The State of Kansas

My home state of Kansas is somewhat noted for a few crazy organizations. For one, The State Board of Education has been trying for several years to require that creationism (as an explanation for the origins of man) be taught in the schools. I think that controversy is over. Recently, the Westboro Baptist Church has taken the limelight away from the Board of Education. For those of you who do not know who that is, they are the "christian" Church that pickets the funeral services of service men and women killed in Iraq and Afganistan. They do so because they claim the soldiers were killed as punishment for the nation's tolerance of gays and lesbians. (I don't believe than anyone can speak for god so how do they "know" this? And if we are all created in god's image, does that make god gay?) Yes, I understand the concept of free speech. Without it, we would not have a free and open form of government. But there are limits. You cannot yell "FIRE" in movie theatre. You cannot say "I have a bomb" in the airport and expect to escape punishment. You cannot slander someone. Where am I going with this? Well just recently the govenor of Kansas signed into law a bill requiring protestors to stand at least 150 feet from funerals. There is also a restriction that limits the protest to so many hours before and after the funeral. Other states have passed similiar laws. In fact a federal judge in Maryland just issued liens against the church in the amount of $5 million for its protests at the funeral of Marine Cpl Matthew A. Snyder, age 20. Unfortunately that will not stop the church. Only laws similar to the KS one will do that.