The Huffington Post says that President Obama signed an order yesterday making Westboro Baptist Church’s protest of military funerals illegal.

President Barack Obama signed the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 into law on Monday, providing a wide-ranging package of benefits to military personnel and enacting new restrictions on protests of service member funerals…Under the new legislation, protests must be held at least 300 feet from military funerals and are prohibited two hours before or after a service. The law counters a 2011 Supreme Court ruling, which found that displays such as Westboro’s were protected under the First Amendment.

This is tricky business. On the one hand, Westboro Baptist Church is a collection of maybe the worst human beings in America, a terrible band of meatspace trolls. On the other hand, this could be perceived as a serious attack on freedom of speech. What do you think?

7 replies on “President Obama Signs Law Targeting Westboro Baptist Church Protests at Military Funerals”

  1. For the moment I’m just noting that dissent has basically been made illegal anyway, so I’ve always wondered why these particular fuckers always seemed to get a pass.

  2. The media should be bright enough to stop covering the westboro shitheads. Lack of media coverage would surely put a damper on their personal beliefs of how effective their actions are.

  3. I’m curious – are these shitheads bright enough to have an end game? Are they smart enough to manipulate the situation so that, down the road, they can blame Obama for attacking 1st Amendment rights?

  4. Why do I have to be against it because of a slippery slope argument? Slippery slope arguments are inane. I’m against it on the simple principle of the 1st Amendment. I don’t care what future action this might lead to. The current action is wrong.

  5. Like for real, why can’t some riot cops on horses pepper spray those assholes? If it’s good enough for some custy kid chanting “we are the 99 perwaagarghbl” it’s good enough for the Phelps.

  6. I guess I’ll play Devil’s Advocate here. Most people disagree with Westboro BC. I know I do. Many people also disagree with Occupy Portland. I do. Does that give anyone the right to suppress the First Amendment? Westboro BC is another extremist group trying to bring attention to their organization no matter how despicable the tactics. Still, they have a right to their say, no matter how unpopular and stupid it is.

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