Posted: Apr 06, 2012 6:26 am
Erin wrote:BrandySpears wrote:Erin wrote:Look at it the other way: if a religious organization held a public event in the same place with the same type of permit, I'm pretty sure most of us would call bullshit if an atheist was arrested for attending and asking people if they'd like free copies of books by Dawkins, Hitchens, or Harris.
Unless Religio-nut is violating harassment laws with the manner in which he approaches people, or there's a legal aspect of this case that I'm missing, the law is on his side here.
The city would not be infringing the rights of the atheist to protest by having the atheist behind a buffer-zone. Ex. Shirley Phelps Roper.
Is that the same thing, though? The hypothetical atheist isn't participating in a protest, but attending a public event and offering free literature. Phelps-Roper pickets funerals, which are private affairs.
Of course the atheist would be engaged in protest if he was handing out atheist literature at a religious gathering.
The Phelps picket from public property like sidewalks. They got their start picketing public parks known for cruising.