They are the PRECISE equivalents to the Islamic Jihadists/
Hell, I can prove it---the only time in my memory that the ACLU has gotten involved with defending any domestic religion it was with THESE people some months ago--they wanted to get physically CLOSER to the military funerals, rather than stay, I think it was , 300 yards away, and the ACLU intervened on their behalf in court.
FRANKFORT - A federal judge has temporarily barred the state from enforcing portions of a new law that keeps protesters at least 300 feet away from a funeral.
Issued yesterday, U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell said there is a "strong likelihood" the law will run afoul of the First Amendment's free-speech protections.
The law, passed unanimously this spring by the General Assembly, was designed to stop a Kansas-based religious group from staging anti-gay protests at military funerals. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka believe that U.S. soldiers are being killed in Iraq because God is punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.
Several other states and the federal government have passed similar laws. Legal challenges have also been filed in Ohio and Missouri, but no rulings have been issued in those cases, said Lili Lutgens, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union.
Lutgens is representing Bart McQueary, a Harrodsburg man who has participated in protests at military funerals.
"We're very pleased," Lutgens said. "We believe that Karen Caldwell reinforced the importance of freedom of speech."
Attorney General Greg Stumbo said yesterday that an appeal is under consideration. "I believe that society has an important interest in honoring its war dead," he said in a statement. "Funerals are times of sacred and solemn reflection which must be protected from aggressive disruption."
Lawmakers who co-sponsored the bill were flabbergasted by Caldwell's ruling, which said a 300-foot restriction is likely too large.
"I'm extremely disappointed that the will of the people will be thwarted by the ACLU once again," said Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington. "I vehemently disagree with the court's ruling and I grieve for our military families."
State Sen. Tom Buford, R-Nicholasville, said he wanted to implement a 1,000-foot ban, but agreed to 300 feet because that is the same distance the state bans electioneering around polling places on Election Day.
"I think it is most unfortunate and I feel sorry for the judges that make a ruling like this," Buford said. "It's a sad situation."
Caldwell took issue with the law because it restricts all expression of speech within the buffer zone, including activities along nearby streets or inside homes.
"It prohibits such activity whether the persons involved in the activities are visible to funeral participants or not and whether they are making any sound that funeral participants can hear or not," Caldwell wrote.
Westboro Baptist members have protested military funerals in Kentucky since the law passed, including a memorial service honoring three fallen Iraqi war veterans at Fort Campbell last month. At the time, the group's attorney said politicians created a toothless law.
"They're a bunch of incompetent, blundering idiots," Shirley Phelps-Roper said.
"They are the PRECISE equivalents to the Islamic Jihadists/"
The big difference is that they cannot backup what they are doing from their bible. The poor little children who are being dragged out to these protest will be ruined for life...At least as far as their faith is concerned.
I was just looking at their website. These people hate everything. I think that homsexuality is horribly wrong. But they only bring support for it by doing this. They hate America too...so why don't they go to Canada....Oops They hate that too.