Snyder v. Hateful Church Arguments Today in Supreme Court

Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments on behalf of Gold Star Father Albert Snyder and the hateful Kansas church that pickets military funerals, in an effort to rule whether military families have a right to peaceful funeral proceedings for their fallen loved ones.

The church, which we refuse to identify on this blog, has made headlines across the country for picketing the funerals of fallen Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, brandishing signs with inflammatory, hateful rhetoric against American service members.

Snyder, whose son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006, originally sued the church's pastor for $17 million after the group disrupted the Snyder funeral in Maryland.

Courts originally ruled in favor of Snyder, but the decision was overturned upon appeal and Snyder was ordered to pay court costs for the church. Fortunately for Snyder, the Supreme Court granted certiorari on the case for this session.

According to Stars & Stripes, Snyder's lawyers will argue that free speech rights do not extend to harassing private citizens.

Meanwhile, the church argues that they have the constitutionally-protected right to convey their message that God is punishing American service members for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Media watchdogs have sided with the church out of fear that a decision in favor of Snyder could create a slippery slope limiting the kinds of speech protected by the constitution.

However, AMVETS leaders continue to argue that intrusions such as the funeral protests also violate grieving families' first amendment rights to freely practice their religion and honor their fallen loved ones in a peaceful, dignified manner.

"What this radical church has done is abhorrent and cannot simply be viewed in the context of preserving First Amendment rights," said AMVETS Past National Commander Duane J. Miskulin when news of the appeal broke. "Our grieving Gold Star families deserve only the utmost respect when mourning the loss of their loved ones. AMVETS hopes that the Supreme Court will agree that picketing military funerals violates the personal rights of a grieving family."

Legislators with military experience, like Reps. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) and John Boccieri (D-Ohio) even stepped in, expressing to the Supreme Court that the right to free speech must end where the privacy of a mourning family begins.

In the past, Supreme Court rulings have established reasonable parameters on speech, offering equal protections for the rights of private citizens. AMVETS leaders urge the court to rule in a similar fashion on this issue, ensuring that grieving military families are protected during their most vulnerable hours.

New Issue of American Veteran Magazine Available Now

The latest issue of American Veteran magazine has shipped to subscribers around the country and will be available online this week.

In this spring's Outside the Wire, we sat down with comedian and Minnesota junior Senator Al Franken. Franken, who has visited troops serving in harm's way nearly every year since 1999 was elected to the Senate in 2008. After being seated, his first piece of legislation centered on caring for today's veterans and he continues to be a critical voice on issues affecting America's heroes.

This spring we also highlight the recent HBO miniseries "The Pacific," which chronicled the experiences of the Marines who served in the Pacific theatre of WWII. The miniseries, produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg, follows a similar format as the 2001 "Band of Brothers" miniseries and is the latest Hanks/Spielberg collaboration to preserve the storied history of America's Greatest Generation.

In this issue we also discuss new Pentagon programs designed to help veterans reintegrate from combat life. In light of daunting suicide and unemployment statistics among today's veterans, AMVETS made reintegration one of its top legislative priorities for 2010, and American Veteran was able to speak with military leaders tasked to assist today's veterans in the transition--specifically Army's Yellow Ribbon Program and the post-deployment health reassessment, or PDHRA.

AMVETS National Legislative Director also discusses the upcoming AMVETS Symposium for 21st Century Veterans, and we hear from Denise Anderson, the Gold Star mother of Army Spc. Corey Shea, who was killed in Iraq in 2008. Anderson is calling on VA to allow her to be buried with her son.

Finally, we also discuss the recent signing of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Service Act, which offers unprecedented benefits to family caregivers for today's wounded warriors and establishes new programs for underserved veteran communities. We also discuss the goings-on at AMVETS posts and departments around the country, including the Gold Star license plates and Spirit of '45 campaigns in California.

Be on the look-out for the latest issue of American Veteran magazine in your mailboxes today, and, as always, let us know what you think.

(Photos: Top: Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) pets Tuesday, AMVETS member Luis Montalvan's service dog during a meeting on Capitol Hill with AMVETS to discuss veterans' service dog legislation. Photo by Ryan Gallucci. Middle: Tom Hanks addresses hundreds of Pacific Campaign veterans at the National WWII Memorial during a recent Honor Flight visit hosted by HBO in honor of the Hanks/Spielberg miniseries "The Pacific." Photo by Ryan Gallucci. Bottom: President Barack Obama signs the veterans' caregiver bill at the White House, while AMVETS Executive Director Jim King and other leading veterans' advocates look on. Photo courtesy of the White House.)

Boccieri Service Flag Bill Passes House

Congressman John Boccieri (D-Ohio), a veteran of the war in Iraq and life member of AMVETS Post No. 44 in Youngstown, Ohio, today announced the House passage of legislation he introduced to prevent restrictions on the display of Service flags. H.R. 2546, the Blue Star/Gold Star Flag Act of 2009 ensures the rights of individuals to display a Service flag on residential property without limitation. H.R. 2546 has more than 50 bipartisan cosponsors, including 22 Republicans.

“The Service flag is a symbol of respect for our military members who put their lives on the line only because their country asked them to,” said Boccieri. “As a veteran, I am proud to champion this important measure for military families, giving them the right to honor their soldiers’ sacrifices, no matter where they live.”

The Service flag, sometimes referred to as either the Blue Star or Gold Star flag is an official banner authorized by the Department of Defense for display by families of members serving in the armed forces during a period of war. Each blue star on the flag represents a service member in active duty, while a gold star signifies a service member killed in action or who died in service.

Boccieri’s bill is similar to the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 which prohibits a condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association from preventing residents from displaying the American flag on or around their homes. Boccieri’s bill extends these same privileges to the Service flags.

According to regulations established by the Secretary of Defense, organizations can fly the Service flag as long as it honors the members of that organization serving during a period of war. The Ohio House of Representatives displayed a Service flag for then-State Representative Boccieri and State Senator Steve Stivers while they deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2004-2005.

AMVETS, which was a vocal supporter of the Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005, also supports Boccieri's bill, allowing Blue Star and Gold Star families to display their flags without recourse from housing associations or other groups.

"It's ridiculous for these associations to attempt to prohibit proud military families--particularly Gold Star families--from demonstrating support to their loved ones and honoring their sacrifices," said AMVETS National Legislative Director Ray Kelley. "AMVETS hopes that this bill moves through the legislative process quickly, so we can protect the rights of our military families, putting an end to this petty squabble once and for all."

Now, Boccieri's bill will head to the Senate for consideration. American Veteran will follow developments closely. Check back regularly for updates.

(Video: Congressman John Boccieri delivers remarks on the House floor on why the passage of the service flag protection act is important to him. Video courtesy of the Office of Congressman John Boccieri.)

BE OUTRAGED: Gold Star Father Ordered to Pay Court Fees

Yesterday, media outlets around Baltimore reported that Gold Star Father Albert Snyder of York, Pa., would be ordered to pay court fees for the radical Kansas pastor who pickets military funerals. The fees are related to Snyder's ongoing lawsuit against the notorious church, which we refuse to name on this blog.

Snyder's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq in 2006. His funeral was protested by the hateful fanatics, who held up signs laced with anti-homosexual rhetoric, tying American military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan to America's tolerance for gays.

Snyder decided to take action to reclaim his son's dignity and sued the pastor. Initially, Snyder was awarded $17 million, but the lower court's decision was overturned. Now, upon further appeal, the Supreme Court has granted certiorari on the case. However, in the interim, Snyder has been ordered to pay more than $16,000 in associated court costs for the picketers.

This afternoon, Snyder said he will refuse to pay the court-ordered fees.

Personally, I hope the Supreme Court rules that this hateful church cannot impede on the First Amendment rights of the Snyder family and other military families, who have the right to freely practice their religious beliefs, which should include dignified funeral proceedings.

Though groups like the ACLU have supported the protester's First Amendment claim to free speech, similar protections must be afforded to private family matters, such as funerals. In my opinion, the intent of the First Amendment was to ensure the free flow of information in an effort to maintain transparency in government. I cannot believe that the framers intended it to be used to bully private citizens, as this hateful clan has done for years.

In response to the outlandish protests, motorcycle riders such as the Patriot Guard Riders and AMVETS Riders have mobilized around the country alongside police, firefighters and other public servants to protect Gold Star Families from the vile messages.

Officially, AMVETS believes that all who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty deserve nothing but the utmost respect from a grateful nation. Gold Star Families have earned the right to bury their sons and daughters with dignity.

The Snyder family has been receiving donations from around the country to help defer the potential court costs, and on Fox News last night, commentator Bill O'Reilly offered to pay Snyder's legal expenses, should the court system fail him and his son.

Thank you for stepping up to the plate, Bill, but let's hope it never has to come to that.

-Ryan

(Image: Gold Star Service Banner, which signifies a family member who has fallen in combat. Public domain.)