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A question about Free Speech and Property Rights

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I have finished reading this article http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Supreme_Cou...ory?id=10770402 and I have a question about the proper resolution to this conflict. The conflict should be resolved by property rights (the owner would decide who to let on their property or not). So this is another example of how public property works to destroy our other rights? I am assuming that cemetaries are public property.

David McBride

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I am assuming that cemetaries are public property.
No, they are private property (though there may be public cemeteries, such as military cemeteries, and historic ones which become public property). Phelps often holds his demonstrations as close as possible off-site.
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Why?

For the same reason stalking should properly be held as illegal.

It's forceful intrusion on the life of another.

Holding a protest near a funeral with the intention of disturbing and upsetting the attendees is nothing more than that.

Unfortunately one part of individual rights is the right to be a complete asshole.

Not to harass people.

I don't know the most widely accepted Objectivist view regarding harassment, only Peikoff's statement regarding telemarketers in a podcast (saying that he considered telemarketing a "physical intrusion" and "harassment"). I agree, though I'm not sure if he'd hold the same view in regard to protesting at funerals. I most certainly do.

Edited by Minarchist
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Minarchist, I assume that you support the "Respect for America’s Fallen Heroes Act", which

was created largely in part to help stem the tide of the Followers of Phelps?

Wiki

I don't think such conditions (300 feet / for an hour before and an hour after the funeral) are proper. As much as I'd like to keep things in objective measurements where possible, this is just one of those cases where a more broad anti-harassment law will have to suffice.

I haven't put much thought into the specifics of enforcement, though. I just believe that it's immoral to harass people, and should be illegal as well.

Edited by Minarchist
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I don't think such conditions (300 feet / for an hour before and an hour after the funeral) are proper. As much as I'd like to keep things in objective measurements where possible, this is just one of those cases where a more broad anti-harassment law will have to suffice.
Why are those conditions not proper? They are objectively stated and, given the intent of disallowing harassment which you accepted, objectively justified.
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Simply, what constitutes harassment should be defined in plain language, and free of arbitrary numbers such as these.
The language is completely plain. As for being free of arbitrary numbers, you're simply rejecting the concept of objectivity.
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I have finished reading this article http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/Supreme_Cou...ory?id=10770402 and I have a question about the proper resolution to this conflict. The conflict should be resolved by property rights (the owner would decide who to let on their property or not). So this is another example of how public property works to destroy our other rights? I am assuming that cemetaries are public property.

David McBride

``Now, all but two state attorneys general have signed a "friend of the court" brief, to be filed tomorrow, that argues the First Amendment should not apply to some "intrusive and harassing" forms of expression.``

This seems to package speech/assembly against the government with speech/assembly against private citizens. That would be a scary precedent.

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I know of the following exceptions to freedom of assembly:

  • infringing upon the free movement of goods or people
  • causing personal injury
  • physically endangering others
  • damaging property
  • national security
  • interfering with proceedings

In order to determine whether there are any others that can be put into place without infringing on the right of assembly, it will be necessary to identify the similarities among these exceptions.

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This seems to package speech/assembly against the government with speech/assembly against private citizens. That would be a scary precedent.
All criticism of candidates for public office is speech against private citizens. It is a good thing that freedom of speech is not limited to speech against government action.
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