Protesting against military funerals

[HGjunkie]

This made me rage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UMP3AK5jwo
                                                             

The fact that soldiers are dying for the freedom of this church to do this is just godawful. This church is satanic. The woman is severely mentally ill in my opinion.

I'll let you folks rip this one apart-

[Eclipse]

Its frustrating and infuriating, but it is also protected free speech, both in concept and by judgement.
Like it or not, their ability to be Alpha-Hotels is what our soldiers are fighting for.

I respect the Patriot Guard all the more for their restraint, I would likely be arrested the first time I went.

[HGjunkie]

Its frustrating and infuriating, but it is also protected free speech, both in concept and by judgement.
Like it or not, their ability to be Alpha-Hotels is what our soldiers are fighting for.

I respect the Patriot Guard all the more for their restraint, I would likely be arrested the first time I went.

That's what infuriates me. That countless US soldiers over the years sacrificed themselves to protect this country's freedom and liberties, and this is what they get. This is personal for me, but I don't want to get into that.

[DakRadz]

I have faith in news media again- gotta love Fox for getting something right  :clap:

I'm horrified that they claim to be Baptists. That's disgusting on another level.

Well, this says otherwise on the protected speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3PyoUPcobA&NR=1

Check out what they said about this Marine.... RIP Devil Dog.

And if they are disrupting the peace and intruding upon a family's privacy, out goes the 1st Amendment defense*.

[HGjunkie]

I have faith in news media again- gotta love Fox for getting something right  :clap:

I'm horrified that they claim to be Baptists. That's disgusting on another level.

Well, this says otherwise on the protected speech.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3PyoUPcobA&NR=1

Check out what they said about this Marine.... RIP Devil Dog.

And if they are disrupting the peace and intruding upon a family's privacy, out goes the 1st Amendment.

This makes me disgusted . I want to do evil things to them but wont say them here...

[Eclipse]

And if they are disrupting the peace and intruding upon a family's privacy, out goes the 1st Amendment.

Hey, anything that gets them off the lawn and going home is fine by me, but the First Amendment never "goes out".

Any creative police officer will find five reasons to cause them grief, but that is a separate charge and issue from their
right to say these horrible things.

[DakRadz]

Fixed- you're correct, I actually did mean what my correction says; they can't use the defense of the 1st Amendment if they're crossing over huge lines of "no-no"

[ZigZag911]

They should be ashamed of themselves for their lack of respect for the deceased service members and the total absence of compassion for their grieving families.

A Supreme Court justice once wrote that you don't have a right to yell "fire" in a crowded theater...I wish someone would sue the socks off these idiots, take 'em to court for 'mental anguish' and see if a similar principle doesn't apply to what is, after all, essentially a private, family observance honoring the departed.

This has been going on for several years...I'm surprised no veterans' group has chosen to exercise their right to assemble peacefully directly in between these morons and the funeral procession.

[Eclipse]

Looks like the Supremes will decide once and for all in October:
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-08-03/westboro_gets_high_court_date

No one will be surprised where the ACLU falls on this:
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5349/53/

[Майор Хаткевич]

This has been going on for several years...I'm surprised no veterans' group has chosen to exercise their right to assemble peacefully directly in between these morons and the funeral procession.

That's what the Patriot Guard does.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Looks like the Supremes will decide once and for all in October:
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-08-03/westboro_gets_high_court_date

No one will be surprised where the ACLU falls on this:
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5349/53/

Unfortunately that's the job of the ACLU...maybe they can assign a homosexual lawyer to help them out. See their reaction, much like the case with the Neo-Nazis in IL back a few decades with a Jewish lawyer.

[ZigZag911]

This has been going on for several years...I'm surprised no veterans' group has chosen to exercise their right to assemble peacefully directly in between these morons and the funeral procession.

That's what the Patriot Guard does.

Outstanding!

[SABRE17]

we had two teachers stand up during my high schools seniors last assembly, spcifically the time when we honored the 6 seniors enlisting,  they stood up with signs saying "end war" then claimed they wanted to open i dialogue about war. this is the same school where the summer before we painfully let go a brave marine who was killed in afganistan. heres what my junior class did in response
im the kid that calls the teacher sour patches cause i was holding back my real thoughts

http://wbztv.com/local/yarmouth.support.troops.2.1751325.html

and some other stuff for back round

http://wbztv.com/local/Dennis.Yarmouth.South.2.1760215.html
http://wbztv.com/local/motorcycle.ride.honor.2.1822914.html

[Short Field]

This made me rage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UMP3AK5jwo
                                                             

A four year old youtube clip???

An update:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/08/AR2010030801578.html

And a way to help:  http://www.matthewsnyder.org/help.html

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

Old News... but it still pisses me off.
She even said Hannity wasn't a Christian, and we all know that he is, well... he said he was and I believe him.

Anywho, read up... http://www.matthewsnyder.org/231570_br%20centered.pdf

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

Michael Moore has a few words for WBC...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_fAYl4Th4&feature=related

[Major Carrales]

Now remember, one's rights extend only as far as other's begin.  Also, infalmatory speech is not protected in any way, shape or form.  Who makes these calls...the Judicial Branch of government, the Courts.

My opinion of the matter is this...we have a family and the friends of the fallen in a "compromised emotional state" due to the loss of a beloved.  We have a group of people in all respects using the death of this person to make s political statement during the ceremony in which tempers run high.

I would consider their speech inflamatory.

[MikeD]

Looks like the Supremes will decide once and for all in October:
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2010-08-03/westboro_gets_high_court_date

No one will be surprised where the ACLU falls on this:
http://www.abpnews.com/content/view/5349/53/

That's the ACLU's job, they don't have to agree with the message.  As is attributed to Voltair, "I may disagree with what you have to say, but I shall defend, to the death, your right to say it".  Someone else brought up having a Jewish lawyer represent some Neo-Nazis.. 

Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Expression are two of the values our country was founded under.  Equal protection under the law was another.  No matter how despicable the alleged crime, everyone has the right to a lawyer.  I'm pretty sure one of the Founding Fathers represented the British soldiers responsible for the Boston Massacre. 

Edited:  Forgot the KEY don't.
Edited Part 2:  Mike needs to learn to use the Preview function...

[lordmonar]

They should be ashamed of themselves for their lack of respect for the deceased service members and the total absence of compassion for their grieving families.

A Supreme Court justice once wrote that you don't have a right to yell "fire" in a crowded theater...I wish someone would sue the socks off these idiots, take 'em to court for 'mental anguish' and see if a similar principle doesn't apply to what is, after all, essentially a private, family observance honoring the departed.

This has been going on for several years...I'm surprised no veterans' group has chosen to exercise their right to assemble peacefully directly in between these morons and the funeral procession.

The best way to deal with these morons is to ignore them.  Any vet group that counter protested would just give these bozos media attention....which is what they are all about.

[Major Lord]

Inflammatory speech per se is not exempt from the protections of the 1st Amendment. The Westboro Baptist Church is pretty much just one clan (literally, they are an extended family) and they also claim their actions are protected under the other parts of the 1st Amendment, religion and assembly. Their words would have to reach the level of incitement to riot or commit a crime to breech that standard, and they are careful enough to just be really, really offensive. Their primary view is that God is punishing America due to Americas tolerance of homosexuality. Ironically, they choose to disrupt the quiet enjoyment ( not really the perfect word for this) of other Americans carrying out a religious observance, i.e., Funeral rites. As far as I know they have never made any physical threats,so they are pretty much legally untouchable. The ACLU is an organization founded by Communists with a distinctly anti-American slant, and they generally only support cases that are  damaging to America's moral belief systems. I think in this case, if they had to pick sides, they would be on the side of the Westboro Baptists.

That being said, any red blooded American should be willing to give these sphincters some serious wall-to-wall counseling if they can do so without disrupting the sacred ceremonies honoring our fallen. If the KKK came marching through your neighborhood with a burning cross, you would be imprudent to wait until they start actual lynchings to do something about it, merely for fear of appearing "intolerant." The First Amendment ( and all of the Bill of Rights) protects Individuals from government, not necessarily from private citizens.

"Tolerance" is a new Politically Correct code word that used to mean "moral cowardice". Americans know right from wrong: Don't pee down our backs and tell us its raining!

Major Lord