The Illinois legislature recently passed a law banning picketing or other loud disturbances within 200 feet of all funerals. To read the entire law go to
http://www.ilga.gov/....
This law is in reaction to the organized picketing of military funerals by members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Kansas, headed by the vicious homophobe Fred Phelps. If you are unfamiliar with Phelps go to www.godhatesfags.com for a taste of his hate filled invective. Phelps has been picketing military funerals because he believes members of the military are fighting for a country that condones homosexuality and are therefore damned. Even though I am a strong defender of the First Amendment, I think this law is warranted as Phelps' picketing is nothing more than "fighting words" which can be regulated under current Supreme Court cases. However, there are a couple of things I find ironic about this law.
1. Soldiers' funerals should be picketed because the fight for a country that supports homosexuality? Really? Other than the Supreme Court striking down Texas' sodomy law, when is the last time the federal government did anything to support equality on account of sexual orientation? Has Phelps not heard of DOMA, Don't Ask Don't Tell, all the efforts to amend the Constitution to ban gay marriage? Phelps ought to go to Canada and picket and send the GOP a campaign contribution if he really wants to attack gays.
2. Phelps has picketed funerals of persons he believes died of AIDS for years. There was hardly a peep from the mainstream press or politicians about this when it was just the friends and families of fags who were being visually and verbally assaulted at a moment that is intensely emotional and private.
On the other hand, maybe having Phelps' message of hate exposed to a larger audience by his misguided military funeral picketing will open more eyes to his larger message of hatred and intolerance. There is a group of bikers that show up at the funerals now and stand in silence blocking the picketers from the view of mourners or using their bike engines to drowned out the vile invective the picketers spew. Kudos to them. I wonder if they will do the same at the next Gay Pride Parade that Phelps pickets?