Politicians often like to pass laws they know are illegal just to make a political statement.
Case in point:
“A federal judge has temporarily barred the state from enforcing portions of a new law that keeps protesters at least 300 feet away from a funeral.
Issued yesterday, U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell said there is a "strong likelihood" the law will run afoul of the First Amendment's free-speech protections.
The law, passed unanimously this spring by the General Assembly, was designed to stop a Kansas-based religious group from staging anti-gay protests at military funerals. Members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka believe that U.S. soldiers are being killed in Iraq because God is punishing America for tolerating homosexuality.”
I find Fred Phelps and his loony family as disgusting as the next person. But Bart McQueary, our local homophobic religious zealot does have a right to free speech, no matter how distasteful.
What I find almost as distasteful as McQueray’s and Phelps’ homophobic bigotry clad in religion is the total self serving demagoguery and hypocrisy of our local buffoons in the General Assembly.
"I'm extremely disappointed that the will of the people will be thwarted by the ACLU once again," said Rep. Stan Lee, R-Lexington. "I vehemently disagree with the court's ruling and I grieve for our military families."
Attacking the ACLU and the courts for upholding the First Amendment rights of a citizen is nothing but spin. It ignores the fact that our legislators, through their actions, have created an environment where bigoted right wing-nuts flourish.
Stan Lee’s wrapping himself in the flag again while fostering a milder flavor of same kind of bigotry offered by Phelps and McQuery’s.
Don’t take my word on it; look at Lee’s voting record.
Unfortunately I have to agree with Fred Phelps daughter.
“They're a bunch of incompetent, blundering idiots," Shirley Phelps-Roper said
