Just When You Thought They Couldn't Go Any Lower...

[solemnwar]

snip

It looks like the law disagrees with you, so please file a formal complaint if you feel like the law isn't being applied as it should be. Otherwise, your argument is garbage.

"Offending" people should not be a crime, simple as that. If people want to be offended, let them. I prefer sticks and stones myself.

As for the other points you made, read my above post where I explained myself. I don't condone harassment, but WBC has a right to exist and a right to express their opinion no matter how skewered it is as long as they do it within the boundaries of the law. It's the price you pay for true freedom. And it isn't high.

Not sure about the states, but in Canada, there's Freedom of Speech, but it DOES NOT protect hate speech of any kind, because it infringes upon OTHER rights in our Charter. I forget the exact wording but it has to do with people having the right to live free and happy lives.

Now, people can SAY these hateful things. No one's stopping them from that. They'll just get taken to task for it. I believe the UK has the same thing. It's why WBC is not allowed to cross our borders. They tried, and our Border Control basically told them to GTFO.

 

[Vegosiux]

Nonsense, opinions don't harm anyone. They shouldn't be ostracized on the grounds of their opinion. Harrassment is a whole other deal. But as far as I know they've been banned from picketing within a certain distance.

Right, no, I agree, they should not be ostracized on the grounds of having an opinion, but on the grounds of shoving said opinion where it does not belong, or, to put it differently, on the grounds of being a bunch of massive bigoted douchebags. Can't fault them for having an opinion, I agree, just keep the damn thing where it doesn't cause mayhem.

 

[Saika Renegade]

Freedom of speech is a necessary thing, but does that cover the freedom to cause additional harm in the form of emotional grief, which they clearly know they are doing by protesting at the graves of children?

I can practice karate all I wish in my front yard, unfenced and in the open, but the moment I go into a mosh pit with the full knowledge and desire to punch people in the head even just by going through those same motions, I've gone from practice to assault. In other words, they are showing deliberate intent to cause harm, again, in the form of emotional trauma, and their right to exercise that intent is what we should be reigning in.

 

[jbm1986]

Hell, even the KKK are against these guys

You know you done f**ked when the FREAKING KKK hates you >.>

Even the KKK? wow... that is bad. I never thought I'd agree with them on hating a certain group.

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Read that Anon are after this group again. Good. Westboro have the freedom to say what they want, but they purposely chose events that will cause most pain. If thats the case then we have the freedom to tell them what we think of what they say, even if it means beating the shit out of them. Its a pity i live in the UK.

 

[mysecondlife]

"Just when you thought they couldn't go any lower"

Oh I knew they were already down there. I was surprised it took them this long to announce it.

 

[Substitute Troll]

Shouldn't they be imprisoned for this? I mean I know there's freedom of speech but even that has it's limits.

 

[ninjaRiv]

I'm just gonna say it, I hope one day someone shoots them all. Every single one of them. I'll be more thrilled then the day I learned Bin Laden was assassinated.

They're monsters, plain and simple.

All but one. I think it'd be interesting to see that person's reaction, after seeing his or her loved ones shot down.

Not that I encourage anybody to do such a thing.

 

[mionic]

Oh dear, these detestable pieces of shit again.
After watching that documentary about them "The most hated family in the world" and whatever the second iteration of that documentary was called, the only thing that could calm me down was the thought of how much they'd hate me back.
A Swedish, atheistic, polamoric, pansexual sceptic.

 

[Gizmo1990]

snip

It looks like the law disagrees with you, so please file a formal complaint if you feel like the law isn't being applied as it should be. Otherwise, your argument is garbage.

"Offending" people should not be a crime, simple as that. If people want to be offended, let them. I prefer sticks and stones myself.

As for the other points you made, read my above post where I explained myself. I don't condone harassment, but WBC has a right to exist and a right to express their opinion no matter how skewered it is as long as they do it within the boundaries of the law. It's the price you pay for true freedom. And it isn't high.

Not sure about the states, but in Canada, there's Freedom of Speech, but it DOES NOT protect hate speech of any kind, because it infringes upon OTHER rights in our Charter. I forget the exact wording but it has to do with people having the right to live free and happy lives.

Now, people can SAY these hateful things. No one's stopping them from that. They'll just get taken to task for it. I believe the UK has the same thing. It's why WBC is not allowed to cross our borders. They tried, and our Border Control basically told them to GTFO.

I was about to say something similer as it is the same where I live (UK) but I would save your breath (figuratively). The US seems to be a country that is unable to grasp the concept of Hate speach.

 

[Matt Dellar]

On one hand, it's amazing to see how nearly every religion and branch is against Westboro. You don't see that kind of unity very often.

On the other hand, the very existence of Westboro is scary. They recruit their kids into the church, brainwashing them from birth to believe that God--whose entire religious text has themes of love and compassion--hates fags, gays, soldiers, and now apparently dead kids. So they're getting kids to protest the funerals of kids. And the kids will grow up to do the same. There will be more of them, and we won't be able to do anything about it because they're merely exercising their first-amendment rights.

I say we ignore them. They want to be persecuted because Revelations says Christians will be persecuted in the end times. If we ignore them, they may get violent, but then we'll at least be able to legally lock them up. If they don't get violent and see that their misinterpretation of the Bible was wrong all along (if only), then we've won.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

Oh wow... This just got interesting... http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/12/hackers-take-over-westboro-baptist-church-twitter/ and http://vimeo.com/55671721

On that video, you might want to edit post to warn people to stop the video at around 3 minutes 22 seconds, or to at least mute the volume. I have a headache now because of that startling screeching that starts at 3 min 24 sec.

 

[Toaster Hunter]

As much as I support Free speech, this is just wrong. I wouldn't be surprised if something happens to them, like their car gets trashed, and the police just happen to look the other way. Bastards.

 

[II2]

I sorta figured they'd go after this. Too big a tender area to let heal properly, the bastards.

Maybe if we're lucky, it will be their "Alamo" - not violent, but the last big act of defeated 'stands'. Greatest act of trolling before being slapped with legal mandate to stop and being arrested on the basis of being instigators and scum bent on seeing how far they can operate under the auspices of protections meant for social good.

 

[Kakistos153]

Yep, they claim that "fag marriage" is to blame.

http://www.examiner.com/article/westboro-church-tweets-about-connecticut-shootings-fag-marriage-is-to-blame

How?? Just how??? That's not even remotely close to making any sort of sense, and sooo far detached from reality...

Because they're one of the few groups that doesn't shy away from acknowledging that if you think god is responsible for everything, then you also think he's responsible for baby murder too. i don't know how they ignore the bit where it also would mean he's responsible for homosexuality too, but there ya go. They truly and deeply believe that (because god is responsible for everything, that he sent that guy to punish the community for allowing same sex marriage.)

side note. its news to me that Connecticut has same sex marriage. so indirectly i am better informed about an important issue because of westboro baptist church. i just puked a little in my mouth.