Protesters at military funerals...

[hardheadjarhead]

Oh my...I find myself applauding Sean Hannity.

Never thought I'd do that.


http://www.killsometime.com/Video/video.asp?ID=497


The Catholics here might take a bit of umbrage at their web site:

http://www.godhatesfags.com/main/index.html


Regards,


Steve

 

[green meanie]

Unbelievable. I'm angry beyond description over the of this group.

:angry: :angry: :angry: :angry: :angry:

 

[Rich Parsons]

Can I protest the protesters?

Can I volunteer them to do a march upon a city, while those who are trained stay back to find out where the snipers are hiding?

Oh wait, that is not polite not PC.

 

[Lisa]

It takes all kinds to make the world go round, sometimes, however, I wish a few would fall off while it is spinning. That woman is unbelievable.

 

[beau_safken]

That is crazy...Don't some people have any respect anymore? Maybe we should go protest outside their umm...err....pot farm...yea.. Where would people like that hangout anyway?

 

[Kacey]

Certain events should be free of politics - funerals being high on the list of such events. Funerals are intended to help the bereaved deal with their grief, not to inflice additional distress.

 

[stickarts]

Certain events should be free of politics - funerals being high on the list of such events. Funerals are intended to help the bereaved deal with their grief, not to inflice additional distress.

I agree

 

[Rich Parsons]

Certain events should be free of politics - funerals being high on the list of such events. Funerals are intended to help the bereaved deal with their grief, not to inflice additional distress.

I agree that people have the right to protest.

I think that is what makes our country strong.

But, there are times when respect of others as a society versus what is in it for ME, should be considered, and people should take responsibility for their actions.

Not sure, but I think I might have let the air out of all of their tires, dropped some mint candies into their gas tanks, and smiled all the way back to the ceremony. I guess all would be fair then in protest?

 

[stone_dragone]

I decided long ago that if I would hold no other idea, freedom or philosophy above all others it would be this...that while I may wholy disagree with what you have to say, I will defend 'till my death your right to say it.

Academically, I am a journalist (having spent 4.5 years studying journalism in college) and I have a decent grasp on the legal and constitiutional basis of our freedom of speech. I have also researched this group rather thoroughly (I was in charge of tasking my Brigade with it's funerals).

These people are very smart. It is my understanding that large percentage of them are lawyers. They videotape everything and know the laws of each city, county and state that they protest in. They purposely provoke folks right up to the legal line and when someone else, out of anger, steps over that line and pushes them, hits them or some other pysical contact, they sue the individual for "assault", the police department for the lack of protection and everyone else that they can. In a court of law, they are found to be the victims and win massive lawsuits. Thats how they fund the activities, travels, etc.

Just like martial artists have techniques dealing with specific threats, there are techniques to render these amoral attackers harmless without breaking the law.

1. Although the constitiution states that "Congress shall pass no laws restricting the freedom of speech and to peacably assemble" (paraphrased for brevity), each locale has the ablity to legislate the Time, Place and Manner in which a demonstration can take place. Petition your local government (state, city, etc) to enact laws that restrict the TP&M of protests in your area (i.e. No protestors permitted within 500meters of any funeral or memorial service from 3 hours before to 3 hours after the event). Several states have already done this. Make these folks impotent.

2. If you find out that there is a planned protest in your area (they keep a schedule on their website), contact all the local media and beseech them to NOT cover the event or to give it minimum coverage. The more coverage they get, the more they get their message out. Render these folks more impotent.

3. Also, organize counter protests. Use their right against them. Anytime there has been a counter-protest to their drivel, they have been phenomenal turnout to counter them (massively outnumbered). If there is media coverage, it will be for the counter protest and it will put the original protesters in a negative light, showing what type of folks they are.

As a soldier who has lost friends in this war, it boils my blood to listen to their retoric. Render them ineffective and you will have defended those who have lost their lives defending you.

 

[Ping898]

At least now there is that group that protesting the protesters. There is a group of bikers who I think are vets that goes around blocking the protesters from being seen and hopefully heard by the funeral goers. Thank God for that.

 

[michaeledward]

One caveat... I watched about the first 2 minutes of the Hannity interview.

Seems to me the military aspect of this story is a minor aspect, utilized to create media attention. The 'meat' of the story seems to be the fundamentalist religious viewpoint.

Are we focused on the wrong thing?

Why aren't we denouncing the religious beliefs of the crazy lady, rather than providing her a platform and allowing her to turn the discussion to the service of the military?

This discussion is framed, I believe, completely wrong. Something that does not surprise me, considering Hannity's involvement.

 

[green meanie]

At least now there is that group that protesting the protesters. There is a group of bikers who I think are vets that goes around blocking the protesters from being seen and hopefully heard by the funeral goers. Thank God for that.

Agreed!!!

 

[stone_dragone]

Seems to me the military aspect of this story is a minor aspect, utilized to create media attention. The 'meat' of the story seems to be the fundamentalist religious viewpoint.

Are we focused on the wrong thing?

Why aren't we denouncing the religious beliefs of the crazy lady, rather than providing her a platform and allowing her to turn the discussion to the service of the military?

We aren't denouncing the religious beliefs because they are not the issue. The issue is the callous and crude method which these individuals are selecting to dispense their swill. They choose the most tragic time in a family's life to share their message (one of hatred, btw) without considering the emotional impact on the grieving survivors who, under different circumstances, might even agree with the message. If someone believes that the United States has left the will of God and the deaths of 9-11, OIF/OEF and Katrina are His divine judgement, then say that...however, by chanting "Thank God for IEDs" and having a website whose very title spews forth hatred, the message of God's rightous anger gets disolved into one message...these folks are nuts. Period.

Saddly, the interview did turn into a debate about who's God hates who. It was good to see that it even brought Alan Combs out of his shell to declare that these people have a screw loose somewhere, however.

 

[doc5504]

well as far as the crazy woman i dont care about her but as far as i do defend freedom and stuff and even though i dont like her views and stuff and if she where here she wouldnt like the ied that go off and kill her ive been in many of them and i dont agree with her but any way it should be against the law for them to protest at a military funeral and i dont think just because she has the right that she should be able to do that it make her look bad and every one there and the dumb things she says arnt good either even though i dont agree with the politics of the way im a 3 tour vet of this place and i will gladly come here any time my country ask me to and gladly go where ever they ask me to go because no matter how much u hate it agreed in that contract to do that thats ur job ect cant say any more

 

[hardheadjarhead]

2. If you find out that there is a planned protest in your area (they keep a schedule on their website), contact all the local media and beseech them to NOT cover the event or to give it minimum coverage. The more coverage they get, the more they get their message out. Render these folks more impotent.

Gotta disagree with you here. I think they need MAXIMUM coverage.

They're so on the fringe that their message, if it gets out, isn't going to effect most people. Conservative Christian homophobes take offense to their anti-American/anti-military views...and anybody to the left of that group certainly is going to hate these people and their message.

No, I say let the public square be the place where they hang themselves.

I do agree with your suggestion of counter-protesting, though. While at it, make sure you support the family of the dead...don't merely go after the protesters.

Note: These folks aren't merely homophobics who are out to damn the country for our tolerance (?) of gays. They're virulent anti-catholics. They're anti-semitic. Michael is right in pointing out that it isn't just about the military, but rather about her very extreme religious views.



Regards,


Steve

 

[deadhand31]

This is pretty sad. Some states have banned protests at funerals. In my state of Wisconsin, it was signed into law that if there are protests on a funeral, it has to be over 500 feet away, and has to stop an hour before the funeral is set to begin and cannot commence until an hour after it stops. We haven't had a protest since.

I wish there was an amendment that states that funeral protesters are designated paintball targets, and cannot fight back when the paintballing begins. I have a lot of friends who'd love to get in on that.

 

[Don Roley]

Gotta disagree with you here. I think they need MAXIMUM coverage.

They're so on the fringe that their message, if it gets out, isn't going to effect most people. Conservative Christian homophobes take offense to their anti-American/anti-military views...and anybody to the left of that group certainly is going to hate these people and their message.

Gotta disagree with your disagreement.

There are certain people that would do anything for some sort of attention. They don't care if they are talked badly about, just that people are talking about them.

And if it is clear that people are being given attention just because they do something that makes other people mad, that gives them ideas.

 

[Hand Sword]

I think protesters at military funerals are disgusting beings. It's not the fault of the families or the deceased that they got deployed, and ended up in that situation.

 

[Jonathan]

This is pretty sad. Some states have banned protests at funerals. In my state of Wisconsin, it was signed into law that if there are protests on a funeral, it has to be over 500 feet away, and has to stop an hour before the funeral is set to begin and cannot commence until an hour after it stops. We haven't had a protest since.

I like this.

And this isn't an broad spectrum federal law, why, exactly? I wouldn't see it meeting much resistance if the current administration is alll about 'supporting the troops'.

I have a thing about respecting the dead. Doesn't matter how much evil they committed in life, once they pass on, it's between them and whatever entity that serves as their Almighty. I won't even step over graves when I go to visit my father's site. To sit there, and harrass- and despite what ever definition, I believe that's what these protests are- the families when they're grieving is cruel.

 

[HKphooey]

To all that have fallen and have lost a family memember, I can only be embarrased for the idiots that protest at their funerals. I agree this freedom is what the US is all about and what the soldiers fight for, but there is also something called human decency. There is a time and place for protest, a funeral is not one of them.


I leave you with a haiku I had written for someone who gave his life in Operation Desert Storm...

Dew covers the grass
Old Glory drapes the casket
Taps cries out mournfully.