Military Funeral Protest Ban in Kentucky Lifted

[Raskolnik]

From the Associated Press
September 27, 2006

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Kentucky's law forbidding protests within 300 feet of military funerals and memorial services was suspended Tuesday after a federal judge ruled it was too broad.

The law, approved this year, was aimed at members of a Topeka, Kan., church who have toured the country protesting at military funerals. The Westboro Baptist Church claims the soldiers' deaths are a sign of God punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.

U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell wrote that the law could restrict the free speech rights of people in nearby homes, sidewalks and streets, even if they cannot be seen or heard by funeral participants.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-protests27sep27,1,200437.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

[bowens43]

1. Good. The judge got it right.

As vile as these fundamentalist nut jobs are, this IS a free speech issue.

[Raskolnik]

2. I agree

Its surprising that a judge, a Bush-appointed judge, no less, had the courage to make the ruling.

[Ian David]

3. I object to the law applying only to military funerals

Shouldn't ALL funerals have equal protection under the law?

Kansas to Phelps: "Do what you want to the gays, but leave Bush's war victims alone!"

And what defines a "funeral"?

What this means is that Republickers can start commandeering Military Funerals as pulpits from which to speak without being challenged.

And what stops them from declaring political rallies to be "Memorial Services" for our troops, thus banning protesters?