A Point About Funeral Protests

Funerals are times when family members and friends pay respect and mourn their loved ones in a private and peaceful manner. Unfortunately, there are despicable groups and individuals who attempt to disrupt these services for selfish political gain. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that funeral protesters have the right to express their opinions but also reaffirmed the government’s ability to restrict those protesters. SB 888 protects these sacred events by imposing time and place restriction for funeral protests. From Senator Lieu's Official Website

Senator Lieu has a seat on the Veterans Committee in Sacramento. If the state has any justified role in the well-being of our citizens, this focus is the most appropriate.

We should do everything in our power to make sure that our veterans are treated with the most care and respect.

When the Supreme Court ruled that hecklers and protesters have the right to disrupt funeral proceedings for military personnel, Senator Lieu and growing majority of Americans demanded that the state enact laws protecting the sanctity of the ceremony and the dignity of the soldiers and the families of the fallen.

I respect Senator Lieu's initiative to do something about the matter, but I understand fully why Governor Brown vetoed Lieu's legislation, which would protect military funerals from disruptive protesters.

SB 888– Funeral Protest Restrictions –  would have impeded on First Amendment rights to know end. I believe that the attendees at the funerals for our military can do a much better job of protection the memory and the celebration than the state and her regulations, which too much of the time delve into overreach and inaccuracy. The court system already faces immense backlogs, yet lawsuits from the ACLU over this contentious issue would draw attention away from the pomp and circumstance, which must be focused on commemorating those who fought and died for our country.