It has been some time since we have spoken of the name Fred Phelps or his Westboro “church.” Phelps is the leader of a virulently anti-Gay, supposedly religious, faction based in Topeka, Kansas. The groups has made a name for itself protesting at the funeral of Iraq war veterans, even protesting at the funeral of late Chief Justice, Rehnquist.

According to Phelps and his “congregation,” which consists mostly of Phelps own family members, the casualties in Iraq are a direct result of America’s defense of gay rights. Their hatred is so virulent and so treacherous, that to call themselves Christian or people of faith is laughable to say the least. At their various protests they often carry placards with such egregious slogans as: “Thank God for 9/11” and “God hates fags” or “Thank God for dead soldiers.” I can just see Christ joining in such a protest if he walked amongst us today…. These so called Christians claim hatred as a pinnacle of their faith and have carried their hate filled message across this country as they protest at one funeral after another.

In response to the growing menace that is Fred “Adolf” Phelps, several local and state governments have or are considering the adoption of new restrictions on funeral protests to protect families and the bereaved. Just this week South Dakota and Wisconsin enacted legislation to restrict funeral protests. Such an action creates conflicting loyalties, between those who are advocates for free speech and freedom of expression, as are we, and those who abhor the obvious intrusion such acts, as those committed by the Westboro hate squad, create.

The Wisconsin law, for example, bans protests within 500 feet of a funeral before, during and after the service. Its debatable whether or not this is a reasonable restriction as it can be argued that within such a range is not a public forum and thus speech and other activities can be regulated. Phelps for his part, says he will challenge such laws in court and there is a distinct possibility that the purveyor of hate may win. Freedom of speech is one of this country’s most cherished rights and we should be wary of attempts to restrict it, even in a case such as this.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-02-24-funeral-protests_x.htm