US Supreme Court allows anti-gay funeral protests

[DSM4Life]

The US Supreme Court has ruled an anti-gay church has the right to picket military funerals under the US constitution's free speech protections.

The court ruled 8-1 for the Westboro Baptist Church, throwing out an earlier $5m (£3m) judgement awarded to the father of a fallen US Marine.

Members carried signs denouncing the US for its tolerance of homosexuality.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote church members' speech cannot be limited "simply because it is upsetting".

'Inflicting great pain'
"What Westboro said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to 'special protection' under the First Amendment, and that protection cannot be overcome by a jury finding that the picketing was outrageous," Justice Roberts wrote on Wednesday for the court.

Church members, led by the Reverend Fred Phelps, have picketed outside numerous military funerals to draw attention to their view that US military deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are punishment for the immorality of Americans, including tolerance of homosexuality and abortion.

"Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and - as it did here - inflict great pain," Justice Roberts wrote.

"On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker. As a nation we have chosen a different course - to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."

Lance Cpl Matthew Snyder was killed in a Humvee accident in Iraq in 2006 and his body was returned to the US state of Maryland.

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church travelled from their base in Kansas to the funeral site, alerted local police of their planned protest and picketed peacefully, on public land, in accordance with police guidance.

For about 30 minutes before the funeral began, the protesters marched with signs reading: "Thank God for Dead Soldiers", "You're Going to Hell" and "God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11".

Mr Snyder saw only the tops of the group's signs, according to the court record, but saw what was written on them on a television news broadcast later that evening.

He then filed a lawsuit in March 2006, accusing the church of intentionally inflicting emotional distress and won $11m at trial in 2007, later reduced by a judge to $5m.

A federal appeals court in Virginia threw out the judgement, saying the constitution shielded the church members from liability. The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed.

'Vicious verbal assault'
In a dissent, Justice Samuel Alito wrote the First Amendment to the constitution does not grant the right intentionally to inflict emotional distress on private figures.

"Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a licence for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," he wrote.

"In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalisation of innocent victims."

Following the ruling on Wednesday, Margie Phelps, Mr Phelps's daughter and the lawyer representing the church, told reporters that the case "put a megaphone to the mouth of this little church".

"We read the law. We follow the law. The only way for a different ruling is to shred the First Amendment," she added.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12624539

[MACHINE5150]

I just read this on MSNBC.. when is someone just going to gun those fvckers down.. they disrespect all the military KIA's as well.. if it was my brother / friends funeral i would start shooting people.. straight up. or blow up their church in Kansas.

[DSM4Life]

I am normally not a violent person but i have to say i don't know what i would do if i saw these people. If it was a family members funeral i can hands down say that i would physically attack them.

[BgMc31]

Remember, free speech was designed to protect unpopular speech, not popular speech. So as much as I can't stand what these cats are doing, the supreme court ruling was correct.

Hate to play devil's advocate, but...

[DSM4Life]

Remember, free speech was designed to protect unpopular speech, not popular speech. So as much as I can't stand what these cats are doing, the supreme court ruling was correct.

Hate to play devil's advocate, but...

I totally agree with you.

But like i said if it was my family i would still physically harm them. The jail time would be worth it in my eyes.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

I don't think loop holes in the constitution should be favored over common sense

[LatissimusaurousRex]

I'm also not violent, but would enjoy kicking some ass there. As long as the judge isn't from the westboro baptist church I think the law would be pretty lenient.

[MACHINE5150]

Remember, free speech was designed to protect unpopular speech, not popular speech. So as much as I can't stand what these cats are doing, the supreme court ruling was correct.

Hate to play devil's advocate, but...

I agree with you 100%.. that is why they left it to the states and communities to say WHERE they can protest.. I would still take an AR-15 to them all.. even the kids.. i have had it with this extremism bullsh!t.. Al Qaida, Nazi's, Zionists, these idiots, they all need to be extinguished.

[DSM4Life]

I agree with you 100%.. that is why they left it to the states and communities to say WHERE they can protest.. I would still take an AR-15 to them all.. even the kids.. i have had it with this extremism bullsh!t.. Al Qaida, Nazi's, Zionists, these idiots, they all need to be extinguished.

I don't know why but that just made me spit on my monitor laughing.

[green22]

they are total nut jobs.... If they ever come to a funeral of a fallen soldier in my area, it will be hard for me not to go and just **** them up bad.....Ill go to jail for that.....

[MACHINE5150]

I don't know why but that just made me spit on my monitor laughing.

cause you have seen these videos of these little bastards holding signs saying "God Hates Fags" and "God Hates the US" when they are 5 or 6.. it's too damn late to try and change these kids minds.. and there are too damn many people in this world as it is.. maybe taking a few of them out would make their parents think twice about using them as poster boards for this retarded ideology

[DSM4Life]

cause you have seen these videos of these little bastards holding signs saying "God Hates Fags" and "God Hates the US" when they are 5 or 6.. it's too damn late to try and change these kids minds.. and there are too damn many people in this world as it is.. maybe taking a few of them out would make their parents think twice about using them as poster boards for this retarded ideology

Want to go on a road trip ? Ill bring the lube, i mean sandwiches.

[army_cobra]

Hey if you would all like i know where they live and where there church is and i could just take care of all them one sunday. I live in the same town as them and i see them everywhere. My first deployment to Iraq they were at are little get together. Alot of use went to jail over some of there signs that they had.

[MACHINE5150]

^^^^Hmmmm.. maybe next time i am back in the states.. I think beating them up is pointless you need to burn down their church.. with them in it..I have had it with this "my god is better than your God bullsh!t".. in my eyes they are just as bad as the guys who crashed the planes on 9/11

DSM.. i wouldn't mind going on a road trip with you, but we would have to get separate rooms.. plus how are you going to explain to your bf that you are going on a road trip with some guy you met on the internet??? i mean, that just won't work.

[BgMc31]

They may have freedom of speech, but they don't have freedom FROM consequence. So I'm all for a car losing control as it passes their "protest". You know those Toyotas and Lexus have excellerator issues...

[thegodfather]

"I may not agree with what you say but I will defend to the death your right to say it" - Voltaire

I'd like to think, that those soldiers died not only for many of the restraints on government that we enjoy, and not only for speech which is popular, but that they also died for people like those who protest their funerals to be able to do so. While they have no respect for the families of fallen soldiers, or the fallen soldiers themselves, they are not required to have respect under our laws. If we were to outlaw their right to do such things at funerals, we would be conceding defeat to the entities which seek to bring our country down. Osama Bin Laden himself said that he did not need to physically destroy the United States, that if he created a state of war and fear, that the United States would pass so many laws, and infringe on the rights of its citizens so profoundly, that we would destroy ourselves and our country would resemble nothing of what it once did. The Patriot Act, warrantless wiretaps, and other such violations of the Bill of Rights and Constitution are in fact a victory for Osama Bin Laden, not for the United States or its people.

[DSM4Life]

^^^^Hmmmm.. maybe next time i am back in the states.. I think beating them up is pointless you need to burn down their church.. with them in it..I have had it with this "my god is better than your God bullsh!t".. in my eyes they are just as bad as the guys who crashed the planes on 9/11

DSM.. i wouldn't mind going on a road trip with you, but we would have to get separate rooms.. plus how are you going to explain to your bf that you are going on a road trip with some guy you met on the internet??? i mean, that just won't work.

Once i tell him you are a harmless jailhouse chef I am sure he wont mind.

[KINGKONG]

Who is anti-gay anymore?I thought it was supposed to be in to be gay anymore?Theres so many other issues in the world I could give a fvck less what two dudes or two girls or 8 dudes two girls and a midget are doing...I cant wait for all the old bigot's to die out..

[DSM4Life]

Who is anti-gay anymore?I thought it was supposed to be in to be gay anymore?Theres so many other issues in the world I could give a fvck less what two dudes or two girls or 8 dudes two girls and a midget are doing...I cant wait for all the old bigot's to die out..

Thats pretty much what is happening.

[KINGKONG]

[/B]

Thats pretty much what is happening.

Great maybe we can finally legalize weed,whores and tax the sh1t outta both and stop killing our poor youth in worthless wars!Get back to the superpower of old!Sorry Iam feeling pissy with the backwards gov these days..My friend is getting ready to go in for 30 years for growing weed..Which is basically life for him..I just don't see to many violent weed OD's..Sorry again

[stack_it]

They should have all been killed by an ied and then had there funerals protested by every past and present military member available.

WTF is the point of the protest? Are they protesting the right for gay men to be buried? Should we just throw em in a ditch somewhere? Are they there protesting hoping to convince there god that is supposed to forgive all "sins" not to forgive this "so called" sin? To me it doesn't protest the military allowing gays at all. Just the right to bury them properly and respectfully.

All of them should be brought to Iraq or Afghanistan and dropped of in the middle of in an alqueda camp. I bet they would have no issue with a gay soldier coming to save them.

[bjpennnn]

the people that protest are ****en loony toonz they should be killed so they stop breeding

[DSM4Life]

Great maybe we can finally legalize weed,whores and tax the sh1t outta both and stop killing our poor youth in worthless wars!Get back to the superpower of old!Sorry Iam feeling pissy with the backwards gov these days..My friend is getting ready to go in for 30 years for growing weed..Which is basically life for him..I just don't see to many violent weed OD's..Sorry again

Compare weed related accidents to alcohol related accidents. Says it all.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

We stopped letting people immigrate here so freely to better suit America's needs, why can't we keep a few screwballs from protesting military funerals to better suit our needs? In order to think progressively you're gonna need to CHANGE. Freedom of speech is great don't get me wrong, but common sense is great too. What's legal isn't obliviously always whats moral.

[Public Enemy]

For me its one thing to say what you want and share your opinions in a respectful way... a whole other thing to go to someone's funeral and protest it in-front of their families and shit like that. Respect the dead no matter who they used to be.

[Tigershark]

Is this because of that stupid psycho church in Kansas?

[bushido3374]

I agree with Machine- Hope someone torches their church/KKK headquarters.

[bigpapabuff]

For me its one thing to say what you want and share your opinions in a respectful way... a whole other thing to go to someone's funeral and protest it in-front of their families and shit like that. Respect the dead no matter who they used to be.

Very well said

[terraj]

I would burn the church down, really.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

I think it has been burned down/blown up before, their website is godhatesfags d0tc0m, it says it all on there. They like it though, they like any kind of press they get. They tried going to the UK once, but the UK banned them.

[LatissimusaurousRex]

oh yeah the website also lists their schedule if you ever wanna meet up and give them some love

[auslifta]

Fvcken low life scum, why are these people still breathing in a country with so many guns?

[Shol'va]

These idiots are a lot like your teeth, if you ingnore them long enough, they will go away. They thrive on sensationalism, and unfortunately this latest ruling put them on the news yet again so they are soaking up their 15 seconds of shame...again. They are mad that we protect homosexuals in America, giving them equal rights under the law. I guess they wont be happy till DSM and I are put in a concentration camp somewhere along with everyone else that doesnt fit their interpretation of whatever bible they are misquoting from. I think like some above that they are are borrowed time. That it is just a matter of ticking off the wrong war veteran or veterans and turns ugly fast, then we can protest at their lousy funerals.

[Alphatier]

Religion is

[MACHINE5150]

Who is anti-gay anymore?I thought it was supposed to be in to be gay anymore?Theres so many other issues in the world I could give a fvck less what two dudes or two girls or 8 dudes two girls and a midget are doing...I cant wait for all the old bigot's to die out..

^^^See if i believed this then i would not be an advocate for killing all the kids too.. i mean they are not just "dying out" they are multiplying.. they are making little bigots and those little bigots of today will be the big bigots of tomorrow. There are too many people in this world, we need to do some "population trimming". i say kill them all and let God sort them out

[MACHINE5150]

Religion is

^^Fvck you.. my God can beat up your God.. haha

[lovbyts]

I understand the free speech and all but agree, sometimes common sense needs to prevail. It should not be the letter of the law but the meaning.

Also, dont blame the kids. Most are innocent and have no idea what they are doing or saying. They are only mimicking their piers/parents and will hopefully grow to have their own opinions someday. It's usually extremest like this where the home abuse and molestations are going on and they cover it in the name of God. Some of these kids will grow up to see the truth, many will probably be messed up for life and some will become extremest like their parents but that doesn't mean there isnt hope for some of them.

We have all done/said things when we are kids. Probably most of us teased someone smaller, weaker, different than us, called them faggot, n*gger or??? either in jest or trying to hurt them not realizing the consequences or how insensitive and weak minded we where being. Most of us have learned through self awareness how wrong it is/was and have changed our ways.

There will most likely always be some form of prejudice because people are insecure for the most part and to feel better they focus on others who are different. Just like the prejudice with blacks/African Americans. It has been winding down for a long time but far from gone. In my opinion a big part of what is keeping the prejudice alive is the NAACP and similar groups but yet they are still a necessary evil.

Once the focus is off gays or gay rights it will just be focused on something else unfortunately. Human nature.
I don't think anyone should have the RIGHT to protest at a funeral, even at a given distance like across the street or in eye/ear shot. They can protest at a nearby courthouse or government building but NOT at any funeral.

Just my .02

[lovbyts]

Your .02 isn't even worth .02 you slack jawed faggot.

tick, tick, tick, about 30 minutes until banned.

[drdeath613]

iv always found it funny when they do this its not like its the first time so let me get this right

if your gay
you shouldnt be able to vote
get married
adopt
free speech
protect there candy asses by serving something 98.9% of them didnt do
file joint taxes
live

well wow if thats the case were all going to be pretty bored

there goes a huge part of bodybuilding sports tv & movies oh and we cant forget music

you know they all danced to ymca at one point in there life is ok for them to sing tho just not protect them


DSM im with you lets grab a few mates on here track them down for some good ol corn holing tho ill take the girls u cant have it both ways this time oh and no sneaking up from behind i dont wanna hear oh my bad i slipped and stuck you again

[Phosphor]

We stopped letting people immigrate here so freely to better suit America's needs, why can't we keep a few screwballs from protesting military funerals to better suit our needs? In order to think progressively you're gonna need to CHANGE. Freedom of speech is great don't get me wrong, but common sense is great too. What's legal isn't obliviously always whats moral.

Immigration and free speech are comparing apples and oranges. I abhor what these whack jobs are doing. A counter-movement to push them back on-site would be nice. I remember seeing many people ringing around the funerals to oppose them before. They are now going to be even more brazen than before with their antics, so maybe we need to step it up as well. I think you may be misconstruing common sense in this case, since this is just a free speech issue. They have the right to express their views whether popular or unpopular. I agree with you on the legal and moral contrasts. Legal issues do not necessarily go hand in hand with morality - you can see numerous examples like.. I dunno. If your wife decides to screw a whole football team while your on a trip to the holy land with the pope. Legally sound, morally explosive. Out of different groups I despise, I think they are on my top 10 for sure.

I agree with lovebyts on distance of protesting. Out of earshot would be great and at least give the mourners peace. Otherwise, I think the protesters are infringing on the mourners rights and causing undue pain and anguish.