A Franklin County lawmaker says his bill that increases disorderly conduct penalties for people protesting outside funerals and memorial services is intended to target “hateful” groups like Westboro Baptist Church, which demonstrated this week outside a solider’s funeral in Nashville, reports the Chattanooga TFP..
“Groups like Westboro are hateful, ugly and misrepresent the Christian faith,” Sen. Eric Stewart, D-Belivire, said in a news release.
“They disrespect our military families and target our citizens and residents. We must do everything we can to ensure they have no incentive to come here.” Senate Bill 1380, which was recently signed by Gov. Bill Haslam, goes into effect July 1.
It increases penalties for disorderly conduct within 500 feet of a funeral or memorial service from a Class C to a Class B mismeanor. Instead of facing up to 30 days in jail and a $50 fine, persons convicted under the change will be looking at a sentence of up to six months in jail and/or a maximum of $500 fine.
Topkea, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church has achieved national notoriety for its picketing of funerals for slain military service members. The group says on its website that “God Hates America” and is “killing our troops in his wrath.”
Actually, the Westboro protest in Nashville was pretty much a complete flop with an estimated 2,000 people protesting the Westboro protesters appearance at the funeral of a Tennessee soldier killed in Afghanistan.
Excerpt from The Tennessean’s account:
On May 12, Nashville native and Marine Sgt. Kevin Balduf, 27, was killed in combat in Afghanistan. Much closer to his home, Christian fundamentalists in Topeka, Kansas, planned their trip to protest his funeral.
News of Westboro Baptist Church’s plans lit up social media sites, resulting in a counter-protest of about 2,000 people Monday outside Woodmont Hills Family of God church on Franklin Pike. In less than 10 minutes, two hours before the funeral’s start, the three Westboro protesters took their leave.
Earlier Monday, the three protested outside Gordon Jewish Community Center in Bellevue and the Islamic Center of Nashville on 12th Avenue South. During their short protest of the Islamic center, someone slashed the tires on their rented SUV. Metro Police took a report, but no one has been charged.
Since a March Supreme Court ruling in favor of Westboro Baptist, counter-protesters have stepped up their efforts to shout the group down at soldiers’ funerals. America must allow “even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in his opinion for the court.
Columnist Gail Kerr, meanwhile, opines today that the counter-protest — and a lawsuit filed against the bill passed by the Legislature to override a Nashville city ordinance forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation – are examples of Nashvillians’ willingness to stand up against bigotry.