Law passed to ban picketing at Tucson funerals

[MIAdragon]

Need to do this everywhere IMO.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41027365...rts/?gt1=43001

PHOENIX — Arizona legislators quickly approved emergency legislation Tuesday to head off picketing by a Topeka, Kan., church near the funeral service for a 9-year-old girl who was killed in the Tucson shootings.
Unanimous votes by the House and Senate sent the bill to Gov. Jan Brewer for her expected signature. It would take effect immediately.
Without specifically mentioning the Tucson shooting, the proposed law prohibits protests at or near funeral sites.

Dozens of lawmakers co-sponsored the bill, and legislative action was completed within 90 minutes. The Senate's committee hearing took just three minutes.

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 a child's funeral.

"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.

The Arizona legislation is modeled on an Ohio law that was upheld by the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Sinema said.
The four-paragraph Arizona bill 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.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, a church member and a daughter of its pastor, said the prohibition wouldn't matter because church members plan to picket at one of two intersections more than 1,000 feet from the church where the girl's service will be held.
Phelps-Roper also said church members plan picketing Friday in conjunction with a service for another victim of the shooting, U.S. District Judge John M. Roll. Sen. Paula Aboud, a Tucson Democrat, said volunteers in Tucson were organizing a human shield to block the protesters from view of victim family members. Sinema said the prohibition applies only to funeral and burial sites because courts have struck down picketing prohibitions for procession routes.
"This is a good compromise that doesn't trample our God-given rights," said Senate President Russell Pearce, a Mesa Republican.

Sen. Ron Gould, a Republican from Lake Havasu City, voted for the bill but earlier was the only senator who objected to suspending rules requiring several days of legislative consideration before a final vote.
Gould cited the public's right to know what lawmakers are considering. "And when we suspend those rules mistakes get made," he added.

[Chiefaholic]

I know how I'de react if it were my kid... ONE DAY Fred Phelps will get what's coming to him

[ChiefsOne]

The gunman should have shot Phelps and all of the people from The Westboro Baptist Church.

[luv]

For now, the best thing that can be done is the human shield. Someone needs to carry a sign asking how many people they've brought to Christ. Spreading messages of God's hate isn't very effective.

They've painted this gunman as a messenger from God. Something's not right in their heads.

[luv]

If they're supporting the actions of this gunman, then why don't they all go out and become "messengers of God?" IMO, as far as religion goes, supporting something being done is the same as doing it yourself.

[ClevelandBronco]

Originally Posted by Spott

How ****ed in the head do you have to be to picket the funeral of a 9 year old girl. Too bad the guy that did the shootings didn't take his aggression out on these bastards.

More ****ed than I can understand. However, I'm unwilling to support laws that curtail their right to assemble, speak and worship, no matter how much I disagree with them.

This isn't a job for government. This is one for us, the citizens. Human shield. Peacefully assemble between these nutters and those who should be allowed to grieve on their own terms.

[mikey23545]

Obviously Phelps and his clan were drawn there by the crosshairs on Palin's map...

[bowener]

Of all the places that have been terrorized, fire bombed, bullet riddled, why hasn't Phelps house been one of them yet?

[Norman Einstein]

Originally Posted by bowener

Of all the places that have been terrorized, fire bombed, bullet riddled, why hasn't Phelps house been one of them yet?

I would wager there is a security setup there that rivals that of the white house.

[Jenson71]

Originally Posted by luv

Haven't read all of the responses, so forgive me if I say something that has already been pointed out. Missouri passed the same legislation, and the church took it all the way to the US Supreme Court. The Court overturned the verdicts of the lower courts sue to the groups actions being protected by the 1st Amendment.

The SCOTUS hasn't ruled on Snyder v. Phelps yet, luv.

[TimeForWasp]

I agree something needs to be done about these lunatics, but law? It's kinda scary. what else will the law makers just throw together in an afternoon and make it law. That scares the hell out of me. I think a human chain would have been better. They are making more and more laws on a whim. I agree with this one, but what's next.

just sayin

[TimeForWasp]

Originally Posted by ChiefsNow

I agree something needs to be done about these lunatics, but law? It's kinda scary. what else will the law makers just throw together in an afternoon and make it law. That scares the hell out of me. I think a human chain would have been better. They are making more and more laws on a whim. I agree with this one, but what's next.

just sayin

I think people could just come together and make life very uncomfortable for these lunies.

[JD10367]

Originally Posted by Braincase

Can't we just fill a bunch of ballons with pig's AIDS-tainted blood and do a drive-by ballooning from an untagged Crown Vic?

FYP

[FAX]

Originally Posted by ChiefsNow

I agree something needs to be done about these lunatics, but law? It's kinda scary. what else will the law makers just throw together in an afternoon and make it law. That scares the hell out of me. I think a human chain would have been better. They are making more and more laws on a whim. I agree with this one, but what's next.

just sayin

Good thoughts, Mr. ChiefsNow.

Trouble is, in this country, the law is all we have ... or supposed to have. Even though there is a troubling precedent being established here, I think it's a good thing, overall. The people's representatives have taken a stand that is beneficial to the citizenry.

Besides, the courts will overturn this as unconstitutional just as soon as the funeral is over.

FAX

[BigRichard]

Originally Posted by mikey23545

Obviously Phelps and his clan were drawn there by the crosshairs on Palin's map...

Way to interject a totally unrelated self serving point into what was a good discussion you vile piece of human excrement.

[Reerun_KC]

Originally Posted by Norman Einstein

I would wager there is a security setup there that rivals that of the white house.

And probably paid for by our state tax money...