Should we pass a law against picketing funerals?

Question

referencing westboro babtist church, I strongly feel that it is wrong, and as a society we need to stand up. There is a limit to freedom of speech, and it need to take affect here.

Answer 1

Is it possible to legislate against bad taste?  I have my doubts.

Answer 2

No. We should make it legal for the funeral attendees to exercise their right to freedom of speech by making assault of a picketer of a funeral a first degree misdemeanor punishable by a fine of no more than $5.00. We should also place said assault under the good Samaritan act so that no civil law suits could be filed.

Answer 3

Instead of banning protests at funerals, why don't we allow for assaults at funerals upon those who are protesting the funeral.

Beat them up instead of throwing them in jail.

Maybe we could call it "self defense" or something like that.

Answer 4

speech has its limits it always has and those limits are varified by the courts.  technically any protest could be considered not peaceable dealing with a situation like this and thus the protest could be dispersed the ACLU might cry but they dont really defend all our civil rights just boy rapists and radicals (they wont defend your second amendment right but "stand for the bill of rights)

Answer 5

Those so called Christians should be ashamed of themselves.  I can't believe that they show up at funerals of our fallen soldiers or at the funerals of murder victims and spout their garbage.  But, that being said, I also am a true believer in our First Amendment right to free speech.  If you ban picketing at funerals, will you also ban picketing at abortion clinics or ban picketing at political rallies?  Once that ball starts rolling, it may not stop and then we have a government controlling what we can say in public.  I may not like what you have to say, but I will defend your right to say it.  

Answer 6

No.  I know it's utterly repulsive but I think we need to keep the right to peaceful protests as long as people aren't trespassing or breaking any laws.  I think people have done an excellent job of creating human walls to block these morons and their vile signs from the view of family members and friends attending the funerals.

Answer 7

There already a law, at least there is in the state of Md.  Something about invasion of privacy, defamation and INTENTIONAL infliction of emtional distress. Or something like that. A bunch of people were sued by the loved soldier's funeral who died in Iraq and they lost.  Have to pay lots of money. If any of this pertains to you, I would uphold this out of respect for the dignity the funeral for the life it is honoring.  I'm sorry for your loss.  Just pass on the information to the funeral director and they should be able to handle it.  

Answer 8

Even free speech has limits!  God forbid I should ever attend a funeral that these a holes show up!  I will excersize my right to freedom of expression when I beat the holy h**l out of these people!  We recently had a funeral in our city where these people showed up...our local marine reserves shielded the funeral with their bodies from these pricks!  Once again, the Marines protected the Americans from harm!

Answer 9

You shouldn't HAVE to pass a law.

Americans...

Answer 10

I agree. People who picket a funeral should have their asses handed to them. There is no need to do that. Anybody caught doing that should be sent to a federal pound me in the *** prison

Answer 11

Yes. Funerals are for saying goodbye, not for making political statements. A time and place for everything.

Answer 12

you can't really legislate, but you can beat the h**l out of people who disrespect anyones funeral and I bet you will never be convicted by a jury  

Answer 13

What wrong?

Why shaking and waking up the dead?

Why not letting them rest in peace?

What can the dead with empty skeleton of skull and bones with two empty eye sockets do for the living?

Luke 9.60

What do you think?

Answer 14

No, but make it legal for anyone to kill said picketers. They came to the right place.

Answer 15

I think there should be a law against the Westboro Baptist Church lol

nah but seriously..even though they are twisted and really against everthing God and Jesus is against, they have freedom of speech blah blah blah.