[Discussion] Can Westboro Baptist Church Protest near military funerals?

[Mudo]

This article grabbed my attention when I was discussing the very same issue with my peers at school.

The US Supreme Court is set to hear a high-stakes battle over free speech on Wednesday in an appeal filed by the father of a US Marine killed in Iraq who claims his son’s funeral in 2006 was disrupted and ruined by an antigay protest.Albert Snyder had won a $5 million jury verdict against the Rev. Fred Phelps and members of his Westboro Baptist Church for intentional infliction of emotional distress and violating the sanctity of the funeral of his son, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder. But the judgment was later reversed by a federal appeals court panel that ruled that despite the offensive nature of the protests conducted by the Westboro members, their activities were protected by the First Amendment.

Mr. Phelps is well-known nationally for his fire-and-brimstone opposition to homosexuality.The group believes that God hates homosexuality and is punishing America for its growing acceptance of gay rights by killing US troops overseas.Family members and others at military funerals have complained about the protests. But Phelps and his supporters insist they have a constitutional right to carry their message to the people at the funerals.

So to summarize, Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder, a marine who happened to be homosexual, was killed by an IED in Iraq and during his funeral, had Anti homosexual protesters harass and insult the family and Snyder. These people known as the Westboro Baptist Church believe that "God hates homosexuality and is punishing America for growing it's acceptance of gay rights by killing US troops." This is not the first time that the group has done this, However, the decision is being made by the Supreme court as to whether or not the protesters are still to be protected by the First Amendment, and, you guessed it, they decided that they are.

What are your thoughts on this? Should the rules have been bended to punish these people for harassing a dead marine who fought for his country DURING his very own funeral?

 

[SandVillageShinobi]

Those people are a bunch of self-righteous bigots. I hope they die a horrible death. Didn't read the thread, already knew who they are.

 

[Ldude]

According to the law, there isn't much they can do to those bastard protesters. I say get the pitchforks.

 

[wutangforever]

technically they can but there is a line and they crossed it so yes they should be punished

 

[theRPGdude]

Religion should not be even mixed in with the military to begin with. That's why world war 1 begin and 2 and the holocaust. And the cause of more world wars today. Religion and politics don't mix!

 

[Yusuke Urameshi]

Everyone has the freedom of speech, obviously. However, sometimes there is a consequence for what you freely say. Those people should be reprimanded by the government in some way, shape, or form. They make Christianity look bad, if that's what their faith is. Now when people bash on Christianity, their first blow is, "God hates gays." Thanks Westboro Baptist for falsely interpreting God's thought on homosexuality.

 

[Jack Spicer]

People like him are 100% wrong. Hating and purely despising people by something that doesn't even after their life is just wrong. Add to the fact is someone from the military and deceased, that makes it worse. Let people RIP, man and leave people alone. He needs to get his jimmies unrustled xd

Sorry for the minor joke, I just had to, but everything I said prior is my full belief. This is 100% wrong.

 

[theRPGdude]

People have there own choices in life that makes them who they are. What are they gonna say? We are all imperfect we all make mistakes. Those protesters so called religious groups are nothing more then a riot starters. Just another pain. What ever happen to peace and sense of morality!

 

[Yusuke Urameshi]

Religion should not be even mixed in with the military to begin with. That's why world war 1 begin and 2 and the holocaust. And the cause of more world wars today. Religion and politics don't mix!

I could be wrong, as I don't know all that much about WW2, but I thought Hitler just had a superiority complex. He didn't like that the minority of Jews in Germany were wealthy and had more power than the Germans did. Thus, he wanted to kill them all. Once again, I could be wrong.

 

[xXFLAVORSXx]

they most certainly have the right to it's just a morality issue of if they should or not

 

[theRPGdude]

Your right on that one.

 

[theRPGdude]

But you got to admit it was really bad there in Germany. Hitler made things worse for other country's. Religious groups were siding over hitlers promise over world Domination. It's hard to believe that god would love war? No! Never! So religion and politics don't mix.

 

[Yusuke Urameshi]

But you got to admit it was really bad there in Germany. Hitler made things worse for other country's. Religious groups were siding over hitlers promise over world Domination. It's hard to believe that god would love war? No! Never! So religion and politics don't mix.

I haven't read too much into religious groups and Hitler. Maybe I'll do that.

But who ever said that God loved war? He wants peace, but the corrupt people in this world don't.

And the government of the United States of America was founded by Christian men. They seemingly created the best type of government ever seen in history. From that fact, maybe politics and religion should mix, but on an appropriate scale.

 

['Toxic]

Ah, the most hated family in america U_U