Westboro Baptist Ruling

[ForTheLoveOfAll]

This is a completely ridiculous ruling. According to our law now the workplace is more sacred than a funeral. That's right, no hate speech allow in the workplace but a widowed mother trying to bury her dead son in peace.... forget about it.

The UK had the right idea when they banned these perverted creeps. Freedom of speech has always had limits. I don't know of anyone who believes in unbridled freedom of speech. Moreover I think the Phelps family should be allowed to say whatever they want just not wherever they want to. That goes for everyone, myself included. I feel no right to mouth off at another's funeral.

This. 100% couldn't agree more.

And for anyone who doesn't know much about these horrible people, google "the most hated family in America", it's a documentary by Louis Theroux. Might even be on YouTube.

[youtube:3kvgemu0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOrz5k0jWdU[/youtube:3kvgemu0]

She thinks they're worshipping the dead by mourning over their deceased soldier.

This woman shouldn't have been allowed to reproduce.

[hismikeness]

This is a completely ridiculous ruling. According to our law now the workplace is more sacred than a funeral. That's right, no hate speech allow in the workplace but a widowed mother trying to bury her dead son in peace.... forget about it.

Let me preface by saying I am in NO WAY condoning their actions on a "is it a tasteful action" level, but I think the workplace laws which you mention don't ban hate speech in the workplace, the ban employers from overlooking or condoning hate speech in the workplace. Employer puts in effect a rule and enforces it, problem solved. It doesn't prevent anyone from saying those things, it just prevents them from going unpunished.

In the same way, if I ever see them at a funeral of a loved one of mine, their freedom of speech won't stop my freedom of unleashing 370 pounds of pissed off atheist on that ass. Plus 300 from older bro, 200 from younger bro (if he's dripping wet) and 275ish from pops, and they are in for one bad fucking day.

[Stevil]

After watching the documentary, I feel sorry for these people, especially the children.
It is such a shame that Grandpa has such an influence over his family.
It highlights to an extreme how easily people are manipulated and how people can think in such strange ways.

It is sad that their beliefs have victims e.g. those attending the funerals. But really this family is not to be taken seriously. There are many, many people out their with odd beliefs, some are more vocal than others. These guys just need to be ignored, hopefully the authroities keep them at distance from the funerals.

They are certainly not worth going to prison for in retaliation or being sued for retaliating. They seem to be in a misery of their making already. Just ignore them. I hope they don't get paid for these documentaries or apperances on Talk show or Magazine articles. Noone should fund them.

[Tank]

This is a completely ridiculous ruling. According to our law now the workplace is more sacred than a funeral. That's right, no hate speech allow in the workplace but a widowed mother trying to bury her dead son in peace.... forget about it.

The UK had the right idea when they banned these perverted creeps. Freedom of speech has always had limits. I don't know of anyone who believes in unbridled freedom of speech. Moreover I think the Phelps family should be allowed to say whatever they want just not wherever they want to. That goes for everyone, myself included. I feel no right to mouth off at another's funeral.

This. 100% couldn't agree more.

And for anyone who doesn't know much about these horrible people, google "the most hated family in America", it's a documentary by Louis Theroux. Might even be on YouTube.

It's on YouTube in 8 parts. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... erica&aq=1

[Guardian85]

I won't be surprised the day news say that members of the Westboro Baptist Church pissed off a squad of marines and got run out of town the hard way(that would be fun to watch ).
If they keep poking people, at some point they are gonna get poked back.

[Stevil]

I won't be surprised the day news say that members of the Westboro Baptist Church pissed off a squad of marines and got run out of town the hard way(that would be fun to watch ).
If they keep poking people, at some point they are gonna get poked back.

This seems to be their goal.

If they get a respresentative of the government to violate them then they get to sue the government. Basically they would get handed their own money printing machine. Tax free of course due to their church status.

For me watching the documentary it seemed more like a mockumentary. Too silly to be true, this family is a joke and a bad one at that. Like a linguring fart they are best simply avoided.

This family is a threat to no-one other than themselves. Any retaliation would give them power. They seem so focussed on this path to wealth that they are obviously willing to sacrifice some of their children. And let's not be naiive, people can be and often are dangerous when provoked, Westbro's address is posted on Wiki, I am surprised that something unfortunate has not happened already.

[unsavioury]

My question...are none of the Westboro parishoners burying any sons/daughters?  Or are the exempt from the barrage of protest?  While I respect free speech, there is a reason you can't yell FIRE in a theater...people get injured.  Should the added psychological wounds inflicted on these families not be regarded as injury???  Aren't the believers all about values and what's sacred?  What could be more sacred then burying your family members?
I really found it hard to believe...that the lone justice that I agreed with was Alito...I am still searching the sky for flying pigs.

[Whitney]

My question...are none of the Westboro parishoners burying any sons/daughters?

Nope...the only ones old enough to die a 'natural' death is Fred Phelps or his wife.  If any of the rest die the family will disown them because they believe premature death is caused by living a life of sin and that anyone who dies prematurely; despite how they appeared to act in life is in hell.


That said....I'm all for organizing a Phelps funeral protest when one of them dies.  But I don't think they'll be having a funeral because I think they consider those a practice of worshiping the dead.

[fester30]

Someday one of their leaders will pay a man for sex.  Then they'll be too busy with internal strife to protest homosexuality at funerals of soldiers.

[Stevil]

Well, it seems that the kiddies aren't gonna be fornicating, Althought it was OK for mommy and daddy and even grumpy grampy. The kiddies will stay celibate, unless of course God takes a shinning to them and has his way whilst they sleep.

But odds are pretty good that this will be the last generation of that horrid family.

[Guardian85]

But odds are pretty good that this will be the last generation of that horrid family.

Well, we can hope. But if we look at the track record of prominent conservatives who pledge celibacy... well, I'll give you good odds on that one!  

[Stevil]

But odds are pretty good that this will be the last generation of that horrid family.

Well, we can hope. But if we look at the track record of prominent conservatives who pledge celibacy... well, I'll give you good odds on that one!  

Those that take a shining for love and human companionship outside the family are disowned. So they may get to know love but the family will no longer direct their own affection (namely, God's hate).

[Recusant]

Theroux did a follow up show just recently.

 [youtube:3ldg5wrv]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8v_x7fWIA[/youtube:3ldg5wrv]

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7