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

[crazyfoxdemon]

I must reluctantly support the Supreme Court's decision.. That does not, however, stop my UTTER HATRED of Westboro..

 

[Logic 0]

They have a right to protest whatever they want but once they cross the line then it's time to let fly with the "hippie strength" tear gas.

 

[Belated]

It's not a "claim". It's a fact. Free Speech means ALL speech. You can't refuse protection to some speech just because you don't agree with it. Yes these guys are douchebags, but they have a right to be douchebags, just like we have a right to call them douchebags.

 

[Kortney]

As far as making it illegal to protest at a funeral, that is a bit of a different ball game. That's not so much about free speech as it is about ethics and morals. And I agree, it should be illegal to protest outside of a funeral. But seeing as it isn't, their right to free speech cannot be infringed.

And that's all I was saying. Make it illegal to protest a funeral.

But why can't you? (You being the USA). Surely you can hold funeral protesters to a different standard?

There is a difference between freedom of expression and being outrageously disrespectful. Surely any protesting at a funeral should be made illegal. What good can come of it, for anyone? I have two brothers in the armed services and if something bad happened to them, and this happened at their funeral it would probably break me. There is no need to ever do this. Make it illegal is what I say. These bastards should be arrested.

Are you serious? Free speech is only ok if you deem it worthy? I think you're missing the point of free speech. I'm sorry their words hurt you, but it's not the goverment's place to intervene.

He's speaking about a situational clause which in all fairness would not be a bad thing. NOTHING positive can come from picketing a funeral. NOTHING. So why not have a common sense ruling to knock it out. Not like its a right people need. Sure free speech everywhere else, but why not have exclusion zones
lest we forget

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_speech_zone

If conventions deserve "not to be disrupted" funerals SURE AS HELL do.

She's**

But thankyou for understanding my point!

 

[MASTACHIEFPWN]

So, A man gives up all of his rights to defend his country, Not just his family and friends, but EVERYONE, and he can't even get so much as a peaceful funieral? What fucked up people are in the supreme court? I'd like to punch each and everyone of them a punch in the face and say "Ah, yes, I was protecting my right of free speach... WITH MAH FISTS!"

These WBC fags are pricks, I would just love to ship the lot of 'em out to some communist country, where if you say or do anything like what they say or do, you are forced to go out in the cold and rain, dig a trench, line up in front of it, and then you are exucuted by a line of soldiers. That sounds fair to me.

 

[DarthFennec]

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

Hopefully not, as long as they're just going to stand there. They should be allowed to protest, as should everyone, and that right shouldn't be subject to change. Don't get me wrong, I despise the WBC as much as anyone, and I am completely against what they do, but even so, I couldn't possibly take someone's freedom of expression away from them, just because I don't like what they're saying. That's just wrong.

 

[twiceworn]

have you ever had a moment of clear relisation that you could would and if given any kind of chance NO MATTER HOW SMALL, will comit murder? well i just had one after reading that, PROTESTING A FUNERAL!!!
makes me sad i live in the uk and will never get a chance!

 

[Jack of Spades]

I'm not pissed that they protested a funeral, I'm pissed for their disgusting abuse of the 1st amendent.

 

[dreadedcandiru99]

I'm okay with it. This means that the rest of us will be will within our rights to protest the funeral when Fred Phelps finally bites it.

 

[soulsabr]

free speech even applies to these poor excuses for human beings. luckily, counter protesting is protected as well. WBC gets verbally kicked in the nuts just about every place they go nowadays. if only physically kicking them in the nuts was protected.

This implies they HAVE nuts to kick. I think sackless idiots like this are a waste of oxygen. Sigh ... too bad having their speech blocked would actually manage to be worse than they are.

 

[ph0b0s123]

Make it illegal to protest a funeral.

Cause making a law like that will not be open to abuse. We have seen how people have twisted the law for child porn when it's protections were removed, like the guy who made the singing to kids video, for example.

How long before anyone who says something negative no matter how minor at a funeral, gets arrested under your lovely new law. Something as simple as a minor arguement on funeral day. This is what you open by blurring the line on this. As we have seen before, give procecutors an inch, they will take a mile.

I cannot belive new laws are needed to deal with these people. Use the ones that are already there. All the SCOTUS have said it that you cannot stop them using the tools the police have tried so far.

I always hate it when the police come across something new and instead of trying to workout how to deal with it using the tools they alreay, instead come bleating tat they need new laws.

 

[Jodah]

While the WBC are all whackos that should be beaten savagely with a rubber hose I do agree with the Supreme Court. One day they will cross the line, someone will snap, and there will be an interesting murder case to watch.

 

[Pigeon_Grenade]

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.

1% bikers Originated just after World war 2, by Returning Soldiers, so id Say its more a matter of Both Respect for the dead, and fallen soldiers

 

[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.

I disagree, they willingly put their lives on the line in defense of a country, I'd say that earns more respect than just dieing.

This (how much respect people in the armed forces deserve compared to other professions) is a different, broad and interesting topic. I don't think this is the right thread for it, but if you want to, we can make a different thread for it. PM me if you want to have that discussion.