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[DC]
Westboro Baptist Church to ‘Quadruple’ Funeral Protests After Ruling
ABC News
/March 2, 2011
After the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in favor of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church’s First Amendment right to protest military funerals, leaders of the church have said they will increase their efforts in picketing across the country.
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on March 3rd, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Freedom of speech baby!
on March 3rd, 2011 at 1:16 pm
Re: Westboro Baptist Church – is not a church, they are un-Christian and should be told to mind their own business. How dare they impinge on a family’s funeral? How dare they protest a military funeral? These soldiers died and all they care about is that the soldier was gay! These soldiers have given their ultimate sacrifice – leave the families alone. Go protest Washington if you are against the war, not at a funeral. These people do not practice the word of God at all. If I lived here there I would protest every Sunday outside their church. Yes, it is freedom of speech but boy would they be upset if any group were to protest outside their church.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Freedom of speech was never intended to impenge on another rights as a citizen. Our founding fathers were extremely anti-religion, as they saw how this type of radicalism can destroy human rights. Spreading hate is not freedom of speech nor protected by the 1st Admendment. Anytime you spread hate, it magnifies and returns back to you 1,000 fold. That is the way the Universe responds to both positive and negative energy. The basic United States citizen has such a twisted idea of what the Founding Fathers wanted for this country.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 4:42 pm
Much as I despise Fred and his gang of thugs, I think the Supreme Court followed established precedent (KKK march for example) and decided correctly.
We don’t need to turn them into martyrs. Eventually, even as clever as they seem to be, they’ll make a mistake or overreach and provide the ammunition we need. Meantime, we’ll do what we can to keep the emotional damage to those attacked by them as low as possible.
These military families must know the country is behind them and that all but the most insane of us pay no attention to Westboro Baptist except to block their protests with picket lines of our own. The Patriot Riders will continue to show up and many communities form their own groups to keep Fred and crew as far away from the families as possible.
What is needed is less publicity. Ignore them in the media, protect the families, and eventually this so called religious group will crawl back under its rock.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 5:12 pm
I’m ashamed of this ruling. To know that only Alito dissented is terrible. To me this protesting at funerals is just insensitive and unchristian. Would Jesus do this? At a funeral in 2006 in Rio Rancho, NM (near Albuquerque), one of those church people stood on an American flag until a counter protestors grabbed it. He was confronted by a police officer but no arrests were made. It is against the law to yell “fire” in a crowded place. I think it should be illegal to demonstrate at funerals. Too bad that people seem to have so little respect for others.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 7:00 pm
While I totally agree with the decision of the court, I see no rational for our local communities spending our limited resources giving this scumbag bunch any police protection – let them defend this highly offensive ‘free speech’ on their own. I suspect that would be the last of their public antics.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 7:17 pm
Point of Information: They are not protesting because the soldiers are gay, they protest because America allows gays to live freely within the country and claim God punishes us by killing our soldiers. By their logic, if America outlawed gays, soldiers would no longer be killed…
While i believe the expression of opinion is an absolute guarantee, I disagree that they should be allowed to intrude on a private funeral service. Their right to public speech does not extend to private property (most cemetaries) and the disruption of others’ private religious services. If they wish to protest, let them write a letter to the Editor or picket the Pentagon!
I would like to see them blocked by the local community every time they show up. I notice that they did not go to Tennessee after they announced an action there last year. The community reaction made it clear they were not welcome and would be evicted if they appeared.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 8:29 pm
This also means that Churches can preach that homosexuality is a sin. Period. I am glad that this passed.
If a Church had of brought this to the Supreme Court, it would have been laughed out. Since this odd-ball group of family members calling themselves a church did this, well it passed. Funny how it helped in a Biblical way.
on March 3rd, 2011 at 9:56 pm
The only thing giving these yahoos their voice is the reactions to them, and the media. As revolting as they are, we only encourage them by doing anymore than ignoring them. Difficult? Absolutely. I do not like what they say, but I will support(while gagging) their right to say it.
on March 4th, 2011 at 7:39 am
I wonder if the Westboro Church is in any way affiliated with the KKK. After all, Reverend Phelps is originally from Meridian, Missdissippi, and we all know about the history of that place.
on March 6th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
I wonder how valid their IRS status is as a religious organization.