Came across these lunatics
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor...o_WCVB/2795149

But it left me thinking, how far can you go to make a point?

Fringe Lunatics who interpert the bible to suit their own twisted little beliefs.

I'm not overly religious but I do believe my God is a God of tolorence and Love. These guys seem to have a God that hates everything.

As far as demonstrating at a Soliders Funeral. Thats wrong, disrespectful and in this case goes beyond the pale of bad taste. Too bad they don't try that here I'm always up for a little stick time on raging idiots.

As far as their slogans go.....The religious right wonders about the left comparing them to the taliban. Gee fellas here's a shining example of it.

It's disgusting that the police force is going along with this. They are not "protecting the group's free speech rights, " they are assisting their violation of the very personal and individual privacy of this Soldier's family. A funeral is not a political forum.

As for your question, personally I do not believe that any good will come out of screaming what you think at anyone, you may bully some folks into following you, but if their opinion/support is as easily influenced as that, it's not worth a bucket of warm bull piss. If you can't influence somebody by your example or mature conversation, you sure aren't going to accomplish much by waving a sign in their face and hollering catchy slogans at them.

I am a Christian fundamentalist, and I agree with 03 that my God is a God of tolerance, love, and forgiveness, and it certainly isn't my place to try to force anyone to agree with me. I believe that extremists are just that; extremists. It doesn't matter what words they put on their little signs, they are all the same, use the same tactics, and are all equal drains on our society.

well, religions aside, protesting at a soldiers funeral, like 03 said, is disrespectful, to the extreme. i can understand that they have a cause, but to go and disrespect this soldier who gave his life to protect our country, that is wrong. that is horribly wrong.


also, isnt a funeral a private event? i would think that it is, so if its a private event, kick the protestors out, its private property. if its not, well, theres not much you can do, as far as i know.

Originally Posted by Redneck

It's disgusting that the police force is going along with this. They are not "protecting the group's free speech rights, " they are assisting their violation of the very personal and individual privacy of this Soldier's family. A funeral is not a political forum.

Believe me Redneck details like this. Protecting hypocritical, self rightous, pompus asses like these leaves a bad taste in the Cop's mouth. My Dept. is about 45% Vet's or Reserve Members and we were on the alert about these particular group (They are based about 5 hours away) last week when laid to rest a Marine Lcpl who was KIA in Ramadi they never showed. We didn't like it but we have to provide equal protection under the law even if we disgree.

We made ourselves feel better by hoping if they did show maybe we wouldn't be able to hold back the Marines in attendence.

Sorry if I jumped the gun there, 03, I don't have any actual experience to back this up, but I was under the impression that, as ghost said, a cemetery is technically private property, and therefore the protestors have absolutely no right to be there. I realize that this kind of thing has to kind of stick in an LEO's craw (I remember seeing an episode of COPS where a KKK demonstration was being protected by a force that consisted of about 50% black officers), but at first (and second) glance, it seems like the police chief in question is taking this a bit far. Isn't it also his obligation to protect the rights of the family?


And how hard would it be for the officers to get distracted by a commotion on the opposite side of the cemetery at a key moment?

Imbeciles like these always bring women and children along so they will have a shield of a sort.

Originally Posted by Redneck

Sorry if I jumped the gun there, 03, I don't have any actual experience to back this up, but I was under the impression that, as ghost said, a cemetery is technically private property, and therefore the protestors have absolutely no right to be there. I realize that this kind of thing has to kind of stick in an LEO's craw (I remember seeing an episode of COPS where a KKK demonstration was being protected by a force that consisted of about 50% black officers), but at first (and second) glance, it seems like the police chief in question is taking this a bit far. Isn't it also his obligation to protect the rights of the family?


And how hard would it be for the officers to get distracted by a commotion on the opposite side of the cemetery at a key moment?

It depends on the Cemetery. A Veterans Cemetery administered by the State or Federal Goverment is public property and here falls under the Jurisdiction of the County Sheriff and applicable State or Federal Rangers.
A Cemetery administered by a Church, Private Business, Private Organizations (VFW,Knights of Columbus,Free Masons etc.) are considered Private Property.

I don't know what this particular Agencies SOP is but I can tell you how we would handle it on Public Property.

We would set up a Sheriffs Line a respectful distance from the funeral party and the entrance thru which the procession would pass upon entering the Cemetary. By respectful distance I mean a distance that would preclude the demonstrators (read Self Rightous Idiots) from directly addressing or distrubing the Family members. If that means the other side of the Cemetary so be it. They still have acess to the property.

Deputies would also be stationed with the Funeral Party as escorts and in case some idiot did get thru. If they did they could then be arrested for Peace Disturbance.

Of course it helps if your Sheriff is a Former "Super Duper Paratrooper"

On private property we can completely bar entrance (and would) to the property. Any demonstrator violating this would be arrested on Criminal Trespass Charges.

This Chief is probably trying to pander to small but vocal minority in the community.Or he's trying to prevent bad press and a flash point at the Cemetary. After all most Chiefs are politicians.

I do agree though. These clowns don't rate an escort the family yes the idiots no.

Thank you for the explanation, 03.

This is definitely out of line.
IMHO these people are asking for an arse-whooping. USMC03 in your jurisdiction how much protection would those in attendance have under "diminished capacity" were they to snap and give these people what for?