Westboro Baptist slime in Salem NH for soldier funeral...go get'em

[FilJos]

What they do is despicable, but essentially protected speech. I guess it comes down to the fact that they have a right to say what they want, but we have the right to oppose them. For instance, They do not have a right to be heard, hence the Patriot Riders noise. We also have the right to ignore them, and cause their eventual downfall through lack of attention.

There is nothing about WBC that is Christian in nature. They completely ignore everything Christ taught. They are kind of like one-issue-voters as well, with no argument other than "god hates fags." Come up with a new one, will ya? Oh, thats right, you don't have any other arguments, and even that one is blatantly false to even the newest Christian.

 

[DerringerUser]

w00t for michael moore!1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33-_9nOX8KM

 

[Eleven Mike]

Actually, defending people like the Westoids, Neo Nazis, etc. is quite liberal (You know, like the ACLU). It sounds like you are a lot more liberal than I am.

As far as being childish, well, I'm not the one who goes off on insulting little tyrades, now am I?

If you paid any attention to the other posts, by other members, you would see that the 1st Ammendment does not guarantee people the right to demonstrate anywhere they please. Sorry, it just doesn't. Also the Westboros are not peacefully assembling. They are there to create a disturbance.

Perhaps Legal and Political is not the best place for someone with your delicate sensibilities.

Most of that is in the goofy column. I'm sure you've said a few sensible things here and there, but the majority of your comments are just an embarassment to our common position.

 

[FilJos]

The Moore video is priceless. I lol'd.

 

[mike101]

Elevenmike- In what way is that "goofy"? If you don't agree with it, fine, but goofy doesn't apply.

Medula, I respect your service in the Army. I realize you are not a Phelps supporter. However, I don't understand why you can't see that what Westboro is doing is infringing on the rights of the people at these funerals. These people aren't bothering anybody. They are just trying to bury a loved one in peace. Freedom of speech has nothing to do with it. They can have their demonstration a couple of hundred yards away, and still get their message out.

 

[cyco668]

What if the funeral was for a bad person, a Dahmer-like person? If a father held up a "Burn in Hell" sign at the funeral of the guy who raped and killed his daughter, would all of you say he has no decency and is an aweful person for being at the funeral?
I know this forum is about Phelps at a soldiers funeral, but do you think that there are times when a protest or rally at a funeral might be justifiable or understandable?

 

[Eleven Mike]

No one has said that anyone who protests at a funeral is an awful person who has no decency. Such a person is in a completely different class from the Phelpsies who literally make a career out of finding new people to hate and harass. I would still say, however, that the kind of person you describe is acting out of hatred, and that the First Amendment still does not cover such displays at a funeral. That's what public executions are for.

Are you going to retract your wholly false statements about Christianity in an earlier post?

 

[Eleven Mike]

Mikeburk,

I have no wish to be unkind. I also have no wish to go through each of your posts, demonstrating your goofiness and ad hominem and then arguing with you about it. I have no wish to discuss the matter with you; my comments were only intended to create some space between us, so that you don't discredit my arguments by agreeing with me.

 

[C. Rabbit]

Members of the WBC get hustled out of a protest area by police, a window on their van gets broken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZGKx2pTBQc&NR

I would think that it would be legal to pass laws restricting them (and all protesters) from protesting at funerals. They could protest in the same town, but not near the actual funeral.

CR

 

[Zundfolge]

I'm thoroughly convinced that these Westboro creeps are in this for the money. They are all lawyers. What does that tell you? They get funding from somewhere. They can afford to jump on planes and get themselves anywhere in the country on very short notice. Very suspicious for a religious group.

Assuming that your opponent doesn't really believe what they say they believe but are just in it for the money or some other ulterior motive.

That is one of the biggest mistakes that people make when debating other people (not just the Westboro people but any contentious political debate).

Its exactly what the antis do with the NRA (and RKBA movement in general) ... we can't possibly really want people to be armed because its our right, its because the "gun industry" wants to make its "blood money" or the NRA doesn't really want to further the cause of RKBA, they just want to get more "Religious Right White Male Conservative Republicans" in office. Or its just Bubbas that are afraid of them [insert N word]s.



These Westboro people TRULY BELIEVE THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS THE GREATEST SIN AND IS DESTROYING OUR COUNTRY.

Don't underestimate them ... they aren't simply hucksters looking to turn a dime, they are true believers as true in their belief as any suicide bombing Islamofascist is in theirs.

I wish they were just in it for the money ... it would be easier to get them to go away.


(now how exactly this [sarcasm]clearly gun related discussion[/sarcasm] has gone on 6 pages is unclear to me.)

 

[Ezekiel]

I have no wish to discuss the matter with you [mikeburk101]; my comments were only intended to create some space between us, so that you don't discredit my arguments by agreeing with me.

Ouch! That is absolutely beautiful.

As was attempting to teach someone the meaning of the word "hypocrite."

 

[ceetee]

I'm torn on this issue.

On the one hand, I fail to see how requiring them to picket a decent distance away from the actual funeral or procession infringes on their rights of free speech. They have free speech. They have a friggin' website, fer Chrissake. They have newspapers printing their garbage. They make radio and TV appearances. Everyone who has even the slightest interest in current affairs knows who they are and what they stand for.

How is that infringing upon their right to free speech?


On the other hand, this smacks of Bush and Cheney and their own "free speech zones"...

I'm thinking of changing my opinion. I'm tending toward saying "Let them protest. Let them pick a fight. Let them pick their teeth up out of the sand, then let them get arrested for inciting a riot..."

Juvenile, I know... but when I was a kid, if you got too mouthy to the wrong fella, you got your hat handed to you, and you learned to control your mouth.

 

[Ezekiel]

I'm thinking of changing my opinion. I'm tending toward saying "Let them protest. Let them pick a fight. Let them pick their teeth up out of the sand, then let them get arrested for inciting a riot..."

The issue with this is that PhelpsCo will, without doubt, portray themselves as victims. Regardless of how vile their speech or signs, the person -- or group -- that throws the first punch is who will go down. It will not be the church, they're too smart for that.

Assault begins with contact. Anything less is an annoyance.

 

[mike101]

11mike

Nor do I care to discuss it with you. You apparently don't know what goofy means, anyway. Consider the distance created. Who cares what you think?

Ezekiel, you're the one who started this whole thing. If you can't take it, don't start dishing it out. Why is it, out of all the people who are of the same opinion, I'm the hypocrite?

 

[ceetee]

The issue with this is that PhelpsCo will, without doubt, portray themselves as victims. Regardless of how vile their speech or signs, the person -- or group -- that throws the first punch is who will go down. It will not be the church, they're too smart for that.

No doubt. Depending on the venue, though, with full video coverage to support whatever local charge equals "inciting a riot", I kind of think a bereaved father just might get off of a simple battery charge. Maybe get some anger management therapy and adjudication withheld.

I would hope, anyway.

 

[Ezekiel]

MikeBurk...

Ezekiel, you're the one who started this whole thing.

I really have no issues being the "cause" of what has been -- for the most part -- an intriguing and intelligent discussion related to Constitutional Rights, if such is what you believe. (In fact, save for your own direct involvement, I've found it to be quite stimulating.)

If you can't take it, don't start dishing it out.

Oh man! [Insert maniacal, gleeful, Dr. Evil laughter here.] I haven't heard that since Grade School.

I'm overwhelmed by the grotesque reversal of evolution to be found within your vocabulary. Soon, I expect a wailing "because I said so" to be followed by a loaded Pamper(tm)...