Iowan: Funeral ruling wrong

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110317/NEWS97/703179807/0#iowan-funeral-ruling-wrong

Published Thursday March 17, 2011

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa City mother of a soldier whose funeral was picketed by members of a Topeka, Kan., church says she wants the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that such protests are constitutionally protected.

Patty Sourivong has started a petition campaign.

She said she has no lawyer and knows that persuading the court to take another look at its 8-1 ruling earlier this month is a long shot.

She said she'd collected 72 signatures by Thursday.

The court ruling favored members of the Westboro Baptist Church, who have picketed hundreds of military funerals. They say the soldiers' deaths are divine retribution for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Sourivong's son, Kampha Sourivong, was killed in Iraq in 2006.

[Zoeisright]

1. If I was that woman I have an idea what I'd do.

But it's against the law.

[murielm99]

2. As much as I despise Westboro,

I think the ruling was correct. What they are doing is free speech. The right hates it that flag burning is free speech.

If they lose their rights, we stand to lose ours, too. I don't have to like it.

[emulatorloo]

3. Fair enough. I'd like to see Westboro in Bush-style "Free Speech Zones"

Express their free speech, but not in front of the Funeral Home

[WinkyDink]

4. Whatever happened to "disturbing the peace" arrests?