Mother of slain soldier is only vote against funeral anti-protest bill
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/16/funeralprotest/
The Minnesota Senate Thursday overwhelmingly passed a bill
making it a crime to disrupt funerals. The bill was prompted
by anti-gay demonstrations at the funeral of a Minnesota soldier
killed in Iraq. Only one senator voted against the bill --
DFLer [Senator] Becky Lourey [Democrat], who is also the only
legislator who has lost a son in the Iraq war.
St. Paul, Minn. — When Lourey's son Matthew was killed in Iraq
last year, no protesters disrupted his funeral. Sen. Lourey says
if they had, she would have endured them. She says her son fought
and died for the freedoms enshrined in the Bill of Rights,
including the freedom of speech.
"We can say whatever we want to say, no matter how ugly,
and we don't get thrown in jail," Lourey said.
Lourey says the speech that disrupted a soldier's funeral
last month was ugly, but it shouldn't be a crime.
At the funeral of Army Cpl. Andrew Kemple in Anoka, a half-dozen
members of a Kansas church shouted anti-gay messages at mourners.
The group from Westburo Baptist Church claims God is killing
American soldiers because the U.S. tolerates homosexuality.
Lourey says the Legislature shouldn't restrict the speech of
the Kansas group or anyone else.
"I've had people standing with signs and ugly words against me
after I've walked through the halls of the Capitol after a vote,
or entered a building, and I have always understood that they
have a right to do that," Lourey said.
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House panel approves ban on funeral protests
http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/news/legislature/14150277.htm
A House committee Monday endorsed a measure to keep
protesters 300 feet away from funerals.
"I think we need to try to pass as tough a bill
as we can pass," said Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing.
"They're going to sue us no matter what we do."
Wilk was referring to Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church
in Topeka, the only organization known to protest funerals.
The bill, which will move to a joint committee next,
would ban protests on streets, sidewalks and other
public places within 300 feet of funerals, memorials
and burials. The restriction would start an hour before
the service and extend until two hours after.
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"We owe respect to the living.
To the dead we owe only truth."
- Voltaire
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