Comments about ‘Draper mulls 'free speech zones' near new temple’

This topic is a sticky wicket indeed. I am active LDS and a great lover of the 1st amendment. The framers of the constitution surely imagined a people who would be civil and try not to disrupt the peaceful religious ceremonies of others. That having been said shame on extremely noisy and obnoxious protesters outside of this new temple who are obviously VIOLATING the idea os the 1st ammend., and shame on the city officials for making restrictive zones which are not constitutional.

More like No Free Speech Zones....

Free speech is a Constitutional Right
Quite clear Draper does not know we have a Constitution
This is a problem through out Utah
Ignorance has been elected into all the cities og Utah
The Constitution is a Federal Law
No laws shall me made to over throw these laws
Amendment 1
Freedom of speech
What is this $750.00 Fine
What is this Jail time?
This is Dictatorship
America is the land of the free
4500 Young men and women have died for freedom in Iraq???
Many more are injured and we have nuts in Draper that did not serve their country
I am sure Independance day was celebrated
( Fire Works )
Yet these people do not know the meaning of Independance
Free Speech is legal everywhere
The Police are the problem and the Judges and Prosecutors are ignorant of the law as well

Yes we want change and these people in Draper is not changing

I am a card carrying member of the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. The courts have previously ruled incorrectly. The entire U.S. is a free speech zone. Ordinances may limit unpeaceful behavior but all people have a right to peaceful assembly in a public right-of-way. People are responding to LDS involvement in Prop 8. What will be our LDS response when communities establish "free speech zones" for LDS missionaries to keep them off the streets?

I have always thought that it should be requisite for those protesting to have their " church " or meeting place on file so that that I can go picket and shout insults at them when they are meeting. I am guessing that the Free Speech war cry would not be nearly as well received at Mr. Barnards office or in front of one of the " churches " that seem to always show up at any L.D.S. function, as it is near Temple Square or other L.D.S. facilities.

Right. Aren't their severe resrictions on free speech near any and all death factories, I mean abortion clinics? Try to use that free speech crap near an abortion clinic and see what happens. That kind of speech is hate speech right? Whereas the people protesting at places of worship is just citizens exercising their constitutional rights.

"Free speech is a Constitutional Right
Quite clear Draper does not know we have a Constitution"

Actually it's the protesters who don't understand the law. They often violate the rights of worshipers by blocking the entrance to temples, tresspassing on private property to show thier
hatred for the church. If they want to protest they need to do it on public property- not the property owned by the church. In this case I suspect city officals are aware of thier blantant disregard for the rights of LDS church members. They are actully upholding the constitution by providing these hate mongers with a place to gather.

Yes this is the US with Free Speech but there are LIMITS placed on free speech everywhere to protect others. Private property is protected. Limits to what you can say in crowds are in place. And HATE speech is not allowed. That's the problem here. This is what needs to be limited is the hate speech and religious bigotry. The minority homosexuals have turned to agressive hate speech, religious bigotry, and intimidation, and that should not be tolerated.

And don't try to give me this lame excuse that the "Mormons started it...they limited our rights." That just not accurate. Mormons couldn't do anything in California by themselves. When I see you protesting Catholics and Jews and Hindu and blacks and hispanics and just plain old Lakers games...then maybe I might believe this is anything but religious bigotry. Because in reality, it was the people of California who twice passed this law...not the Mormons.

Yep, homosexuals have the right to protest. But I also have the right to be able to go to the temple and not have to hear profanities and religious hate speech. The city is looking for a balance between those freedoms.

Next time the gays have their lovely little gay rights parade, perhaps the Westboro Baptist Church should arrive to practice their right to freedom of speech. The peace-loving gays wont be so happy about people being able to practice their right to freedom of speech then. Of course everything would be different then.

Free Speech, here I though all this time that our soliders were dying in Iraq for oil and George Bush's lies? Man this is getting confussing.

So, I guess the big question is who has the most rights? The ones who think they should be able to yell and protest anywhere or the person who wants the right of reverent worship and peace?

What about my right to peaceful assembly. What about my right to walk down a sidewalk or drive down a street?
If you've seen the area around this temple, there is no where to assemble that is not on the street or sidewalk or private property.

So we just ignore these clowns who burn The Book Of Mormon, shout obscenities, display scandalous placards, vandalize our private property, and desecrate anything which is sacred to LDS members? I guess that is our only choice, just ignore. Matters not that none of our pro 8 tactics came even close to the sort of vile and disgusting tactics utilized by these sore losers. Even before election day. But when have followers of Satan ever displayed any sort of decorum or public decency in trying to promote their agenda. Their message is clear: "give us your children so we can pervert them too".

Free Speech rights come with responsibility just as all rights do. Civil protesters, using the broad context of the word 'civil', have the responsibility to allow worshipers free access, to go and come without impediment. If they obeyed this civil rule there would be no need for restricted zones.
Free speech doesn't need to be obnoxious and disrespectful to get its pont across. It is actually more effective that way, I believe.

In the present world "situation", people of culture, virtue and humble traditional views had better resolve to understand their Bible and realize the fact that anti-God is here, is developing as per prophesy and Christians must strengthen their personal determination to witness for our Savior in the midst of chaos and growing evil. Nowhere in the Bible are we told it would be easy.

When we saw our "nation of laws" began to crack apart, we invited chaos in and guess what? It`s here! Our laws mean little anymore... (witness the long expensive trial and ORDERS to one Tom Green upon release from prison. Everyone inside of Utah and outside watched all that. Now a couple of years later the "law" has (typically for the times) "disappeared"! Tom Green has now fathered 2 more babies "unlawfully" with 2 law-forbidden "wives" and absolutely nothing will result of it. We HAVE no more LAW to rely on. Chaos can be expected to grow and real God-fearing people had better strengthen themselves from within. It is all we have left. The external world is lost and gone.......

To Albert C. Montoya: You mean there already aren't restrictions against missionaries? Ever tried to tract in Beverly Hills (let alone just walk the sidewalk)?

As I see it, the main problem is that the "protests" aren't peaceful but are quite disruptive and filled with angry people who want to inflict damage or harm to others. The right is "peaceably to assemble."

To Free Speech: This is most certainly not a "dictatorship" situation. Your lack of world history is horribly showing. America used to be the land of the free, but the Draper Council is not the cause of the demise of freedom in this country. My religious beliefs are attacked by government very frequently. Symbols of my religious belief are belittled and dismantled from the public square all the time, and those symbols have been there from the start of the country and before. So, we are not free. It's just an illusion.

There are ALWAYS groups like the Westboro Baptist Church at Gay Pride parades - it is expected, actually. So, I don't understand your comment. I guess you are just uninformed, like most Americans are on so many aspects of their country, their government and their neighbors. Pretty sad.

This is the same city counsel that would not let a Deseret Industries Center in the city limits.

Free Speech-what?: That was a really SILLY blog.

The same people who want free speech with no restrictions are the first to limit freedom of religion. You have to follow the whole first amendment.