Arizona lawmakers pass an emergency measure
to stop Westboro Baptist Church from
demonstrating at the funeral of Christina Green, 9.
Outraged residents make plans to shield her
family.
Arizona
lawmakers moved quickly Tuesday to try to
block protesters from the funeral of 9-year-old
shooting victim Christina Green, passing an
emergency measure prohibiting protests within
300 feet of any funeral services.
In addition to the new law, hundreds of Tucson
residents were making contingency plans to try
to protect the family of the girl who was slain in
Saturday's rampage.
The actions were prompted by the Westboro
Baptist Church, a publicity-seeking Kansas
congregation known for demonstrating at the
funerals of U.S. soldiers, arguing that their deaths
are retribution by God for America's acceptance
of homosexuality. The church announced it
would protest Green's funeral, scheduled for
Thursday, because the family is Catholic.
The protest drew instant and unanimous
condemnation from Arizonans.
"Protesting or picketing outside the funeral of an
innocent victim is despicable," said House
Speaker Kirk Adams. "It's time to bring Arizona in
line with the many other states that protect the
sensitivities of victims against groups that use
fear and hate to denigrate the lives of Americans."
Adams sponsored the emergency measure that
prohibits people from picketing or protesting
within 300 feet of any residence, cemetery,
funeral home, church, synagogue or other
establishment during or within one hour of a
funeral service or burial service.
The House and Senate passed the bill
unanimously Tuesday. Gov. Jan Brewer signed
the measure Tuesday evening.
The founder of the Westboro Baptist Church,
Fred Phelps, has traveled with his daughters and
granddaughters throughout the county picketing
soldiers' funerals, prompting new state and local
laws to keep them away from grieving families.
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a free-
speech case related to the funeral protests.
Tucson residents are preparing to line the funeral
procession for Green, both to show their support
of the family and to block them from seeing the
Westboro protest.
"We just want to show the families in Tucson
that we're a community that's bound together,
through the good and the bad," said Janna
Zankich, a 46-year-old dance studio manger.
On Tuesday evening, she planned to gather with
dozens of people at Breakout Studios to construct
8- to 10-foot wings that volunteer "angels" would
wear along the funeral procession to block the
family's view of the protesters.
Residents' grass-roots response to the church's
planned protest has spread quickly through social
media.
A friend of Zankich's, Christin Gilmer, put up a
Facebook page calling for volunteers to help
protect the family from picketers from Westboro.
Hundreds of volunteers have said they would
attend.
Trevor Hill, a University of Arizona junior, is
trying to coordinate the myriad groups so they
are a calming and peaceful force on Thursday.
"Our goal is to be silent. We don't need to be a
distraction — these are funeral processions," he
said. "No signs or music, no counter-protests. Do
not engage Westboro Baptist. It's just not worth
it, and it's equally disrespectful for the family for
us to be yelling."
Hill also hopes to show the world a different side
of Tucson.
"There have been people claiming Arizona is the
center of intolerance, the mecca of bigotry. That
is absolutely not true. These are people who live
their lives and want to raise families," he said. "It's
honestly a very special community."
Source: Http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-funeral-protest-20110112,0,7494257.story
to stop Westboro Baptist Church from
demonstrating at the funeral of Christina Green, 9.
Outraged residents make plans to shield her
family.
Arizona
lawmakers moved quickly Tuesday to try to
block protesters from the funeral of 9-year-old
shooting victim Christina Green, passing an
emergency measure prohibiting protests within
300 feet of any funeral services.
In addition to the new law, hundreds of Tucson
residents were making contingency plans to try
to protect the family of the girl who was slain in
Saturday's rampage.
The actions were prompted by the Westboro
Baptist Church, a publicity-seeking Kansas
congregation known for demonstrating at the
funerals of U.S. soldiers, arguing that their deaths
are retribution by God for America's acceptance
of homosexuality. The church announced it
would protest Green's funeral, scheduled for
Thursday, because the family is Catholic.
The protest drew instant and unanimous
condemnation from Arizonans.
"Protesting or picketing outside the funeral of an
innocent victim is despicable," said House
Speaker Kirk Adams. "It's time to bring Arizona in
line with the many other states that protect the
sensitivities of victims against groups that use
fear and hate to denigrate the lives of Americans."
Adams sponsored the emergency measure that
prohibits people from picketing or protesting
within 300 feet of any residence, cemetery,
funeral home, church, synagogue or other
establishment during or within one hour of a
funeral service or burial service.
The House and Senate passed the bill
unanimously Tuesday. Gov. Jan Brewer signed
the measure Tuesday evening.
The founder of the Westboro Baptist Church,
Fred Phelps, has traveled with his daughters and
granddaughters throughout the county picketing
soldiers' funerals, prompting new state and local
laws to keep them away from grieving families.
The Supreme Court has agreed to take up a free-
speech case related to the funeral protests.
Tucson residents are preparing to line the funeral
procession for Green, both to show their support
of the family and to block them from seeing the
Westboro protest.
"We just want to show the families in Tucson
that we're a community that's bound together,
through the good and the bad," said Janna
Zankich, a 46-year-old dance studio manger.
On Tuesday evening, she planned to gather with
dozens of people at Breakout Studios to construct
8- to 10-foot wings that volunteer "angels" would
wear along the funeral procession to block the
family's view of the protesters.
Residents' grass-roots response to the church's
planned protest has spread quickly through social
media.
A friend of Zankich's, Christin Gilmer, put up a
Facebook page calling for volunteers to help
protect the family from picketers from Westboro.
Hundreds of volunteers have said they would
attend.
Trevor Hill, a University of Arizona junior, is
trying to coordinate the myriad groups so they
are a calming and peaceful force on Thursday.
"Our goal is to be silent. We don't need to be a
distraction — these are funeral processions," he
said. "No signs or music, no counter-protests. Do
not engage Westboro Baptist. It's just not worth
it, and it's equally disrespectful for the family for
us to be yelling."
Hill also hopes to show the world a different side
of Tucson.
"There have been people claiming Arizona is the
center of intolerance, the mecca of bigotry. That
is absolutely not true. These are people who live
their lives and want to raise families," he said. "It's
honestly a very special community."
Source: Http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-funeral-protest-20110112,0,7494257.story
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