Westboro Baptist Church Case goes to the Supreme Court

[Mordeci]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/10/06/military-funeral-protest-case_n_752310.html

A couple of days ago the US supreme court heard opening arguments in the Westboro Baptist Church Case, over freedom of speech issue. Basically what the WBC was doing was protesting military funerals claming that military deaths were God's punishment for American immorality and tolerance of homosexuality and abortion and they would scream and chant at military funerals with signs that said "God hates Fag's" and stuff like that. Anyway this woman from Pensalvania ended up sueing for 5 million for this and a poem they posted on their website critiqueing the way she brought up her son. As offensive, stupid, and ignorant as the church's actions are I think the first amendment is designed to protect this kind of hate speech.

 

[nolonger]

I think it's down right fucking dumb that these people say this kind of shit.

It's sad to see people that are so blinded by hate that they try and refuse other peoples happiness.

This is no freedom of speech. I don't recall people having the right to slam others at someones funeral. That is just seriously fucked up.

'As offensive, stupid, and ignorant as the church's actions are I think the first amendment is designed to protect this kind of hate speech. ' - as in trying to say it's OK to say it?

Churches cause more problems and create more problems then they have ever solved. PRAISE THE LORD MAH FAMILY IS ATHIEST, YEEEHAW.

Lol, but in all seriousness it's just pathetic and the haters can go die in a hole. That's all .

 

[Things]

Freedom of speech only goes so far. People can call the police on you if you went to a preschool and just start swearing at the kids. People shouldn't be able to protest at funerals.

 

[Mystic]

This sort of thing makes me glad I have been born with the sense to be an atheist.

I usually wonder what the attraction of religion is. Why do people have this tendandcy to bend at the knees and put some sort of effort to some weird entity.

I have heard some answers along the lines of god teaches kindness, forgiveness, right from wrong and all sorts of stuff along these lines.

If thats the case, why is it that these people who profess to follow this kind benevolent forgiving god, always seems to spout nothing but hatred, anger, derision and spite?

Will someone please take religion away from the world. It does nothing but incite evil.

 

[aoeu]

Mystic, you only ever hear about immoderate positions. The friendly protestant church I was raised in indeed offered nothing but kindness... The WBC only ever offers hate.

As to freedom of speech, I'm very glad I do not have to decide - I don't know what's right in this case.

 

[thedeafmusician]

Mystic, the media monopolises on the bad things about religion. It makes more money than the good side does. You really need to remember that. I was raised in a religious family, went to a religious school. My family, on the whole, could be better, but that has NOTHING, I repeat, NOTHING to do with religion. Similarly, at the school I went to we DID learn right from wrong through the Bible and so on and so forth, and it definitely hasn't inceited evil in me. Can't speak for everyone else but a reasonable person could dedeuce that religion isn't a bad thing. It's the people that follow it that make it bad because they interpret it the wrong way and in the case of WBC, seem to lack simple compassion and kindness. There is a time for protesting -- and it is NOT at someone else's funeral.

 

[Kemra]

Freedom of speech is so abused by the mainstream religions, as are the laws protecting peoples rights to follow any religion they choose, not that I see those laws being upheld unless your a mainstreamer. I have personal experience in which to base that, I'm a Wiccan and still remember the day Fiona Horne was in Hobart doing a book signing. The abuse from the christian group outside was bad enough, but having to duck a rock while the couple of cops called to the scene just looked on and smiled was above and beyond.

About time our laws changed taking away the immunity these hate groups enjoy, let all laws treat everyone equally, if you preach hate and intolerance you should be punished no matter what your faith. Under current laws if a man stands in a shopping centre and screams racist comments he can be arrested, if he does it 'in the name of god' he goes free. Is this fair or just?

And some religions ARE a bad thing, the people who scream they follow a loving and kind god obviously haven't read their bible or qu'ran or opened a history book lately, or even switched on a tv set and watched the news. Yes the media slings dirt at religions, but the fact there is dirt to be slung at all says a great deal about their targets. When was the last time you saw a negative story about buddhists, wiccans, druids or hindus?

There are many 'kind and loving' religions out there, many gods and goddess's to believe in, many teachings that impart good morals and character. Saddens me beyond belief that so many choose to follow the ones that have an underlying theme of hatred

 

[A.SoNiC.boY]

Freedom of speech only goes so far. People can call the police on you if you went to a preschool and just start swearing at the kids. People shouldn't be able to protest at funerals.

I 100000% agree with you. I really don't understand where they get the nerve to protest the funeral of a hero who died so they wouldn't have to come into harms way. Its totally messed up, and they complain about homosexuality being immoral. Ha. They're a joke, and a sick one at that.

 

[chjones21]

I hope that woman wins her case and he is bankrupted!

 

[johnnysays]

When someone has a funeral they should have privacy. It's not like they're at a public open house event. Funerals are a very private thing and we should respect them. I would be against someone protesting at a funeral.

I don't like this war (especially the one in iraq), never supported it. It was too unilateral and Congress never declared war. If I could I would have a big UN meeting of the countries to discuss the war and have it televised on TV. They would cover the iraq war and where it went wrong and where it went right. They would explicitly cover our errors, point them out to us, and we would possibly change a few laws to make the president more accountable for his choices or limited in his/her range of choices. For example, in the iraq war, it would have been more appropriate to both DECLARE WAR and gather more international support so that we were not shouldering the burden. Shouldering the burden is what we're doing now, and we cannot afford it. We can't be the worlds police and pay our dues at home at the same time without breaking the bank. Hopefully this lesson will become clearer and the international community will get involved.

But I respect the people in our military. They have high ethics and our best interests in mind. While I feel some of them are wrong (hey, it happens to everyone), I don't doubt for a second their character and devotion to their line of work. They've given their lives to this cause. To give your life to a cause, wrongly or rightly, is the ultimate sacrifice. It shows true selflessness and absolute commitment.

What happened is that the military people do what the leadership tells them to do. And they do the best job possible. Their job is not to question it, but to carry out their orders. If anyone is to blame, it's our government and/or leadership. If we want to respect our military and the lives that have been lost, then we must hold our government accountable for its choices. Anything else is a slap in the face to everyone who has died to keep this country free from both internal and external threats. This also applies to countries all across the world. It's their job to hold us accountable at the UN. Anything else is a slap to the face of those who founded the UN or fought in WWII.

I have no doubt that if you're a person who has fought in war and seen how ugly and devastating it's, you would make damn sure that our government does not waste the sacrifices of its fallen soldiers. I wish every member of congress and in leadership had a son or daughter fighting on the front lines in iraq and afghanistan so that they wouldn't be too self-righteous and naive. If that were the case, I'm willing to bet that quite a few less of them would have given Bush the authorization to use our armed forces in the iraq campaign. And that might have been just enough to hold Bush in check and moderate the discussion and fears that were present back then.

 

[Lovecraft]

Freedom of Speech - The government will not stop you believing or saying things on properties for which you have the right to occupy, including public streets and spaces.

If they're on a public street they can talk all they want.