Protestors at a Soldiers Funeral

[DEATHxxx50bmg]

Should people be aloud to protest at a funeral for fallen soldiers. Do you think its fair they protest for someone who died for his country. what do you think.

[Koby]

Protesting the war is one thing... but protesting the war at someones funeral is just immoral.

[Shade_13]

if you're talking about a mob with signs, people shouting out losungs and acting as if they can change the world by blackmouthing what in their opinion is wrong and trying to use the funeral as a convenient arguement in their speeches, then its clearly humiliating the memory of the fallen ones. The only persons who have a right to question what the soldier died for is his family, because they have lost a son, a brother or a father to war, and its their choice whether to cope with that or not. I for one thing wouldnt have the guts to object when a mourning mother blames the war for taking away her son.

[Stuy]

immoral, i'd kick their ass too hell if i was there...

[Bardon]

Plz don't tell me this is referring to the peculiar protest that happened about a month ago..... O.o

[realmzmaster]

Unfortunately, you will always have groups who abuse their rights under the Constitution at the expense of others to further their agenda. Protesting at a funeral (any funeral) is just wrong. But if you are going to have free speech, you will have to endure unpleasantness. If it gets to the point that it disrupts the funeral then it is breaking the law and punishment should be swift.

I partially blame the media because they help give these groups a platform from which to pontificate.

[rocktrendsetter]

Unfortunately it is allowed, but its terribly immoral even if the protesters have a good reason nothing can justify trying to disrupt that emotional time for the family. I really only know of one group that does this on a regular bassis: the westboro baptist church. They are pretty much terrible people who have protested at soldiers funerals and their reasoning is extremely offensive and utter nonsense. I would go as far to say they are modern nazis.

[† RazorDan]

it is completely unacceptable and is deeply uncaring and offensive to the grieving family. i'm all for protesting and following your feelings but there is a time and place, a funeral of a soldier, who died fighting for his beliefs, is not the right time or place.

[† The Joker]

I'm completely against any sort of protest that disgraces the fallen, or those who've served in conflict. I remember being furious when I saw a group of soldiers on the news, returning from Iraq after several years, and saw a load of Muslim protestors jeering them and holding signs that read "Butchers of Basra" and "Death to you all".

I'd like to say that what I saw on the news that day was a one off, but sadly last year things almost led to a huge set of attacks against Muslims (which I must stress, was brought about by a members of one Mosque.) As I'm sure most people know, November 11th is a day when everyone in the UK pauses for 2 minutes silence at 11:00, as a mark of respect to all those killed in all wars.

However, last year, a group of Muslims decided that, during the 2 minute silence, to burn a poppy, the symbol of rememberance, and chant abuse at soldiers and all non-Muslims. (see here)

Where am I going with this you ask? Simple. If you want to protest. Fine, but be respectful in your choice of timing and location to everyone, or be prepared for the results of your actions.

[† RazorDan]

thought to be fair rand that was a 'backclash' to the burn a quraan day but still totally unacceptable. being a brithish muslim myself, i observe the 2 minutes silence properly, every year and i find it disgusting and, if im honest, humiliating to see muslims perform such acts.

[† L4ugh]

If this thread about the Westboro Baptist Church who protest at funerals then they aren't protesting the war at all. They protest at military funerals to make claims that God killed the soldier out of anger for US tolerance of homosexuality. They also yell out comments to the people attending the funeral to the sum of "I'm glad your son is dead, he died protecting the rights of fags". There is a city in Missouri that is now trying to pass a law that makes it illegal to protest within a certain distance of a military funerals.

My opinion of this is that these people are seriously sick. If you watch the reports on the news about these people, they always have kids with them. I can't understand why social services have not been called in yet. They are taking children to a protest with the sole intention to anger people as much as possible, how is that save. Albert Snyder, the father of a dead marine, is suing the church in the Supreme Court because of the protest they did at his son's funeral. He won once in a lower court then at an appeal the church won, and the judge order Albert to pay 16,000 dollars in court cost. Hopefully the Supreme Court will rule in his favor and finely put an end to this crap.

Couldn't get the youtube tags to work so I just made it a link, sorry.

[Kasoivc]

Protesting the war is one thing... but protesting the war at someones funeral is just immoral.

Agreed Koby; in the end, a funeral is just for us to pay our respects to the dead. When a person dies, they are no different from another person who died before them or after them, and in my opinion it doesn't matter what reason they died for. They should all be treated with respect as we would like upon our own death beds.

I find it pathetic that people would attack the things a person participated in rather than the person, it's just a shallow example of ignorance; ignorance disgusts me completely and protesting at a "funeral" in general, is completely wrong and immoral.

I'm not seeking to offend anyone who is devoutly religious but there are morals in this world that people abide by; morals are just as important as religious beliefs.

Unfortunately, you will always have groups who abuse their rights under the Constitution at the expense of others to further their agenda. Protesting at a funeral (any funeral) is just wrong. But if you are going to have free speech, you will have to endure unpleasantness. If it gets to the point that it disrupts the funeral then it is breaking the law and punishment should be swift.

I partially blame the media because they help give these groups a platform from which to pontificate.

In the United States; Iirc, Our Constitution enables us to the Freedom of Speech (a.k.a. Protest) but if it deliberately and visibly infringes on the rights of others, it is immediately invalid. I can't remember my history lessons that well so someone might want to clear me up on this one. I am not sure how other countries manage this kind of situation though.

[seirachan]

protesting at a funeral? man if i was dead and people did that at mine id be pissed. That's just stupid. These days it's people's choice to become a soldier. It's not like way back when they made all the men over the age of 18/19 enter the war or be considered a traitor. Man it feels like humanity just gets stupider and stupider... then again I remember hearing about a book about aliens being read on the radio and people were running around waving their hands in the air, "WERE UNDER ATTACK WERE UNDER ATTACK"!

You just gotta remember if you sign yourself into the army, you sign your life away for how ever many years they keep you. Bless those who do and hope they don't end up six feet under.

[Shade_13]

Man it feels like humanity just gets stupider and stupider... then again I remember hearing about a book about aliens being read on the radio and people were running around waving their hands in the air, "WERE UNDER ATTACK WERE UNDER ATTACK"!

Not a perfect example, the radio play was broadcast 70 years ago, in a news format, so generally people turned on their radios and heard the announcer say that earth was invaded by aliens. People tend to believe what news say. In about a year people would turn on the same radio only to hear that nazis started the second world war.

[Max465]

Protesting the war is one thing... but protesting the war at someones funeral is just immoral.

That sums up my opinion rather nicely

[Mr_Owl]

If this thread about the Westboro Baptist Church who protest at funerals then they aren't protesting the war at all. They protest at military funerals to make claims that God killed the soldier out of anger for US tolerance of homosexuality. They also yell out comments to the people attending the funeral to the sum of "I'm glad your son is dead, he died protecting the rights of fags". There is a city in Missouri that is now trying to pass a law that makes it illegal to protest within a certain distance of a military funerals.

stuff like this really makes me worried about where our world is heading. I mean, we can't even celebrate the life of a fine young man or woman who died protecting us. and that church, all they are doing is making the rest of the Christian world look bad. Yes, we disagree with homosexuality, but we're also supposed to respect and love everyone. Even and especially the soldiers who die for us.