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Respect For The Dead By: Brian Webber on 10/22/2001; 12:28 PM In late April (or was it early May) of 1999, I went to the memorial service for the Columbine victims. As I walked to the site of the service, which was attended by then VP Al Gore, Colorado Gov. Bill Owens, and singer Amy Grant, I saw a sight that would shock even the most desensitized amongst us. "GOD HATES FAGS" "MATT SHEPARD IS BURNING IN HELL!" "FAG = SIN" "THANK GOD FOR AIDS" ad nauseum. Those homophobic right wing christian nuts were picketing a memorial service for 12 slain children and a slain teacher! After the desire to beat those jerks to death with their own signs passed, I had a mental image of Jesus turning over in his grave so fast it would reverse Earth's rotation like in the Superman movie. I want you to roll that image around in your head some before you continue reading, becuase I think it will help you understand my idea. The "Respect For The Dead" Law: Basically, no protestors or picketers are to be allowed within 500 yards of a funeral or a wake. I saw a segment on one of the TV Nation videotapes (the segment was never aired on NBC or Fox) about a child who wnated his shcool to give him extra credit for picketing Gay funerals, or funerals of anyone who was rumoured to be gay (seeing as it was small town kansas they probably WERE just rumours). Him and his whole family carrying signs like the ones I mentioned above. I was shouting at the TV while I was watching this segment. "It's a funeral you monsters!" and stuff like that. I know you ACLU-type people may oppose this. Hell, I am IN the ACLU. Which is why my idea is credible. As far as I can tell, there is nothing unconstitutional about my idea. Funeral services and wakes should be a private matter, for family, friends, and admirers of the deceased. Do you see where I'm coming from? I think that a public ordinance along these lines is perfectly reasonable. True, there is nothing in the Bill of Rights guaranteeing the right to bury the dead in peace, but I think I've got a good idea here. Have respect for the dead. Is that too much to ask?
RE: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Mark Morgan on 4/9/2001; 10:30 PM Okay, a couple of things. First, please don't put anything in the subject but the title of the piece. Second, if you have any comments it's better to put them as a reply to your piece than in the introduction. The system selects the first 150 characters (give or take--it won't cut off a word) as the summary for the home page, the indices, etc. And Brian, please post a bio as a separate message. That is all.
RE: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Brian Webber on 4/9/2001; 11:10 PM Well, I would MArk, except I seem to be unable to edit this one.
Re: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Matthew Patterson, the Paranoid Minister on 4/9/2001; 11:28 PM Those homophobic right wing christian nuts were picketing a memorial service for 12 slain children and a slain teacher! I know this is an opinion piece... but "Christian" needs to be capitalized, and calling your opponents "nuts" isn't really a good way to get people to listen to you. I had a mental image of Jesus turning over in his grave so fast it would reverse Earth's rotation like in the Superman movie. Given the current season, I am compelled to point out that Jesus' body only rested in a grave for two nights and a day. "Respect For The Dead" Law: Basically, no protestors or picketers are to be allowed within 500 yards of a funeral or a wake. "Congress shall make no law abridging the right of the people to peaceably assemble." Okay, so it's a paraphrase, but you all know what I'm talking about. I know you ACLU-type people may oppose this. Hell, I am IN the ACLU. Which is why my idea is credible. Membership in a group hardly affects one's credibility. I would say that one's ideas and how they would pan out in practice is the only thing that should... but I'm just a kid, what do I know. As far as I can tell, there is nothing unconstitutional about my idea. See above, please. Have respect for the dead. Is that too much to ask? No, it isn't, but you can't really legislate this. Many attempts to regulate behavior in this manner have been unsuccessful. (See Prohibition and any ordinances against prayer at football games.) You can't legislate a behavior change.
Re: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Brian Webber on 4/10/2001; 2:53 AM Peaceably assemble? How is harrasing the family and friends of the recently deceased peaceful? hat isn't peaceful! It's flat out mean, vindictive, and, after a fashion, violent. Can you imagine a worse violaion than a private wake for a dear friend being interupted by yahoos like Jim Phelps and his hate filled signs? I have great respect for the families of the deceased in these cases, because they're able to mantain enouhg control to not go over there and whack those fuckers! I'm man enough to admit that I would not have that kind of self-control under similar circumstances. You may not agree, but I think that the rules are different for funerals. Allowing so-called pro-lifers protest outside a clinic is one thing. I would never infringe on their 1st Amendment right there. But at a funeral? I'm sorry, but the same rules SHOULD NOT apply.
RE: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Brian Webber on 4/10/2001; 2:57 AM OK, I changed it. Not more than an hour after I said it wouldn't let me edit, it would. Ain't that alwasy the way?
Re: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Brian Carnell on 4/10/2001; 7:32 AM At 10:08 PM 4/9/2001 -0400, Brian Webber wrote: >I know you ACLU-type people may oppose this. Hell, I am IN the ACLU. Which >is why my idea is credible. As far as I can tell, there is nothing >unconstitutional about my idea. Funeral services and wakes should be a >private matter, for family, friends, and admirers of the deceased. As distasteful as this conduct is, such an ordinance would be quickly struck down as unconstitutional. An ordinance that said people could not assemble and protest at certain types of businesses would never fly.
RE: Respect For The Dead (essay) By: Brian Carnell on 4/10/2001; 7:43 AM Brian Webber wrote: > I have great respect for the families of the deceased in these cases, > because they're able to mantain enouhg control to not go over there and > whack those fuckers! I'm man enough to admit that I would not have that > kind of self-control under similar circumstances. You may not agree, but > I think that the rules are different for funerals. Allowing so-called > pro-lifers protest outside a clinic is one thing. I would never infringe > on their 1st Amendment right there. But at a funeral? I'm sorry, but the > same rules SHOULD NOT apply. But this is exactly why it would fail the viewpoint neutrality test. You are offended by people who protest outside funeral homes. Some people I know are outraged by protests outside abortion clinics. I'm personally outraged whenever I see a union picket! Legally, the state just can't pick and choose among which protest is really offending a private moment and which is not.
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