This case is not about what is right or wrong or even moral. This case is only about our 1st amendment right to free speech.
I find the protesting at soldiers funeral to be morally wrong and in extreme bad taste but will fight for the right of these disgusting pigs to exercise their freedom of speech.
As repugnant, repulsive and reprehensible as I find the Phelps clan, I have to agree with you. The first amendment was clearly not intended to protect popular, generally accepted, polite, unobjectionable speech; such speech needs no protection. It was intended precisely to protect controversial, impolite, tasteless, contentious and disagreeable speech. As much as I would like to think that we conservatives would never use a funeral to promote a political agenda, surrendering that right altogether may turn out, in the long run, to be the more morally outrageous act.
We do not have freedom of ALL speech.
It is against the law to yell fire in a theatre and cause a panic.
Free speech does have limitations.
I agree with you as I believe this could be a trap to shut up people like Rush, Levin, Beck, Hannity etc. Then you and I.
Agreed first and foremost...free speech for all or free speech for no one. Their tactics make me vomit. Disgusting. EXCEPT nothing prohibits the pastors speech elsewhere. Scalia referred to a protective cone near abortion clinics, iirc. That should the common ground.