Striking-down of funeral protest law is good for everyone

Fred Phelps and the rest of the Westboro Baptist Church have been known for picketing outside of funerals. The state of Kansas tried to put a law forth that would prevent them from doing so.

This law was struck down according to an article published by the Associated Press. Even though the Westboro Baptist Church is disrespectful to the family and friends that attend the funerals, this law would be unconstitutional.

They have the right to picket and express their views as any other American. This law goes against their first amendment rights because it limits the church’s right to freedom of speech. I know that what the church is doing is a disrespectful way to get their point across, but they have the right to do it.

I am not condoning this church in any way. I personally think that they go about it in the wrong ways. The church has picketed outside of openly gay individual’s funerals and funerals of fallen soldiers.

This law, if passed, would have made limitations that said protests could not be held within 150 feet one hour before and one hour after a funeral. It also would have stopped protesters from blocking public streets and sidewalks.

This limitation would let friends and families say goodbye without being hounded. But this law would not have stopped them from protesting and may have made things worse.

We allow protests against wars because people feel it’s wrong or that the U.S. is fighting a war unnecessarily. So why should we be allowed to say that the Westboro Baptist Church cannot protest against what they feel is wrong?

If we say that they can not protest what they think is wrong, then others should not be able protest against something they feel is wrong. We can not take away one group’s rights without looking at others who participate in similar activities.

A way to stop them that would not be against their first amendment rights would be for the press not to give them coverage when they protest. They love to be in the news because they think it helps get their views out there. So if the press does not give them the coverage, they might go away. Of course, it may not work, but taking away their right to protest may not make things better either. They’ll just find some other way to get their views out there.

Again, I’m not condoning their views and the ways they express them, but I do think it’s against their first amendment rights to say they can not express them. They are Americans and should have the same rights to freedom of speech as the rest of us.