letter with the knowledge that I am a retired veteran. I served 20 years as a U.S Army Infantryman, it was an honor and a privilege to serve my country and I would do it again when and if the need arose. First, I do not agree when people protest at a military funeral. I think it is ignorant, disrespectful to both the deceased and their grieving families and friends, and I think it disrespects our country that those soldiers represent, and possibly even made the ultimate sacrifice for. Our country is one based on a set of freedoms that have been chartered by our founding fathers. The underlying principles in these host of freedoms are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. Self Expression is one of the basic Liberties we enjoy as a free society. It separates us from those oppressed places in our world like the old Soviet Union, China and North Korea, where openly expressing an opinion that differs from the ruling party is grounds for imprisonment or death. Protesting is a very public form of Self Expression. These freedoms have been bought and paid for with the blood, sweat and tears of the men and women of the United States Armed Forces, past and present. George Orwell said, "We sleep safe in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm." Those "Rough Men (and Women)" stand ready, day and night, to protect us. Part of that protection extends to our liberties and rights as citizen of the greatest nation the world has ever seen, the United States of America. I believe that even if I do not agree with what someone is protesting, I will defend with my life their right to protest. I can abide by protesting the protesters. Join a group that shields the families from the protest like the Patriot Guard Riders. They stand between the families and the protesters, sometimes with their own signs saying "Thank you for your sacrifice" and "God Bless Soldiers", protecting the families from the sight of the protesters and preserving the dignity and sanctity of the graveside ceremonies. But I say never, NEVER take away anyone's right to free speech, public demonstration or self expression. It is only the beginning of a terrible host of loss of rights. Once one segment of our rights are lost it makes it that much easier to take even more rights. If today you can't protest a funeral, tomorrow you may not be able to put up signs saying "Vote for Bob Smith" because he is a Republican, and a Democrat is in office. How far could this go, and where would it stop? Do not make every soldier who has died defending our freedoms sacrifice in vain by taking away the very freedoms they gave their lives to support and defend. I stand behind the right to ask that it be made illegal for citizens to protest military funerals, but I cannot in good conscience support the cause as I believe it infringes on our basic civil liberties. I do not on this occasion ask for the almighty's blessing on our great land, for in truth he has already deeply blessed us. I ask instead that he grant us the foresight and sound judgment not to corrupt and destroy that which has been given to us.

Thank you for your service

 

[Andy]

 

[ddawg]

Good post Andy. Well said, well done.

 

[texasgrumpy]

Please contact your local Patriot Guard or Warriors Watch group and join in helping shield these families from people like the Westboro group.Westboro is not a Church and should not be allowed to operate as such.The PGR will always stand tall and silent for these families in their time of need and protect them from seeing any protest that might be carried out.

 

[Keith Grey]

No government ever gave anyone Freedom. What makes America great, is that our founding fathers understood these rights came from our maker. Governments can only Limit and regulate these "Birth-Rights." These same governments, ours included, waffle more than an IHOP when it comes to the constitutional and legislative regulations surrounding these God given RIGHTS. Oddly, I understood when the Supremes said it was OK for a scumbag to burn a flag, but with all of the limitations that exist on our freedom of speech, and right to demonstrate and protest, can't we respect these brave men and women as much as we respect our judges, congressmen, and Senators? Personally, I respect everyone who swore the oath and put the uniform on, but I did not give a decade of my life, a little flesh, and a lot of blood so cowards could bully the family's of my brothers and sisters in arms. I know when to agree to disagree (not really, but I'm trying), so I'll leave the more idealistic Vognuts to their tolerance of these ruthless idiots,,,, KeithGrey

 

[ddawg]

No government ever gave anyone Freedom. What makes America great, is that our founding fathers understood these rights came from our maker. Governments can only Limit and regulate these "Birth-Rights." These same governments, ours included, waffle more than an IHOP when it comes to the constitutional and legislative regulations surrounding these God given RIGHTS. Oddly, I understood when the Supremes said it was OK for a scumbag to burn a flag, but with all of the limitations that exist on our freedom of speech, and right to demonstrate and protest, can't we respect these brave men and women as much as we respect our judges, congressmen, and Senators? Personally, I respect everyone who swore the oath and put the uniform on, but I did not give a decade of my life, a little flesh, and a lot of blood so cowards could bully the family's of my brothers and sisters in arms. I know when to agree to disagree (not really, but I'm trying), so I'll leave the more idealistic Vognuts to their tolerance of these ruthless idiots,,,, KeithGrey

+1 Bueno.