shakran

It doesn't matter WHAT their views are. They have the RIGHT to express them. that's why when the KKK waves their nazi flags in front of the governor's mansion, they're not arrested. Because, despite the fact that the majority of people think they're racist jerks, they have the RIGHT to express their opinion.




Wrong, wrong, and wrong. In fact the framers of the constitution were well aware of hatred, and they realized people have the right to hate. There is no law against hating. It is anti american to silence people just because their hateful opinion is unsavory to you.

1) they shouldn't.
2) you're confusing hate crimes with free speech. You're allowed to hate a black guy. You're NOT allowed to kill him. Big difference.




Wanna give me an example of a local law that forbids people to be on public property? If you manage to find one I can pretty much guarantee it hasn't been tested in court.





We are talking about the law here. Hot dogs are also part of the "American way" but that doesn't mean there are laws requiring that we eat them.

Yes, actually, you can. My wife would much rather I spend all my spare time doing projects with her. Instead sometimes I pursue my happiness by installing go-fast goodies in my car. In that instance I am pursuing my happiness at the expense of others.

There's no law on the books that says it's illegal to make someone unhappy.



Actually that would fall under public vandalism, or improper hazardous waste disposal. You're doing that on public property. I don't own the sidewalk. If you did it on my lawn it would be vandalism.

You CAN walk in front of my house and call me a jerk and there's nothing I can do about it, legally. Protesting at a funeral does not MATERIALLY harm anyone. The guys at the funeral aren't losing any money or property as a result of the protestors. And as I've said, it's not illegal to make someone upset.



A funeral is a private event. The sidewalk outside the cemetery is a public sidewalk. They MAY be able to keep them out of the cemetery. They may NOT keep them off the sidewalk.


OK. If you can get 2/3rds of the state to ratify your "squash freedom of speech" idea, go for it. But the law as it stands now allows it. As well it should. The idea that people have freedom of speech as long as they don't say something you don't like is the road to the destruction of our republic.



Slander? How? What lie did they tell? Their OPINION (opinions aren't truth or lies) is that God struck them down. Their only stated FACT is that the US has homosexuals in it. Well. . .duh. That's true, so that's not slander.

Further, you can't slander a dead guy. To prove slander you have to show that your lie hurt the person. You can't hurt a dead guy, so that's out the window.

Harassment is legally defined as the continued and/or systematic unwanted and annoying actions of one party to another (here comes the important part) including threats or demands

These guys aren't threatening anyone (stop right there, I know what you're going to say, and no they are not threatening anyone through god) and they're not making demands of the funeral goers. They are not guilty of harassment.

You have a gross misunderstanding of how the law works. The law says you can protest. It does not say you can only protest in government-sanctioned zones. Any attempt to pass a law that forces protestors to avoid certain places is in violation of the 1st amendment.


Nope, that's arson, and setting a fire in an unauthorized place. Now if they wanted to bring a cross that LOOKED like it was on fire and wander around a park with it, they'd be free and clear to do so. They can bring their nazi flags. I've got proof of that - I've covered white supremicist rallys in parks, and they had all that crap out there, and the cops didn't do anything to stop them because it's ILLEGAL to stop that. I know that YOU want to suppress speech that upsets you, but that doesn't mean that it's legal for you to do it.


Um. First off, you're being idiotic here. Sorry for the direct slam, but if the shoe fits. . .

Second, of course I wouldn't enjoy it. And if you bothered reading and comprehending my posts you'd see that I understand THEY don't enjoy the protests at the funerals. But I wouldn't have the right to stop them from picketing as long as they were on public property.

Again, I know that YOU want to suppress people's constitutional rights when their message does not agree with YOUR opinion, but it is fortunately not legal for you to do that.


Then don't fight against what you claim to fight for. Stop advocating the oppression of people who do things you don't like.

Bullshit. They are not. Read the article again. Read it very carefully. Read the part where it says the protestors claim the soldiers died BECAUSE THE COUNTRY HARBORS HOMOSEXUALS. They aren't even accusing the soldier of being homosexual. Read, carefully, before you comment.

And second, they have the right to protest individuals too. People protest Bill Gates all the time. Should we stop them?


Then what was the point of comparing the protestors to a murderer?



Learn your legal terms. Verbal assault is not legal. I cannot go up to you and tell you I am going to kill you. That's verbal assault. I CAN call you a jerk. You might not like it, but I'm allowed to do that. But calling you a jerk is not verbal assault.

Well unfortunately it came across as you wanting to make what they are doing illegal because you feel what they are doing is immoral.

That was not a suitable counter to their motives because they aren't hiding behind anything. They have the right to do what they are doing. And they are doing it. I'm sorry that it offends you, but the law does not and should not care.

Not necessarilly. Here's an example. YOU are going to die. I don't know when, but one day you will die. Do you feel threatened by me because I said that?

Er. OK. And I'll tell you now that if you go find a gang member and punch him in the face, he'll probably kill you too. I'm not threatening you. I'm telling you what I think will happen if you do a certain action. These guys think god will kill them because of what they, or others, are doing. That's not a threat, that's a statement of opinion. It happens to be wrong, and total bullshit, but it's not a threat.



What you need to understand is that things aren't illegal just because someone doesn't like them. If that were the case, everything would be against the law. Just because you do not like something does not mean that it is, or should be, illegal.

I don't like the fact that you are voicing the opinion that people's first amendment rights should be trampled. But you have the first amendment right to voice that opinion. Isn't that ironic.