States looking at banning funeral protest

Washington Post:

At least five Midwestern states are considering legislation to ban protests at funerals in response to demonstrations by the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, who have been protesting at funerals of Iraq war casualties because they say the deaths are God's punishment for U.S. tolerance toward gays.

Though the soldiers were not gay, the protesters say the deaths, as well as Hurricane Katrina, recent mining disasters and other tragedies are God's signs of displeasure. They also protested at the memorial service for the 12 West Virginia miners who died in the Sago Mine.

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These people are even nuttier than the professors who want to ban mulitary recruiters because the don't ask don't tell policy does not go far enough. Using the death of someone in the military as a prop for a political statement is sick and disgusting. I cannot imagine that anyone is persuaded by such activity. In fact it is probably that witnesses are repulsed.