Posted on 06/13/2011 12:54:18 PM PDT by Islander7
Link only due to copyright:
Westboro Baptist protestors are escorted from funeral scene by Metro police
..
‘I wonder why the reporter hyphenated “God”...?’
Many people believe it shows greater respect or reverence for God. I find it intrusive and distracting, but if that is their conscience so be it.
I know that and publicity are their objectives, but it is time and past time that they were dealt with as what they are. Public troublemakers intent on the infliction of emotional distress.
Does anyone doubt that if their modus operandi was to show up at the funerals of known atheists to loudly evangelize that they would be shut down? And should be. There is a proper time and place for all expression. Funerals should be free of any kind of agitators, out of mere decency.
Only the present American judicial system could be so willfully obtuse as to miss this.
The reporter didn’t do it. Read the explanation located right beneath.
Yeah, they put the ‘ick’ in sickos, that is for sure.
Since the Westboro bunch only appear at the funerals of American soldiers, it’s quite obvious what they stand for, since they don’t show up at the funerals of any of these:
- homosexuals
- terrorists
- pedophiles
- rapists
- wife beaters
- thieves
- murderers
Now that’s something to be proud of!!!
I hope the funeral of the patriarch of the Phelps clan is attended by 100’s of thousands of protestors making lots of noise and carrying all kinds of signs deriding this Godless bunch of rabble who love to put hurt in the heart of people whose loved ones have given the last full measure of devotion...that would be a fitting end to this bozo...
While I don’t disagree with you, the USSC does. And thus, the acts of the Sherrif here just give them more publicity than they would otherwise get and also funds their activities. It plays right into their hands.
Yep, that is their motive. It would have been better to have let the crowd have their way with them.
Many people believe it shows greater respect or reverence for God. I find it intrusive and distracting, but if that is their conscience so be it.
The first quote was by a Jewish commentator, not the reporter. The reporter did add a sentence explaining that in traditional Jewish writing, the word "God" is not spelled out because it's considered too holy.
I disagree. They should be stopped as anyone else deliberately creating public disturbance should be. “Free Speech” is not absolute as to time and place, and never has been in any culture or generation.
If Westboro was spewing racial epithets, they would have been crushed long ago, by the very legal system that defends them now as they pour additional misery on the heads of grieving friends and family of fallen military personnel. Military personnel, and apparently homosexuals are not important enough to protect. If the target was a specific officially favored ethnicity, or Islam, this nonsense would have been shut down long ago - and properly too. Because of the time and place. They can get their permits and march, they can put up their bumperstickers and websites. They may not rightly disrupt anyone’s funeral, whether the legal nomenklatura say it is legal or not.
Rome would have dealt with them justly. America is too far rotted.
The circus got taken away by the man.
The circus got taken away by the man.
I am aware of that, and of the rationale. If “god” was a Hebrew or Aramaic name of God I might even concede the point. As it is, I respect their conscience on the matter. For me, such usage could only be a mildly absurd affectation which would distract from whatever thought I was trying to communicate in the main sentence.
I agree BUT, the Supreme Court rejected that argument. It lost and the current law of the land is what it is. They will win a lawsuit, collect their attorney fees then obtain an injunction and go back and create that disturbance unhindered but with 100 times more publicity. Advancing their cause is not worth the moment of satisfaction one gets from seeing them hauled off occasionally.
There are times when brazen defiance is the only appropriate response.
Oh I know and agree. It’s just that it wasn’t 100% clear to me it was on private property. The thing is, even if its private property but open to the public, free speech still applies. That’s why the local grocery has all those people out front begging for some money for some cause and they can’t run them off.
Actually, the case is usually that they can run them off, but don’t want to bother. I mean, really, would you want to be on the local news as the tyrant grocery store owner who ran off a homeless family begging for money?
Me too.
Go Loud and Go Proud!
Too funny!
As much as I despise these morons I must agree with your statement here.
It is not 'free speech' when you protest at a military funeral, with signs that call the dead soldiers faggots.
It is not 'free speech' when you yell "there's a bomb" and there is no bomb.
There are many more homosexuals in the churches than there are in army fatigues. Yet, These protesters don't seem to want to deal with the Broke Back Mountain Methodists. They want to flail accusations at dead men who can't defend themselves.
Besides, the guy who runs the Westboro Baptist Protesters is a big fag. He 'said' he gave it up, but when asked if he still had any inclinations, he booted the reporter out.
Unfortunately, I think it is one of those things that once you've done it, you can't go back. I think The guy wants to punish everyone because he had to 'pretend' to give up the gay life (at least in public).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.