That's some ****, I'm not in the military but my grandfather was (he's still alive) and if I saw them or something similar at his funeral it would be all I could not to lay someone out. I have nothing but repect for the military and they will ALWAYS have my repect and utmost support.

 

wow. i agree with the title. what is this world coming to? actually i will rephrase that. What is this country coming too? I've traveled and gotta say the most ridiculous and outrageous stuff happens in the USA

 

I don't condone the actions of the 'Church" either. With that being said, Kuro is unfortunately voicing a lot of what the problem is.

The greatest thing about living in the United States, which has the greatest Freedoms of any country hands down, is that if you are allowed to wave your Flag anywhere you like, you have to be ok with having someone burn that very same Flag anywhere they like.

Its a double edge sword for sure, but I doubt anyone would really want it the other way around.

With that being said, I have the utmost respect for our Militry. I have lost friends and Fraternity brothers to the war, and would probably kick someone's teeth in if they had shown up to their funerals.

 

Whilst I agree with the rights of people, I think that the argument would be whether these church people have the right to
1 attempt to disrupt a lawful assembly
2 infringe on the rights of others, ie to carry on their business without hindrance from others

In my country, burning the national flag is a criminal offence.
It's an insult to the people, the country and all it stands for.
IMO anyone who disrespects the flag (whichever country it is) should be charged and shown the error of their ways. I doubt they would do it again.

I'm sure you're all aware of the Patriot Guard who will prevent people from disrupting funerals for military personnel...........

I wonder how those in the church would view a funeral of one of their members being visited by a military brass band, and a company of troops, making a legitimate noise in the cemetery. ? Perhaps one has to understand that some people have no respect for others, their families or their personal grief. That is in itself a disgrace.

What is " a legitimate protest" ? Could the church's actions be viewed as an invasion of privacy ?

We don't have this problem in my Country - the good people of the US shouldn't have to deal with it either.
Church protestors should be held back a half mile from the funeral IMO.
No one's rights are then being violated.........................

Personally having a number of friends in the US military and having lost friends as a result of the war on terror, I would be hard pressed, even given my legal position, to show any person acting in such fashion any mercy. The biker in me would take over I suspect................and being an old paratrooper wouldn't help the church people much either

Someone once said that a little teargas is good for the soul, especially for those standing downwind.

 

Shadow a lot of distasteful things in this country are protected by our Constitution and Bill of Rights. Sometimes it royally sucks to have to sit there without legal recourse and observe them. I'm Black and the KKK / skinheads make my skin crawl. But I have no legal ability to stop them. And I keep emphasizing legal for a reason. They'll pick the wrong family on the wrong day to harass and when they get out of the hospital, they'll find their 'church' burned to the ground. And likely if / when that happens, the cops won't be able to find any suspects.

But I'm seriously surprised no gay / lesbian / transexual organization hasn't started holding parades by their church once a week in retaliation.

 

Perhaps it's because those organisations have more respect for the rights of others.......and the fact that they have had their own problems to deal with.
I think a lawful assembly outside the church, with a band and flags, may be the way to go. I'm sure the neighbors would tell them to stop their nonsense so they could have some peace......For me, I'd use a little gas on the building when empty - but like someone said "the band may be gone but the melody lingers on"
Any tears shed wouldn't be tears of joy that's for sure.......................

 

to every body in the US , freedom is what makes this a great nation , however while i support the right for all parties to hate till the cows come home, i think that it should be a crime to interupt or disturb a funeral of a fallen soldier. That soldier died while protecting the freedoms that make America great . His family was owed a peaceful and respectful procession. This has nothing to do with freedom of speech , it has everything to do with showing someone else a little bit of courtesy....

 

I hear ya bambam. Unfortunately courtesy, respect and decency aren't in the Constitution.

Passive aggressive tactics, like retaliation protests, are the only legal recourse that doesn't endanger everyone's rights. Look at the preacher planning to burn the Qu'ran on 9/11. It's a distasteful act too that is likely to inflame muslims worldwide (i'm not Muslim btw). But his right to do so is protected by the same laws that protects this 'church'.

Trust me, speaking as a Black male I WISH respect was in the Constitution. Woulda made growing up somewhat easier

 

dont i know it....but neither is dont eat your young ones... there is a lot to be said for the constitution, but it is NOT a life manual, and if our for-fathers knew what is happenning today, they would have included a few important details, but back then they were alot more respectful of others and understood that there were alot of "life" rules that everybody knew, therefore no reason to put "dont **** with a mans funeral" in it..and had they known what we see daily , you can bet the house there would be alot more written in the constitution. Dont eat dirt , keep our borders tite, and listen to the people. It sucks to see our beloved country getting worse because the nut-jobs think the constitution is a how to live document...