Illegal To Hurt Your Feelings?

[missourimary]

They have to be a certain number of feet away. But they make themselves very visible and audible to the mourners. They don't just do this locally, but also travel to other states to picket funerals. What they are doing is spiritually, emotionally, and mentally detrimental to others. And they are proud of it.

The ruling wouldn't prohibit Westboro from peaceably assembling at their church or somewhere several miles away. But it would keep them from coming to a funeral and saying they are happy someone died and that the person is in hell. That isn't freedom of religion or peaceable assembly... and it's NOT free speech. It's an exhibition used to gain media coverage (due to the controversial nature of the protests) in front of a captive audience-an audience that will not leave out of respect for their dead, and who is going to a one time event that they have paid dearly for. They can't very well leave the body with the funeral director and say "We'll be back later." If they did, it would cost them. But staying costs too, because the memory of signs that read "Thank God for dead troops," "You're in hell," and "God hates you," are indelibly stamped on their minds.