Considering that President Obama is ready to sign a bill into effect that requires "protesters" at military funerals to stay 300 feet away from the ceremony, I began to think, and I'm convinced I'm beginning to see something even more disturbing than the Westboro Baptist "Church" itself.
I'm beginning to see people who, in their squawking about "First Amendment Rights!!1!!11!", make it obvious that they really don't know what the purpose of a picketed protest is.
My goodness, I'm getting my money's worth out of the sarcasm quotes on my keyboard, aren't I?
Anyway. I say "protesters" when it comes to the immoral hellspawn known as WBC because, in effect, they are not protesters, and therefore I propose their actions as a picketed protest at a funeral aren't in any way, shape, or form covered by the First Amendment.
I thought a protest, and specifically, a picketed "protest" like WBC, was an effort to actively change something. Change a policy, change someone's position of power (usually getting them removed from it), change a circumstance where the needs of the many are eliminated by the wants of the few, and so on. A picketed protest is organized with the understanding that these people are taking time out of their lives to show others that something can be done about a problem, and to call attention to the ability of the people to reverse a bad decision or stop a bad process.
So let's consider the hellspawn WBC's "protests".
WBC does not only protest military funerals of gay soldiers. They also protest those killed by, for example, natural disasters, and military funerals of any type, and they love justifying their nauseating rancor with the "they deserved to die because they DID SOMETHING WRONG AND DESERVED IT!!!" line. They are relentless and mechanical in their dependency on preying upon the grieving. If someone has lost a loved one, and it's publicized in their community enough, chances are they couldn't care less what the cause was. They will simply show up wherever there are broken hearts and sorrow.
However, since the bill in question only refers to military funerals, and those that WBC harasses are usually those of gay servicepeople, that's what I'll address.
So. What could they possibly be protesting?
The fact that the serviceperson was gay?
Let's see what the Art of Picketing says:
Can it be reversed?
No. The person is deceased.
Is it a policy or a person in power that can be removed?
No. "Gay" isn't a policy, and no matter what crazy-eyes Michele Bachmann sez, it usually cannot be reversed...only suppressed.
Can anything be done about it, about the serviceperson's sexuality? At ALL???
No. THE SERVICE PERSON IS DEAD!
So, what can a picket protest possibly change?
You see, if they were actively trying to change something, they'd be picketing in front of JC Penney's. Or in front of the studio that records the Ellen Degeneres show. Or even maybe in front of George Takei's pad or something. Because these are things that can be changed. (Well, maybe not Geroge Takei.)
Bear with me, because I hate writing this next paragraph as much as you hate reading it. But...you can start a movement to change JC Penney's spokeswoman, if the spokeswoman offends you. You can call attention to the public to affect the rating of a TV show in order to get it cancelled and removed from air if that show offends you. You can protest in front of George Takei's pad, and though he probably won't care and you'd cause him no end of amusement, he'll still land awesome, insightful contracts that will continue his stream of revenue.
If you'll see what I'm getting at here, these "protests" aren't to actively change anything through community effort. It simply isn't legitimate to protest the sexuality of someone already deceased, lying in a coffin, surrounded by loved ones and friends who will no longer be able to share their lives with them.
Oh, wait! maybe they're picketing the fact that people are grieving for a gay soldier!
This argument has no basis either, because they never carry signs saying "God Hates Those who Miss Gay Soldiers" or "God hates Those who Love Gay Soldiers". Their signs and agenda basically have nothing constructive to say, they only screech "GOD HATES FAGS" in the most disgusting, revolting six-inch lettering ever put on paperboard. And quite frankly, if their goal is to protest love and devotion, they are not only abusive hellspawn, but I'm sure they're also certifiably insane.
The target of their "protest" isn't the grieving family or friends, it's the inherent sexuality of the person the funeral is held for. And writing this now, I even wonder if the inherent sexuality of dead soldiers isn't even their target. Their true targets are the broken hearts of family and friends who have lost someone. They are simply an abusive hate group, using the tool of the picketed protest to further their hateful agenda and, ultimately, harass funeral goers, who have a basic human right to a peaceful, reflective, solemn service uninterrupted by these immoral jackals. Their behavior is more akin to prosecutable stalkers rather than legitimate protesters.
So stop legitimizing their protests by screaming "FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS11!!!1!!11!" because their "protests" aren't really protests. Stop pandering to abusive, stalking, bullies. Stop legitimizing evil.
WBC can do what they do, because people keep legitimizing this behavior, this misuse of the tool of the picketed protest. Techncially, they haven't even lost any free speech rights. They can still screech and scream and wail as much as they want in their own circles, their own buildings, and yes, even in public areas. But just like the ooooold saying that one's right to throw a punch ends at another's nose, their legal "right" to abuse others stops dead in its tracks at others' moral rights to have a respectful private service. So stop whining about Free Speech, because in the end, they haven't lost it at all.
I have no doubt this is the sort of thing, the very purpose of a picketed protest, is something the SCOTUS will have to consider, should the bill preventing the WBC from further making idiots out of themselves and continuing the practice of abusively stalking grieving people take effect and they fight it up that high amidst the court ranks.