House Passes Respect For Fallen Heroes Act

[MrsSpringsteen]

Sorry, I couldn't find the other thread about that group of Westboro wackos

http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/05/us-house-votes-to-restrict.php

The US House of Representatives Tuesday approved a bill limiting protests during military funerals. The Respect for America's Fallen Heroes Act is aimed mainly at the renegade Westboro Baptist Church led by the Rev. Fred Phelps in Topeka, Kansas. The group claims US soldiers have been killed because America tolerates homosexuals. The bill seeks to block unapproved protests at Arlington National Cemetery and other federal cemeteries. It also creates a 500-foot no-protestor zone around military funerals that begins one hour before a funeral and ends one hour after its conclusion if protests include loud disturbances.

Similar legislation has been passed or proposed in states such as South Dakota and Oklahoma and the federal legislation urges more states to pass such measures. The House measure must still be approved by the Senate

test of the act is available here

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c109:h.r.5037.eh:

Barney Frank voted against it and here was their oh-so-lovely response

 

[AchtungBono]

Hooray for that!!!
About time somebody put a stop to the insanity!

VERY well done!

 

[enggirl]

I just think it's sick that it took protesting at military funerals for someone to step up and say "Hey! This is ugly!" Everyone stood by for YEARS as Phelps and his crew protested at the funerals of gay men and women. That was OK...but suddenly he's sick and wrong. OH, and, according to the post above, they still CAN protest at civilians' funerals.

 

[melon]

I just think it's sick that it took protesting at military funerals for someone to step up and say "Hey! This is ugly!" Everyone stood by for YEARS as Phelps and his crew protested at the funerals of gay men and women. That was OK...but suddenly he's sick and wrong. OH, and, according to the post above, they still CAN protest at civilians' funerals.

Of course. That's what's the most sick about this law. It is pandering at its worst.

For this reason alone, I hope the law is declared unconstitutional, since it only covers a narrow subset of funerals.

Melon