Becky Lourey is the only true patriot in the MN Legislature

[Minnesota Raindog]

She was the lone vote against the knee-jerk, feel-good bill to keep protestors at least 1,000 feet away from funerals. For that, she deserves your support for governor.

From the PPress:

Lourey said she believed her son fought and died for American freedoms that include free speech for protesters, even when the protesters' speech is hateful and ugly to most people exposed to it.

"He always said that freedom of speech, our Bill of Rights, our way of life — that's what he wanted to protect," Lourey said of her son. Army Chief Warrant


http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/legislature/14118351.htm

Much was made about a recent survey that showed Americans knew more about the Simpsons than they did about the First Amendment. But it's clear from this bill and vote that our legislators also know less about the First Amendment than they should. Hell, even Joe Soucheray--normally not a beacon of reason in any debate--commended Lourey for her vote:

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/14128213.htm

"She understands the toughest truth. We cannot start allowing the government to grant prior approval to the content of our speech. This isn't Iran."

Soucheray also suggests what I've felt all along about the homophobes out there pushing things like anti-gay-marriage amendments: that they are gay themselves. But I digress...

We need more voices like Becky Lourey to defend the First Amendment. If you still think fencing off protestors at funerals is a good idea, then you also must support BushCo's policy of fencing off protestors at appearances by our president, or at political conventions. Because it's the same principle, just a different target. You can't differentiate the punishment based on the content of the speech. As Soucheray says: This isn't Iran.