[Vision2020] House bill 1168

[Sunil Ramalingam]

Matt,

I think they have the right to protest, and I think this bill may infringe 
on their First Amendment rights.  I think they have the same right to this 
speech as  the Aryan Nation does to march through C d'A.  I think they can 
burn a flag while they protest if that's what they want to do.  I don't 
think it wins any converts to their cause, but they can do it.

Because it doesn't BAN speech but moves it a distance away from the event 
being protested, maybe the courts will rule it's not an infringement on the 
First Amendment.  The right to speech isn't being taken away, the argument 
would go, they're being made to speak elsewhere.  I don't know how this will 
play out.

Gregoire's not doing this by herself; this is a bill that passed through the 
Washington legislature, and was sponsored by a Republican.  It passed 89-5 
in the WA House, with five Democrats voting against it; two Rs and 2 Ds 
didn't vote on it.  One vote against it in the WA Senate, don't know which 
party that opponent belonged to.

It adds 200 feet to the 300 foot buffer in a federal bill signed by Bush.

"On May 26, 2006, President George Bush signed the "Respect for Americans 
Fallen Heroes Act." The law, as amended, prohibits protests within 300 feet 
of a national cemetery entrance on the day of a funeral. The bill passed the 
U.S. Senate unanimously, and the vote in the House of Representatives was 
408-3. Violators can be fined up to $100,000."  I got that from this 
editorial:

http://www.theolympian.com/109/story/62220.html

Sunil




>From: "Matt Decker" <mattd2107 at hotmail.com>
>To: sunilramalingam at hotmail.com, vision2020 at moscow.com
>Subject: Re: [Vision2020] House bill 1168
>Date: Sat, 03 Feb 2007 17:45:56 -0800
>
>Sunil and all,
>
>What gets me, is how nobody on the viss has said "this" is taking away from 
>our rights. I wonder if the same would be said, IF the same bill was passed 
>because of a group calling death to all white boys, instead of homosexuals. 
>Or if these idiotic shitheads were saying that these soldiers died because 
>of Bush and his cronies.
>
>What also gets me, is these soldiers and Marines are dying for everyones 
>rights, but yet Gregoire ironically is taking away rights at the warriors 
>funeral.
>
>Also, how we can burn the flag, the most symbolic icon of america, but we 
>can't allow idiots like this to speak.
>
>I can't stand these people either, but what about the rights that everyone 
>here on the vizz talks about? That only stands if you all agree? Hell I 
>myslef would be the guy to punch this assholes lights out, along with 
>anyone burning the flag. But, where are the ideas and rights that you all 
>talk about.
>
>Playing devils advocate,
>Matt
>
>