Right now there's a
CNN quickpoll (which vanished as soon as I posted this diary) asking whether it is appropriate to stage a protest at a military funeral. The results right now are 90% no, 10% yes.
I see that today in Missouri, the house recently voted to ban protests protests at funerals:
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The House on Tuesday approved a bill banning protests near funerals an hour before to an hour after a service, sending the measure to the governor.
The legislation, a response to a recent protest at the St. Joseph funeral of a soldier killed in Iraq, sets no limit on how close protesters can get. But lawmakers said that before the session ends in May, they plan to pass a second measure specifically prohibiting protests within 300 feet of a funeral.
Missouri is one of at least 14 states considering restrictions on funeral protests because of the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan. The nondenominational church, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps, claims soldiers are being killed as divine retribution because the United States tolerates gays.
...
Unlike most bills, which don't become law until the fall after they are passed, the bill passed Tuesday would take effect as soon as the governor signs it. The House sponsor, Rep. Martin Rucker, said the emergency clause is necessary because a war is going on and soldiers are continuing to risk their lives.
As for the question of legality, this law is unconstitutional on its face. The first amendment clearly says that congress shall make no law adridging the freedom of speech or the right of people to peaceable assemble. This law violates two separate parts of the first amendment.
But is it wrong to protest a military funeral for any reason at all, such as because you disagree with the war in Iraq?