Posted on 10/11/2010 6:45:54 PM PDT by Neoavatara
The Supreme Court this week heard oral arguments in the case of Snyder v. Phelps. Albert Snyder, the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, who died in 2006 in Iraq, sued the Westboro Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Christian church that contends that God kills soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan as punishment for America'stolerance of homosexuality and for the presence of gays in the U.S. military.
Westboro Baptist Church pastor and founder Fred Phelps and members of his congregation picketed Matthew's funeral, holding signs expressing anti-gay, anti-American, and anti-Catholic slogans, including "God hates you" and "You're going to hell."
Mr. Snyder sued the Church and Pastor Phelps immediately after the funeral. On October 31, 2007 ajury handed down a $10.9 million verdict against the defendants. However, the Fourth Circuit issued an opinion reversing the judgment of the district court and vacating the jury award. The appellate court found the Phelps' speech (both website and picketing) protected by the First Amendment.
(Excerpt) Read more at neoavatara.com ...
Actually, it’s a form of stalking.
That is my dream job, I would love to walk away from my day job and organize against a lot of groups. Just counting the days until all the credit cards and debt are gone so I can dump the day job then it will be on! I have no idea where these clowns live but if there is ever a funeral in my AO you can count on me following them from the moment the hit the state line! I would think that maybe some freepers live near them? Actually if someone organizes in their hometown I would be willing to make a few trips, kinda a vacation in fact.
Just went to their website (gross) they are located at 3701 W. 12th Street in Topeka, KS. Regular service time is 12:00 p.m. (Central time).
“Westboro Baptist Church, a fundamentalist Christian church”
WRONG.
“Time and place” speech regulations are fully Constitutional. They should be allowed to say whatever they want ... elsewhere. Leave the family in peace.
SnakeDoc
If I said half the things they are carrying around written on signs some gay person would be screaming hate speech and demanding I be arrested.
where are the 'gay rights' people, and why aren't they going after these sons and daughters of Cain?
Goose, geese, ganders.
I pastor a very conservative SBC and detest the sin of homosexuality. I also detest the actions of Westboro Baptist Church. There actions of protest at the funerals of soldiers cannot be Scripturally justified by any means. God’s favor is not upon them!
Amen!
Too many grownups just can’t handle religion just like too many folks just can’t handle alcohol.
I keep thinking that some time, there will be a parent of a dead soldier, that has a terminal illness, that is willing to step up to the plate.
I disagree, on the grounds that the funerals are private, not public events. You could argue that these cretins could protest on the sides of the public roads over which the procession rides is a First Amendment issue, but the funeral itself, in the cemetary, is a private affair. These people are intruding on an intimate private event with the intention of upsetting the mourners, as well as making a scene. There is no intention to persuade, which is why it isn't a matter of free speech.
Would it be a free speech issue if these people wanted to crash a private wedding party? Funerals should be accorded the same respect.
Incidentally, would these funeral protesters be allowed at Arlington National on the same free speech issues? After all, it is a public cemetery, unlike the one at the heart of the Snyder/Phelps case.
Yes, they can protest.
And as in what happened in my small town a couple of years ago...half of the town and every flag waving motorcyle group within 200 hundred miles showed up to protect the deceased and his family.
There was no violence and it sure put a damper on the “protest”.
That maybe the best way to combat these types of things. Strong opposition.
(I still see and hear those bikers roaring down the highway...flags waving.)
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