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Westboro Baptist Church protesters will soon be severely limited in their ability to disrupt military funerals, after Congress passed a sweeping veterans bill this week that includes restrictions on such demonstrations.

According to "The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012," which is now headed to President Barack Obama's desk, demonstrators will no longer be allowed to picket military funerals two hours before or after a service. The bill also requires protestors to be at least 300 feet away from grieving family members.

This aspect of the legislation was introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who, at the urging of a teenage constituent, proposed new limitations on military funeral demonstrations as a response to a 2011 Supreme Court case that ruled such actions were protected under the First Amendment.

In the wake of that decision, many have turned to counter-protest efforts to block Westboro Baptist Church's disruptive and insensitive displays, which frequently suggest that U.S. soldiers have been killed as God's vengeance for gay tolerance.

Thousands turned out in Missouri last month, forming a "human wall" around a church where the service for a fallen soldier was being held.

Earlier in July, hundreds of Texas A&M students showed up in a similar effort, joining together to create a barrier between Westboro Baptist Church members and a military funeral.

And while not at a specific service, a group of demonstrators dressed as zombies gathered at a military base in Washington last month, far outnumbering and overshadowing followers of the far-right congregation.

The bill also contains a variety of measures meant to address veterans health, benefits, housing and education. Obama is expected to sign to the legislation later this month.

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ORIGINAL: OsideGirl

From Huffington Post. I wonder if they'll be able to make it stick.

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Westboro Baptist Church protesters will soon be severely limited in their ability to disrupt military funerals, after Congress passed a sweeping veterans bill this week that includes restrictions on such demonstrations.

According to "The Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012," which is now headed to President Barack Obama's desk, demonstrators will no longer be allowed to picket military funerals two hours before or after a service. The bill also requires protestors to be at least 300 feet away from grieving family members.

This aspect of the legislation was introduced by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), who, at the urging of a teenage constituent, proposed new limitations on military funeral demonstrations as a response to a 2011 Supreme Court case that ruled such actions were protected under the First Amendment.

In the wake of that decision, many have turned to counter-protest efforts to block Westboro Baptist Church's disruptive and insensitive displays, which frequently suggest that U.S. soldiers have been killed as God's vengeance for gay tolerance.

Thousands turned out in Missouri last month, forming a "human wall" around a church where the service for a fallen soldier was being held.

Earlier in July, hundreds of Texas A&M students showed up in a similar effort, joining together to create a barrier between Westboro Baptist Church members and a military funeral.

And while not at a specific service, a group of demonstrators dressed as zombies gathered at a military base in Washington last month, far outnumbering and overshadowing followers of the far-right congregation.

The bill also contains a variety of measures meant to address veterans health, benefits, housing and education. Obama is expected to sign to the legislation later this month.

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but free speech is protected.

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ORIGINAL: mnottertail

The fucking supreme court trip is gonna bankrupt them, and they ain't gonna get Shitfilet supporters to bail them outta that imbriglio.

The checkbook will have the effect of law on that one, and uncle sam got real deep pockets cuz he can borrow.

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ORIGINAL: OsideGirl

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followers of the far-right congregation.

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(For those who might have missed it on another thread recently, the founder of Westboro Baptist Church is an NAACP honored civil-rights attorney,

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who spent many years running in Democrat primaries for various nominations, and one of the sons of the founder was an Al Gore delegate at the 1988 Democrat convention.

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Set aside their homophobia, and they would be classified as garden variety liberals, from the positions they take.)

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

Set aside their homophobia, and they would be classified as garden variety liberals, from the positions they take.)

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ORIGINAL: dcnovice
--Why the quest to label Phelps as a "liberal" anyway? Every liberal I know (and plenty of folks of other stripes, for that matter) is repulsed by him.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

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ORIGINAL: dcnovice
--Why the quest to label Phelps as a "liberal" anyway? Every liberal I know (and plenty of folks of other stripes, for that matter) is repulsed by him.

Did you see the little snip I had from the HuffnPoo article in the OP, DC?   One of my neighbors throws dogshit in my yard like that, I'm getting the shovel, and throwing it right back.  As close to the back door as I can manage.

I don't know anyone, of any stripe, who isn't repulsed by them.  I saw in the news that the KKK held a counter-protest to WBC (a good day to cross ones fingers for violent thunderstoms, and a tornado).

Yes.  The hate is one hell of a big set-aside.  It's their center.  Hate knows no party or ideology though, as will be clearly illustrated in here in the weeks ahead, I'm sure.  Take away the hate, as hard as that might be, and find something that marks them as coming from the right.

Hillwilliam seems to bouncing around a little, but I doubt he's even bothered to read the thread you linked to from the last discussion, and so has no idea how far he needs to go to offer a suggestion that their political philosophies have altered much.

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ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam
I'm not bouncing, I'm quite linear. You seem to be the one tapdancing referring to primaries held over a decade ago.

I'm still waiting for evidence that Phelps IS a liberal as you claimed.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

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ORIGINAL: Hillwilliam
I'm not bouncing, I'm quite linear. You seem to be the one tapdancing referring to primaries held over a decade ago.

I'm still waiting for evidence that Phelps IS a liberal as you claimed.

You are bouncing, Hillwilliam, like a maltipoo begging for attention.

Is.  Fuckin' A right, Bubba.  You sure didn't take the time to read about the cases the law firm was taking, when they let a good reporter get close a few years back. 

Don't get boring.