Barrasso Fights to Block Protests at Military Funerals

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) fought to block protestors at military funerals. Barrasso, along with a group of bi-partisan Senators, signed onto an amicus brief in support of the family of Marine Corps Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder in Snyder v. Phelps. The brief argues that funeral protection laws do not infringe on First Amendment rights. Barrasso issued the following statement:

"The actions of Pastor Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church members are unconscionable. Family members and friends should be able to mourn in privacy and lay our fallen servicemen to rest in peace. These fallen heroes have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and do not deserve to be disgraced.

"Free speech is not ultimate. There are limits. You cannot yell "fire' in a crowded theater. So why should the right to a decent and private burial be denied to military families? If groups like the Westboro Baptist Church have a problem with the Department of Defense's policy, they should picket the Pentagon, not the funeral services of our bravest men and women."

Background:

Pastor Fred Phelps and members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas have been protesting the Department of Defense's "don't ask, don't tell' policy at funerals for our servicemen and women for a number of years.

In 2006, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was killed serving his country in Iraq. Snyder's funeral was disrupted by protestors. His father, Albert Snyder, has been involved in a more than three year court case with the Westboro Baptist Church trying to block their protests.

The federal government and forty-six states have enacted laws that regulate picketing and other forms of disruptive behavior on or near cemeteries during a funeral.

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear oral argument for Snyder v. Phelps in the 2010-2011 term.

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