The State Senate unanimously passed SB 606 which will “prohibit disruptive conduct at funerals, memorial services, or funeral processions.”
This legislation, sponsored by Senator John Douglas (R-Covington), is targeting protests by anti-war groups at the funerals of fallen soldiers.
You can read more about the legislation and the background of it here.
{ 19 comments }
1) have there actually been protests at funerals?
2) does this apply to Rev. Phelps too?
1) Yes, though I’m not aware of them in the State of Georgia.
2) I assume it does because he’s been protesting at funerals.
Ok, after actually taking a look at the link, I realize that this bill in in fact a response to Rev. Phelps. Thus, you may want to change your headline, since it implies this bill is targeted towards anti-war protesters when it is in fact the bill is targeted towards anit-gay protestors.
Indeed. Also notice how, on the floor, after making a huge speech about the First Amendment, Sen. Miles changed her mind and voted for the bill. That said, this guy (Phelps) is a nutjob who claims that American lives are being lost because God is punishing us for accepting homosexuals. ??. If they are going to spend half an hour talking about PB&J day on the Senate floor, our dear Senators are wise to take the time to consider this piece of legislation. I think this bill is a just way to honor our lost soldiers and shut this freak, Reverand-gone-wild, down.
It’s not just directed at Phelps. It’s directed at the whole anti-war movement…which Phelps is a part of.
JaseLP, your argument is absurd. Phelps is not part of the “anti-war movement,” if there is such a homogeneous movement. Your statement is exactly like me saying he is part of the Religious Right.
Let me explain:
a: Phelps is against the war, the “anti-war” crowd is against the war, thus Phelps is part of the “anti-war” crowd.
b: Phelps condemns gays, the Religious Right condemns gays, thus Phelps is part of the Religious Right.
Now, notwithstanding the likes of Nancy Schaefer, Phelps isn’t part of the Religious Right.
Phelps is part of the nutty-as-peanut-butter crowd.
And you are being either illogical or dishonest. I’ll let you pick.
Let me explain:
a: Phelps has stated that he is against the war in Iraq… therefore he is anti-war and can be lumped in with the anti-war crowd, which includes libertarians, Democrats, socialists and some religious leaders.
b: Phelps litterally condemns gays. He hates them. My mother, for example, is a card carrying member of the religious right and doesn’t hate gays. She disagrees with homosexuality (the whole “hate the sin, not the sinner” argument).
Jase, Phelps is anti-war but not part of the anti-war movement.
If the Georgia Legislature passed a new law increasing penalties on murderers, would you say they were clamping down on the right to life movement because some whackjobs have killed abortion doctors?
Look I think protesting at a funeral of anyone is disgusting. However, it was OK for Phelps to protest the funerals of AIDS victims or victims of hate crimes like Matthew Sheppard. But only until he started protesting the victims of soldiers did we get upset.
Damn. Lighten up guys. The bill was inspired by Fred Phelps’s disgusting protests. They apply to protesters in general. Phelps is anti-war, but really is anti-gay. He’s a rather disgusting guy.
And Decaturguy, absolutely. Those incidents should have inspired these laws.
If someone can please point out to me an incident of an “anti-war protestor” protesting at a funeral who was NOT Phelps, please let me read about it.
Phelps. No Phelps. Demonstrations of any kind at funerals of our fallen war dead is disgusting. The men and women serving our country deserve our respect, not a press-whore’s moment in time.
The ultimate price paid by honorable people must beheld scared to everyone. Else they died in vain. I cannot accept that alternative.
Yes Bill, though I can’t find the link in Lexis-Nexis. The World Socialist Workers Party protested a funeral of an Iraq War Veteran in California last year. I think it was in June.
HC – well said
Regardless of Phelps being in the anti war crowd or not, his actions are obscene and disgusting. I for one am glad Douglas brought this out and is being proactive on the issue before these sleezeballs crawl into Georgia to do their dirty work. Good job Senator Douglas.
Ah, thanks for the example, Erick.
Lets remember that this bill does not just apply to funerals of soldiers, but to the funerals of everyone.
I think a new law needs to be written that people be highly encouraged to carry a gun to a funeral and to use it against anyone “protesting” it. Next to a terrorist, I cannot think of a lower form of a human being who would try to make their political statement at a funeral…of course, there WAS the Coretta Scott King funeral…
In all seriousness Bill, I think you’re on to something here, and I think it exposes serious flaws with this legislation. The bill defines “disorderly or disruptive conduct” to include “Uttering loud, threatening, or abusive language or singing, chanting, whistling, or yelling … such as would tend to impede, disrupt, disturb, or interfere with a funeral or memorial service.”
While some of you may have found Rev. Lowery and President Carter’s speeches at the King funeral distasteful, do you really think that they should be charged with a misdemeanor for such conduct?
Comments on this entry are closed.