The "Safe Haven for Heroes Act"

Rep. C. A. Dutch Ruppersberger will introduce (on Tuesday) new legislation that would make it illegal to protest at military funerals within the state of Maryland.

The "Safe Haven for Heroes Act" comes after the decision last week by the Supreme Court that says funeral protests, such as those by the Westboro Baptist Church, are permitted under The First Ammendment.

“We need to thank God for the service and sacrifice of our American military fighting for our freedom,” Ruppersberger said in a statement. “The right to free speech is a valuable liberty that we all cherish as Americans. While I respect the recent Supreme Court decision, I wanted to find a way to stop groups like Westboro from using military funerals as occasions to promote their own political agenda and inflict incalculable harm on the grieving families of our troops.”

Ruppersberger stated that the bill would enable groups such Westboro to exercise their right to free speech without disrupting the funerals themselves or forcing funeral participants to encounter the protesters.

According to the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Poverty Law Center the Westboro Baptist Church protestors has been identified as a hate group. Westboro Baptist Church has protested nearly 600 military funeral in over 20 years.

Who: Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger
Maryland Veterans

What: Ruppersberger to Announce Legislation to Prevent Protests at Military Funerals

When: Tuesday, March 8, 2011
12:30 p.m.

Where: Linthicum Veterans Memorial
Camp Meade & Maple Road
Linthicum, Maryland

Protesters From Westboro Baptist Church FINALLY Learn About Karma and Patriotism!!

McALESTER - Members of a Kansas church that protests at military funerals may have found themselves in the wrong town Saturday.

Shortly after finishing their protest at the funeral of Army Sgt. Jason James McCluskey of McAlester, a half-dozen protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., headed to their minivan, only to discover that its front and rear passenger-side tires had been slashed.

To make matters worse, as their minivan slowly hobbled away on two flat tires, with a McAlester police car following behind, the protesters were unable to find anyone in town who would repair their vehicle, according to police.

The minivan finally pulled over several blocks away in a shopping center parking lot, where AAA was called. A flatbed service truck arrived and loaded up the minivan. Assistant Police Chief Darrell Miller said the minivan was taken to Walmart for repairs.

Even before the protesters discovered their damaged tires, they faced off with a massive crowd of jeering and taunting counterprotesters at Third Street and Washington Avenue, two blocks from the First Baptist Church, where the soldier's funeral was held.
Miller estimated that crowd to number nearly 1,000 people, and they not only drowned out the Westboro protesters with jeers, but with raucous chants of "USA, USA."

A few motorcyclists interspersed among the crowd also revved up their engines to muffle the protests.

More than two dozen law-enforcement officers - state troopers, sheriff's deputies and city police - formed a security cordon around the Westboro protesters.

"We're here to protect everyone," Miller said.

Westboro members picket military funerals across the country, spreading their message that "God hates America" because it tolerates homosexuality.
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