Flag stomping

[CommunityEditor]

Nebraska’s law to protect the American flag is unconstitutional, says a legal challenge filed for a Kansas woman.

Shirley Phelps-Roper has been charged with letting her 10-year-old son, Jonah, stomp on an American flag outside a Bellevue soldier’s funeral in June.

Nebraska’s flag law defines flag mutilation as when a “person intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning, or trampling upon such flag.”

Phelps-Roper, who is also a lawyer, has noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down laws forbidding flag desecration.

She is a member of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka and the daughter of the church’s founder, the Rev. Fred Phelps.

Westboro Baptist says that troop deaths are God’s judgment against America for tolerating homosexuals. Phelps-Roper’s father founded the church, which has protested at military funerals in Nebraska and across the nation.

The June 5 funeral in Bellevue was for Nebraska Army National Guard Spc. William “Bill” Bailey, who was killed May 25 when an explosive device struck his vehicle in Iraq.

Last month the Bellevue City Council barred church members from protesting outside the funeral of a sailor killed in Iraq.

Phelps-Roper’s attorney filed a motion in Sarpy County Court last week to throw out the state law, saying it violates her right to free speech.

The motion also said Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov’s public statements have “effectively polluted the jury pool” to the extent Phelps-Roper can’t get a fair trial in the state.




Full article: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2007/0...otest_070807w/

[PROUDSAILOR]

She may be able to take a valid stance re: the infringement on her freedom of speech. But what has most appalled me with this is WHERE she did it and the fact that she didn't have the nerve to do it; she had her 10 year old son do it. I'm sure that the sight of a boy stomping on the American flag outside a Soldier's funeral was harrowing for the Soldier's family to see.

As a similar scenario, let's pretend for a moment that Ms. Phelps-Roper's husband is killed by a drunk driver. I have to wonder how she would feel if a bunch of beligerent drunks showed up at his funeral.

[WillsPowers]

These people clearly are insane. They have no logic in their hatred towards servicemen and women.

Can you image the emotional trauma they are inflicting upon family members of our folks who are killed in the war?

I'm surprised a family member hasnt physically assaulted them yet. No jury would convict them for assault after hearing how they were provoked in such an obscene manner.

[Captain Barbossa]

This woman is pathetic, she sends her child out to express her message of hate when he is too young to even understand. Not to mention she doesn't have the guts to do it herself. Child services should take her children away. She is knowingly putting them in harms way by trying to aggravate people.

From a legal perspective, any normal person would know that sending a 10 year old to stomp on a flag outside a funeral is trying to incite a violent reaction. She is purposely endangering him. She probably needs to spend some time in jail.

I am apalled that someone has so little respect for the the flag that represents freedom. If she does not respect the freedom that young men and women sacrificed for,then she should go to another country that she does respect. She does not have to support the war,but she should support that the troops!!!

The Bible says..."..train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Surely this woman does not even posses the skills to properly raise a dog. It is evident that she was not brought up properly by her radical minister father. He, his church, and his followers are a disgrace to those who claim the name of both Christians and Baptists. Ah, but America the Free and the ACLU have done their best to allow disgusting acts of rebellion such as these to take place. And which political party in our nation supports the ACLU and judges who make senseless decisions? And these judges actually have flags in their courtrooms. America has gone nuts!

It's funny how someone can take it upon themselves to place judgement in the name of being a Christian when the bible says clearly that we all sin and it's no ones place to place judgement on anyone. Also no sin is greater than another. So has she not forgotten that she has also sinned, what makes her better than anyone else, and If she wants to descrate our flag and talk down about America then move to another country. We should make all people who feel they can burn the flag move to another country

This woman is a disgrace to the United States of America. She and her son should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. I am proud to be a veteran and my service to my country. I think what she and her son did be protesting at the funeral of one of our heros is dispicable. They should not permit her in any building or other facility that displays the flag. Perhaps she would think differntly about her actions.

The problem here is that the family is askewed. It starts with her father. If he'd been raised to at the very least respect the same flag from which he draws his freedoms, there'd be no problems with the daughter or her son. Some in our country don't realize that the same freedoms they enjoy are paid for with the blood of those same soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines. The fact that they have these freedoms is due to our sacrifices. "Mines is not to question why, but to do or die." Some members of the military do not agree with some of the things we must do, but we do it because we believe in our leaders, we believe that we are carrying out the genuine orders of those appointed above us in hopes that we are furthering the cause of Democracy, we pray that our actions are pleasing in the sight of our God. Yes, we are members of the greatest military force the world-over, but we are also husbands, wives, sons, daughters, tax payers, voters, citizens and human beings as well. I feel sorry for their family because they are lost in their own little world and until someone in the family breaks that chain, they will remain lost.

[ringjamesa]

Usually I am a staunch supporter of people's right to express themselves even if I disagree with their stance or method of doing so. In this case though, the woman used her son to express herself. If she feels the flag should be stomped on, she should at least have the guts to do it herself and not get her son to do it for her. What a poor excuse for a mother and human being.