I just knew it would come to this. The insistence of state (and federal) government on restricting free speech and assembly has inevitably led to the ACLU hooking up with the Phelpsians. (h/t PageOneQ)
Missouri, like other states and the federal government, has passed a law restricting protests and pickets at funerals in response to community outrage over the Phelpsians presence at military funerals. Fred and co. believe that God is killing soldiers because America has embraced homosexuality. So he totes his "God Hates Fags" signs to military funerals. Shock and awe ensue. Never mind that he's been doing this for years to at the funerals of homosexuals and those who have died from AIDS. No one was upset enough to pass a law curtailing civil rights then. I guess faggots brought it on themselves.
The ACLU argues that the law restricts speech on content and is seeking an injunction so the protests can resume while the court considers the constitutionality issue.
Here's Phelpsian whackjob and daughter Shirley ...
"I told the nation, as each state went after these laws, that if the day came that they got in our way, that we would sue them," said Phelps's daughter Shirley L. Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for the church in Topeka, Kan. "At this hour, the wrath of God is pouring out on this country."
You aren't suing them, Shirley honey. The ACLU is suing them on your behalf. Because the ACLU respects your civil liberties. The wrath of God sure does pick some interesting vehicles ....
I, too, think the law is unconstitutional. Don't get me wrong -- its abhorrent that anyone would intrude on the grief of a family at the funeral of their loved one. But as the Correspondents have said before, these laws are unconstitutional and passed in a grandstanding furor by legislators responsible for the deaths of these soldiers. Rather than make the funeral a civil liberty free zone, how about reducing the number of funerals? You know, ending the war. Or improving health care access. Investing in AIDS research. Mitigating poverty. That sort of thing.
Why, oh why, do I hate freedom?
