Westboro Baptist Church will picket funeral of "911 girl" killed in Arizona (page 5)

Gerard

Leave the free speech intact, USA, and add the hate speech clause, like most other civilized nations in the planet.

flipper

Once again we see reasons why religion is the bane of all mankind and extremely dangerous and harmful. Disgusting

cofty

In Scotland the police would arrest them for the wonderfully useful catch-all offence of "conduct likely to cause a breach of the peace".

crazyblondeb

this is in our local paper... http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/K/KS_CONGRESSWOMAN_SHOT_PICKETING_MOOL-?SITE=KMIZTV&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

By BILL DRAPER Associated Press Advertisement KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)

-- A leader of a Kansas church known for picketing the funerals of fallen servicemen and blaming their deaths on the country's tolerance of homosexuality said Wednesday that the group has decided not to protest at funerals for victims of the Tucson, Ariz., shooting rampage. Shirley Phelps-Roper of the Westboro Baptist Church told The Associated Press that the church pulled back its plan to picket the Thursday funeral of 9-year-old Christina Taylor Green in Tucson after radio stations in Canada and Arizona agreed to give Phelps-Roper airtime. Later Wednesday, the church also agreed to not protest the funeral for U.S. District Judge John Roll or other victims in exchange for airtime on a nationally syndicated radio show.

Green, Roll and four others were killed in the Saturday shooting rampage targeting U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. More than a dozen other people were wounded. Phelps-Roper said instead of going to Arizona this week, members will go to New York for an interview on the conservative Mike Gallagher Show on Monday. Dean Blundell, a talk show host for Toronto radio station 102.1 The Edge, said he interviewed Phelps-Roper live on air on Tuesday and that another interview was planned for Thursday. Steve Sanchez, who has a talk show on the Christian radio station KXXT-AM in Phoenix, is hosting her for half an hour Saturday. Both hosts said the interviews were part of a deal in which the Topeka-Kan.-based church agreed to skip Green's funeral. "This is ultimatum time," Phelps-Roper told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "The only reason anyone steps up to make a deal is they have a motive.

We got two things for kicking this to the side, stepping aside from that funeral." Blundell said he has a longstanding agreement with Phelps-Roper that he'll give her radio time if she stays out of Canada. He said she has been on his show dozens of times. "If everybody on this planet knew who she was, 10 out of 10 would say she's crazy," Blundell told the AP. "Even crazy people would know she's not right in the head." He said he hosts a rock 'n' roll hybrid show that addresses "a little bit of everything." He said he's not worried about giving the Westboro church a stage to promote its message. "That 9-year-old girl didn't do anything wrong," Blundell said. "For a person like that to use this as a way to spew religious propaganda, it is sickening to me." Sanchez said Phelps-Roper has been on his show one other time, but that she hung up on him after about nine minutes. "My whole goal was to make sure that little girl is put to rest without those nutburgers doing what they do," Sanchez said.

"I gave her (Phelps-Rogers) a whole set of ground rules and she agreed. I'll take the bullet for 30 minutes." Numerous states have passed laws to restrict protests at funerals after members of the Westboro church picketed the funerals of soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Arizona legislation banning such protests passed unanimously Tuesday and is modeled on an Ohio law that was upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The four-paragraph Arizona measure makes it a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail to picket or conduct other protest activities within 300 feet of a funeral or burial service - about the length of a football field.

The prohibition applies from one hour before the event to one hour after. Phelps-Rogers said her church has received death threats and that someone has attacked its website, but that nothing will stop members from protesting. "I'm saying I pity the fool who tries to do one thing to us," she said. "I'm supposed to cower or apologize? No. I'm not about to do that. All I can say to any rebel who wants to come forth and threaten us with bodily harm, don't do it. And for God's sake, don't say it out loud."

beksbks

Having pissed off so many military men, I would not be surprised if a sharp-shooter does some "justice" on his own.

Careful - that is the kind of free speech that caused the shooting in Tucson in the first place - according to the U.S. political left. Despite the fact that

the shooter was crazy in the first place and thought it up all on his own.

Ummmm nope. Try again.

beksbks

I think Simon has a point, actually. It is somewhat telling that we place a higher value on the rights of a person to express even the most vile and hateful sentiment than those of a grieving family to bury their child in peace.

Exactly. "The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins."

GLTirebiter

I think existing laws covering "disorderly conduct" should be applied to Phelps and his ilk. In Arizona, it's covered by section 13-2904-A

A. A person commits disorderly conduct if, with intent to disturb the peace or quiet of a neighborhood, family or person, or with knowledge of doing so, such person:

...

3. Uses abusive or offensive language or gestures to any person present in a manner likely to provoke immediate physical retaliation by such person; or

...

B. ... Disorderly conduct under subsection A, paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 is a class 1 misdemeanor.

If he was arrested and tried, I doubt any jury would acquit him!

sabastious

Here is a prime example of "Freedom of Speech" being abused. They are a hate group. I do not believe in censorship, but something needs to be done about this church. Fred Phelps and his freakish family need to be dealt with. I believe it is only a matter of time before things turn violent.

Abuse of Freedom of Speech has to be allowed or we couldn't call it free speech.

-Sab

villabolo

A little imagination is in order. I've handled these things and they are great.

http://www.pestpyro.com/

http://www.wildlife-control.com/store.htm#8

Villabolo

sooner7nc

No. Simon's wrong and will always be wrong when it comes to the exercise of free speech in the United States. Speech and the thoughts that prompt them are the only things that completely belong to each of us and no person, no organization, no government should be able to tell you what to say or think. That's the reason the WBC website and all the other hate spewing malcontents should be allowed to say what they say.

Conversely, the family has the right to a peaceful dignified service to say goodbye to their loved one and I fully agree that noone should be allowed to interrupt their grieving.

So, you have a contradiction on the surface. You can't take away free speech but the family deserves a peaceful service. Here's how I see it.

You keep the WBC away from the funerals that they like to picket, and you temporarily suspend where they can exercise their free speech. A nice compromise I think that doesn't remove or infringe on their free speech. However, if you pass hate-speech legislation you make the very verbalization of any of a number of subjects illegal. You are trying to control peoples thought process. This is a line in the sand that must not be crossed, ever.

Westboro Baptist Church will picket funeral of "911 girl" killed in Arizona

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