Supreme Court claims Protesting a soldier's Funeral is protected by 1st amendent

[Jack of Spades]

A small group of people, who claim to be a religion, protested a soldier funeral. Having signs calls the fallen man a murder. The family of the solider wanted legal action taken against this group. In an 8 to 1 decision from the Supreme Court this protest was protected by the 1st amendment.The group is now planning to protest more funerals.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_exclusive/20110302/pl_yblog_exclusive/courts-ruling-in-funeral-protest-case-restates-first-amendment-principles

The law may protect these f*ck jobs, but one day they'll push their luck too far.

 

[Canid117]

They already have. They get bricks thrown at them and biker gangs keep them a certain distance from such funerals out of respect for the soldiers.

 

[That One Six]

I agree entirely with the Supreme Court. Now, don't get me wrong, I absolutely loathe Westboro, and I go out of my way to make everyone else hate them, too, but, as it has been said, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll fight to the death for your right to say it". Can't discriminate against the minority, even if they are hate-spewing bastards.

 

[Volkov]

They already have. They get bricks thrown at them and biker gangs keep them a certain distance from such funerals out of respect for the soldiers.

I think it's more "out of respect for the dead" than "for the soldiers". A dead soldier deserves no more respect than a dead anybody else, really. After the Tucson shooting, for example, the bikers guarded the funeral of a 9-year old girl.

 

[Not-here-anymore]

I'm glad. Not of the protests themselves, but of the upholding of free speech. It would be immensely hypocritical for us to campaign in favour of video games' ability to portray whatever they like and then object to WBC's right to picket.

Sure, they're ignorant arseholes hiding behind a bizarre and twisted understanding of the bible to cover their refusal to accept that others are allowed freedom of expression, but they have that right.

 

[Nurb]

Stop giving them attention. News coverage and getting outraged over them gives them power, ignoring them takes it away. (provided they're out of earshot of funerals)

"Books won't stay banned. They won't burn. Ideas won't go to jail. In the long run of history, the censor and the inquisitor have always lost. The only sure weapon against bad ideas is better ideas and [an extensive] education."
-Alfred Whitney Griswold 1959

 

[Volkov]

I think someone should give them a little of their own medicine...

This is a horrendous idea.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

They've done it before (RIP Dio), they'll do it again. I guess they're allowed to throught free speech but I can't say I wouldn't punch any of them in the nose if I met them.

 

[Liiizard]

They might be protected legally, but one day someone is going to be driving along, someone who was in the war or lost family to it, and they'll just swerve onto the sidewalk and turn them into red paste. On that day, I'm having a party in celebration.

EDIT:

I'm not actually condoning violence against these people. They have the right to say what they want. I'm just saying, there can be non-legal consequences for your actions. You go to southeast LA, Crip territory, dressed in KKK gear, shouting the N-word, you're legally allowed to do it... but that doesn't mean you'll live too long.

 

[Canid117]

They already have. They get bricks thrown at them and biker gangs keep them a certain distance from such funerals out of respect for the soldiers.

I think it's more "out of respect for the dead" than "for the soldiers". A dead soldier deserves no more respect than a dead anybody else, really. After the Tucson shooting, for example, the bikers guarded the funeral of a 9-year old girl.

True Soldiers was probably a poor choice of words on my part.

 

[ProfessorLayton]

They're idiots... but they can do it as much as they want. What if you were protesting something you believed to be wrong and people who disagreed with you said that, legally, you couldn't do it. I hate this group as much as anyone else, but I wouldn't dare stop them from doing it.

 

[ThatDaveDude1]

The First Amendment protects protesters, and is universally applied reguardless of what they're protesting so long as no laws are broken?

*gasp* This is shocking and unexpected!
/Sarcasm

 

[Easton Dark]

Just get huge banners in favor of the funeral (sounds morbid, but you know what I mean) and just stand in front of and behind those protestors.

Freedom of speech means nothing if no one can see or hear you.

 

[Jamboxdotcom]

They might be protected legally, but one day someone is going to be driving along, someone who was in the war or lost family to it, and they'll just swerve onto the sidewalk and turn them into red paste. On that day, I'm having a party in celebration.

EDIT:

I'm not actually condoning violence against these people. They have the right to say what they want. I'm just saying, there can be non-legal consequences for your actions. You go to southeast LA, Crip territory, dressed in KKK gear, shouting the N-word, you're legally allowed to do it... but that doesn't mean you'll live too long.

I'll make a sign that says "Thank God for Dead Phelps!"

 

[Canebrake]

What happened to breaking the peace?

Seriously.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Well... I'm glad that Americans upheld their first amendment. I mean, lets face it, if they hadnt ruled it was right of free speech, dozens of countries would say how hypocritical America is. And its not like you can just say, "well, we wanna take a way the rights of this one group" cause then thats not constitution.

Really, you can only hope they all peter out once their leader dies (who's like, ancient. I know its wrong to do this, But I vehelmantly wish everyday its the day it happens). So yeah, go Supreme Court, people may take advantage of this and ruin it for others, but at least there's freedom for the average people.

 

[DustinLiang]

What happened to breaking the peace?

Seriously.

The protesters were non-violent, obeyed laws and regulations, and even followed the directions of the police who were onsite. Sadly, they were within their rights to protest. Still the scum of the Earth, but lawful scum.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

I think someone should give them a little of their own medicine...

This is a horrendous idea.

Agreed, they would only revel in the attention it would bring them. You don't want to give them anything they can use to play martyr.

Like others said before, I loathe Westboro's actions but if we want freedom of speech to mean anything, it has to be absolute, meaning you should be able to say anything without having to fear (legal) retaliation. Unfortunately that requires having to live with degenerates like them.

Still, they could use a little more decency and common sense. It's freedom of speech, not freedom to be an asshole. Then again, common sense seems anything but common.

 

[Jack of Spades]

I bet these people wouldn't have the balls to protest a Mafia or Gangster funeral. Only protesting funerals where they know people won't do anything is cowardly, they're just bullies.