Do Anti-Gay Groups Have Right To Protest Military Funerals?

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by Drew Grant | 8:09 pm, March 16th, 2010

» 35 comments

This is such an ugly story: The Supreme Court upheld agreed to review a reversed ruling that allowed members of Westboro Baptist Church to stage a loud and distracting protest outside of a cemetery where a military officer was being buried by his family. Originally the family had won a $10 million court settlement after their son’s funeral – a serviceman who died in Iraq – was disrupted by church members (lead by Pastor Fred Phelps) – who claimed homosexuals are the reason God is punishing American soldiers overseas. The issue was debated on Hardball tonight, and it’s a tricky one: First Amendment or not, what about the right to hold a private grieving ceremony?

It’s cases like this that make it really hard to want to protect the right to freedom of speech when a man had to bury his son next to such hateful imagery. And obviously there is no clear answer, or else the government would have imposed bans on assembly of Ku Klux Klan meetings long ago. But we agree with Melinda Henneberger when she says that “This is so outside the bounds of human decency…(it’s) only going to create even more sympathy for Gay Rights groups by showing people who oppose that to look like haters.” Add to that veterans who may have their personal feelings about gay people but strong opinions about those who disrupt the funerals of those who died in service for our country, and Westboro may have just turned some of the last gay-bashers against their own cause.

Fred Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church

Fidoohki

I”m sorry Drew but while these idiots turn my stomach these are the very cases
we HAVE to support. It has to be ‘one rule for all’ or our system is worthless.
Azarkhan

They should be beaten. Severely.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Stephen-Hilton/1334543387 Stephen Hilton

Hmm… I have a way to fix this… And maybe it’s just me.. When the 21 gun salute is ready, load live ammo in the guns, turn and fire at them. They would not come back to cause more pain and suffering for anyone else. :)
Jim R

Despicable hateful freaks.

I think they’re entitled to the same free speech rights as observed by both political parties at their conventions, meaning they should put them in a fenced-in area a couple miles from the cemetery.

For extra giggles we could rough up journalists trying to cover these “free speech areas”, pepper spray the louder religious nuts, and arrest anyone being disrespectful to the peaceable officers.

Of wait, that treatment is only for the left, sorry.
trancewe

Wait a minute. The Supreme Court has not ruled on this case, only agreed to hear it. And Matthew Syder was gay? Where the hell did you get that? Phelps may be obsessed with homosexuals but that doesn’t mean he only pickets the funerals of gay people. In addition (not to diminish this young man’s service) he died in a NON-COMBAT vehicle accident. Fact check anyone?
MichelleF

I think it’s disgusting, but according ot the constitution, it’s their right.
MichelleF

For extra giggles we could rough up journalists trying to cover these “free speech areas”, pepper spray the louder religious nuts, and arrest anyone being disrespectful to the peaceable officers.

Ted,
Are you aware that someone was dragged out by 4 or 5 police officers from an Obama “rally” for saying something contrary to BO’s HC plan? Or course, BO made it look like the person was ill, which made it even more revolting. Just another case of criticism of BO being stiffled.
MichelleF

Sorry, meant Ted, not Jim. Their posts are usually so close it’s hard to tell them apart.
MichelleF

HAHA, did it again, I meant JIM!
Christine

No the Westboro Baptist Church pickets funerals of all servicemen, not just gay ones. They claim that they are serving a country that allows people to be gay so they deserve to die. Just like we deserved 9/11 and Katrina etc b/c we tolerate gays. They basically picket anywhere where there will be media coverage. This church is almost all Phelps, possibly inbred though I have no evidence. God probably hates them though. Oh yeah, WBC has also declared that God hates Twitter, for whatever reason, so yay. They have to be allowed to protest, I guess, and make complete assholes out of themselves. Luckily there are often counter protestors.
imnotyourkind

How disgusting for a group to do this at a funeral. Do they have no conscience? Or any sense of pain that they caused the family? It’s people like these that give Christianity a bad name. Real Christians would show respect, not hate.
trancewe

This post just keeps getting worse. Wrong video embed now. What the hell are you guys smoking? *edit* to my previous post Syder=Snyder
http://www.soundst.com locascioa

Good God! Their voices must be heard…how else will the rest of the world know how despicable these people (WBC) are. How sad is it that they disrupt the final goodbye to someone who served and fought for the very freedoms that they enjoy every day.
Christine

Btw, what does the video have to do w/ this story besides nothing?

I don’t see why they can’t be kept far enough away from the funerals to keep the funerals from being disrupted while still giving them the right to protest.
the real john t

MichelleF says:
March 16, 2010 at 8:53 pm

Are you aware that someone was dragged out by 4 or 5 police officers from an Obama “rally” for saying something contrary to BO’s HC plan?
——————————-

Well I didn’t know that. Could you give a link (you know, what you’re always asking for) for that? Plus what the hell does that have to do with a bunch of idiots protesting about gays at a soldiers funeral?
michiganruth

why is this a free-speech issue? these clowns don’t have the right to interrupt a private (possibly religious) ceremony. I mean, it’s not like anybody’s telling them they can’t be bigoted morons…they just can’t do it at a stranger’s funeral.
Christine

Ok they fixed the video so I got to see it. They pretty much covered it. Good luck w/ this one Supreme Court.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kathy-Kitt/628413749 Kathy Kitt

I met Fred Phelps and he is evil. Unfortunately, the right to free speech is absolute and so he should be able to protest no matter how grotesque.
MichelleF

Well I didn’t know that. Could you give a link (you know, what you’re always asking for) for that? Plus what the hell does that have to do with a bunch of idiots protesting about gays at a soldiers funeral?

John, As stated in my post, I was responding to Ted’s comment:

For extra giggles we could rough up journalists trying to cover these “free speech areas”, pepper spray the louder religious nuts, and arrest anyone being disrespectful to the peaceable officers.

Of wait, that treatment is only for the left, sorry.

Here’s your link

For extra giggles we could rough up journalists trying to cover these “free speech areas”, pepper spray the louder religious nuts, and arrest anyone being disrespectful to the peaceable officers.

Of wait, that treatment is only for the left, sorry.

For extra giggles we could rough up journalists trying to cover these “free speech areas”, pepper spray the louder religious nuts, and arrest anyone being disrespectful to the peaceable officers.

Of wait, that treatment is only for the left, sorry.

Here is your link:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_031610/content/01125112.guest.html

Still waiting on my link requests for you guys.
puck30

First off Drew it ain’t just gay folks, Westboro hates everybody.

For the most part they are kept outside the cemetery across the street and if it’s known they are going to show up. A Biker group of mostly ex service personel show up and sheild the familes by lining the other side of the street.

Still, as crappy as it sounds. They have the right. But they are ANTI-everything. No doubt they would have a problem with me.

Matthews really missed the point here and he should know better. Here’s proof they hate everybody.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEGLFJ-Nqq4

Hannity & Colmes rip her apart! So, yes it’s a rare classic.
Snipzor

It’s been said many times before, but does free speech allow shouting “fire” in a crowded theater? Again, not everything is covered under the banner of free speech, and free speech can include burning a flag. If you support their right to protest a dead soldier’s funeral, then you should also support flag burning.

Not everything is covered. That’s all that needs to be said.
the real john t

@ MichelleF

You gave a link to Rush Limbaughs site? First of all the video didn’t show anyone being dragged off by police. It was some ditto head woman’s testimony that called in and said what happened. Now we’re supposed to take that as the gospel truth? I doubt the ditto head woman was even there.

Now, do you have some credible link?
puck30

Well at least when we all go to Hell, we will have a great Quaterback for our team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnEiaZYDh-I

Found this out about her on Winki “Her first son was born out of wedlock in 1979 after an affair with a man in a halfway house where she was an intern.”

You mean we have to put up with her in Hell too?

Snipzor says:
March 16, 2010 at 10:15 pm

Who here is supporting this nutcase’s right? It ain’t right! But right now these mental cases have the right. Just like when some moron burns a flag in front of a WW 2 guy. No one supports it. But right now it’s the law.

Phelps has less then 100 people in his church, flag burners? About the same. They do it for attention. What we really can do is, if you know these ya-hoos are going to show up in your town. Go down and support the family if you can. Hopefully, one day these jerks will fade away.
The Real Royal King

I am glad that our Constitution protects even the vile speech.

—

No point can be proven by a link to Limbaugh.
MichelleF

It was on CSPAN, believe it or not, I don’t really care. From my experience, you libs could be right next to the person being dragged out and would deny it.
the real john t

MichelleF says:
March 16, 2010 at 11:29 pm
It was on CSPAN, believe it or not,
——————————————–

Then why can’t Rush or anyone else get a video of it? That should be rather easy.
MichelleF

Same reason you libs can’t ever post a link to the vile, racist things beck says, I guess.
the real john t

MichelleF says:
March 16, 2010 at 11:36 pm
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OH! I can see you’re highly intelligent with that answer.
MichelleF

As always john, it’s like talking to a brick wall.
the real john t

MichelleF says:
March 16, 2010 at 11:50 pm
As always john, it’s like talking to a brick wall.
——————————————

Yes, I was thinking the same thing.
http://lauriebethsgrotto.wordpress.com Laurie Beth

If anybody’s interested, Louis Theroux did a fantastic documentary on the WBC for the BBC in 2007. It’s really very well done.

Part one is linked and you can find the rest through related videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmIr9P-vkSQ
tjl

Tired act, Michelle. You need some new schtick.
Nachi

Yes. In front of an armed firing squad.
pyrope

Sure, they have a right to protest and if I ever attend a funeral of a fallen soldier while they are there, I will exercise my right to beat the crap out of them.
Cotypeel1

i would dare someone to come protest at a funeral of one of my family memebers,i am not a red neck at all but if someone came and held up a sign thank god for dead soldiers they would find out how fast i can use my second admindmint