The Volokh Conspiracy - Funeral Picketing:

Fred Phelps, a cruel parody of a Christian, has pioneered the practice of protesting people's funerals. Starting with the 1980s, he and his people picketed funerals of gays while carrying signs saying things like "God Hates Fags." Now, they picket funerals of soldiers with signs saying things like "Thank God for 9/11" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" (the theory being that God is punishing America for its toleration of homosexuality).

Delightful. But is it constitutionally protected? A bunch of readers asked me to blog about this, so I composed this piece for National Review Online to answer that question.

	[Eugene Volokh, March 23, 2006 at 9:08am] Trackbacks Funeral Picketing: Fred Phelps, a cruel parody of a Christian, has pioneered the practice of protesting people's funerals. Starting with the 1980s, he and his people picketed funerals of gays while carrying signs saying things like "God Hates Fags." Now, they picket funerals of soldiers with signs saying things like "Thank God for 9/11" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" (the theory being that God is punishing America for its toleration of homosexuality). Delightful. But is it constitutionally protected? A bunch of readers asked me to blog about this, so I composed this piece for National Review Online to answer that question. Related Posts (on one page): Federal District Court Strikes Down Parts of Funeral Picketing Ban, Funeral Picketing: ACLU Backs Funeral Picketers: AP Error About Funeral Picketing Restriction Makes Its Way Into New York Times: More on Newly Passed Federal Anti-Funeral-Picketing Bill: Congress Enacts Anti-Funeral-Picketing Bill: Funeral Picketing: Funeral Picketing: