Respect for Heroes' Memories is Constitutional says ACLJ

WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2006—Believing America’s fallen soldiers deserve to rest in peace, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) filed an amicus brief in federal court in Jefferson City, Missouri supporting the state of Missouri’s efforts to defend a state law that bans protests at funerals. The move comes as a Kansas church launches a national effort to disrupt military funerals by berating the families of military men and women who have died in combat.

“The state of Missouri has not only acted properly but constitutionally in creating this state law and we urge the federal court to keep this much-needed statute in place,” said Jay Sekulow, Chief Counsel of the ACLJ. “The law protects the family and friends of these fallen military heroes from inappropriate protests by those whose only desire is to disrupt the peace and privacy of a solemn ceremony. These actions represent a gross distortion of the First Amendment. The ACLJ is a staunch defender of the First Amendment, but these protests cross the constitutional line. The Missouri law properly underscores the fact that such inappropriate protests violate reasonable time, place, and manner regulations of speech that have been repeatedly recognized by courts including the Supreme Court of the United States.”
http://www.demossnewspond.com/aclj/releases/2006Releases/FuneralProtests092806.htm