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[LyricFox]

Lyric agrees with one of the Phelps. Must be the first time in history.

Protester arrested for letting son stomp flag
Woman who demonstrates at soldiers’ funerals vows to challenge in court

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19080064/

[Melamphoros]

Lyric agrees with one of the Phelps. Must be the first time in history.

*dial's the phone number to Hell, has brief conversation and hangs up*

Well what do you know, it froze over!

I know I will fell dirty for saying this but...I think I agree with her too.

Now I'm off to take a shower and go down to Hell--Satan is now selling blood flavored Italian Ices.

[Celtee]

Lyric agrees with one of the Phelps. Must be the first time in history.

I don't understand...What does Lyric agree with her on? That allowing her son to stomp on the flag is protected by the Constitution?

::color me confused:: 

[RandallS]

Lyric agrees with one of the Phelps. Must be the first time in history.

So do I. The Supreme Court made it very clear a few years back that flag desecration as part of a protest is protected speech. (Thereby sparking the constant attempts by flag worshipers to amend the US Constitution to prohibit it). As such, the state has no business arresting her for it, let along even talking about charging her with "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" by suggesting the child perform a constitutionally protected act of free speech. If anyone is "contributing to the delinquency of a minor" in this situation, it would be the government who demonstrating to said minor who to behave unconstitutionally.

Quite frankly, the actions of Nebraska in this incident are making Phelps look good. Stupid government officials.



Protester arrested for letting son stomp flag
Woman who demonstrates at soldiers’ funerals vows to challenge in court

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19080064/
[/quote]

[LyricFox]

I don't understand...What does Lyric agree with her on? That allowing her son to stomp on the flag is protected by the Constitution?

::color me confused:: 

Yep. It's protected speech. Nebraska is going to lose their ass on this one.

[Oaksworn]

Protester arrested for letting son stomp flag
Woman who demonstrates at soldiers’ funerals vows to challenge in court

she allowed her son Jonah to stand on the flag Tuesday — something she says is protected by the U.S. Constitution.

Agreed.  I've always liked this quote from Michael Douglas at the end of The American President:

America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say "You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours. You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country can't just be a flag; the symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then, you can stand up and sing about the "land of the free".

For the full quote see here: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_American_President

The group says the deaths of U.S. soldiers are God’s punishment for a nation that harbors gays and lesbians.

Uh, hate to break it to you, guys, but bullets and IED's have nothing to do with Christianity's God or homosexuality...  Humanity is quite capable of creating it's own horrors.

Nebraska and 37 other states have laws restricting how close protesters can get to funerals...

I work in a funeral home and I'll tell you that this is necessary.  A funeral is a time for family and friends to say goodbye to their loved ones.  Staging a political protest at a funeral is, quite simply, rude.  You're intruding in that situation.  This isn't college.  Crashing the party isn't 'cute'.

Phelps-Roper was arrested about an hour before Bailey’s funeral when an officer observed the boy stomping on the flag...

Well, with the law on the books there wasn't much the officer could do about it.  I can see where salutary neglect would be seriously frowned upon in this case.  Standing on the flag is a little more emotionally charged than spitting on the sidewalk.

I don't know anything about Shirley Phelps-Roper other than what's in this article so I can't comment on her directly.  I would submit to you, though, that while there are actions that can be taken one should also question whether they should be taken.  Her actions in this situation appear to be seriously lacking in common sense.

[Celtee]

Yep. It's protected speech. Nebraska is going to lose their ass on this one.

Ah, ok. I just wondered.

Unfortunately for Nebraska, they've tangled with a rabid-fundy lawyer and she's got her daddy's money(? does he even HAVE money?) behind her.  Oh, and I don't doubt but what she's got her "God" behind her, too.

IMNSHO, I think it would be hilarious if, even tho Nebraska loses their shirts on this one, they're able to come up with something on the Phelpses, could nail 'em to the wall with it and put 'em outta commission for good.  <insert devil here>

[LyricFox]

I don't know anything about Shirley Phelps-Roper other than what's in this article so I can't comment on her directly.  I would submit to you, though, that while there are actions that can be taken one should also question whether they should be taken.  Her actions in this situation appear to be seriously lacking in common sense.

Of course her actions are lacking. Far as I can tell, the whole Phelps bunch have always been lacking common sense.

Regardless, though, whether we agree with her actions or not, they're protected speech. It's not really going to swing one way or the other because we think she's a loon or whether we agree with what she did, the fact is Nebraska is going to lose their shirt over this one.

[sailor_tech]

Lyric agrees with one of the Phelps. Must be the first time in history.

Protester arrested for letting son stomp flag
Woman who demonstrates at soldiers’ funerals vows to challenge in court

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19080064/

Ah, but maybe it's malicious prosecution of a sorts?

Here's a theory.  The officer wants to stop the Phelps. He sees the kid stomp the flag which is a violation of a law on the books. Doesn't matter that the USSC has ruled similar laws unconstitional, it's enough for the officer to bring the kid and mom in. End of part of protest, charges get tossed a day later at arreignment.

[LyricFox]

Ah, but maybe it's malicious prosecution of a sorts?

Here's a theory.  The officer wants to stop the Phelps. He sees the kid stomp the flag which is a violation of a law on the books. Doesn't matter that the USSC has ruled similar laws unconstitional, it's enough for the officer to bring the kid and mom in. End of part of protest, charges get tossed a day later at arreignment.

Peter,

I suspect that's a whole lot of it. Happens a lot with protestors, I believe, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if that wasn't what was happening here.

Most people who have this happen tend to just walk away from it. Shirley Phelps won't though.

[RandallS]

Here's a theory.  The officer wants to stop the Phelps. He sees the kid stomp the flag which is a violation of a law on the books. Doesn't matter that the USSC has ruled similar laws unconstitional, it's enough for the officer to bring the kid and mom in. End of part of protest, charges get tossed a day later at arreignment.

That's abuse of state power. If I were in charge of the country and the officer did that, he or she would be spending the maximum time in jail for all the charges brought against the woman (as would the prosecutor for going along with it). I dislike the Phelps clan a lot, but I dislike abuse of governmental power far more.

[sailor_tech]

That's abuse of state power. If I were in charge of the country and the officer did that, he or she would be spending the maximum time in jail for all the charges brought against the woman (as would the prosecutor for going along with it). I dislike the Phelps clan a lot, but I dislike abuse of governmental power far more.

Of course it is abuse. Of course I'd be curious to hear from Koi wether each state's law has to be struck down in A court (wether local or federal) to invalidate prosecution.

[RandallS]

Of course I'd be curious to hear from Koi wether each state's law has to be struck down in A court (wether local or federal) to invalidate prosecution.

Koi is off involved in real life. Perhaps one of other other Lawyer types will know. Offhand, in Texas, I notice local officials tend to ignore USSC rulings they disagree with and figure it is up to the people they pick on to prove the USSC really applies. School boards do this all the time.

[sailor_tech]

Koi is off involved in real life. Perhaps one of other other Lawyer types will know. Offhand, in Texas, I notice local officials tend to ignore USSC rulings they disagree with and figure it is up to the people they pick on to prove the USSC really applies. School boards do this all the time.

Well, school boards aren't a good example. Their ignoring of the legal precedents seems to be local politics rather than logic.

[RandallS]

Well, school boards aren't a good example. Their ignoring of the legal precedents seems to be local politics rather than logic.

That's pretty much why all local governments ignore USSC decisions. Government officials want to please the local voters and they know that they will not be punished for knowing passing/enforcing unconstitutional laws.  If we would start severely punishing elected and appointed officials who violate US and/or their state constitutions, there would be less of it. Penalties should be at least equal to those for selling crack.

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