Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Seems like a totally sane argument to me! (sarcasm) Kansas Church to Pay $10M for Disrupting Funeral http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15876221&ft=1&f=1001 A jury says a Kansas church has to pay more than $10 million in damages for protesting last year at the funeral of an American Marine killed in Iraq. Church members waved signs saying, "Thank God for Dead Soldiers." The protesters have carried out similar demonstrations at soldiers' funerals nationwide. They believe the war is God's retribution for America's tolerance of homosexuals. The Marine's father went to court seeking retribution of a different kind. The fiery message of the Westboro Baptist Church has led its followers into a fight for what they say are their First Amendment rights. After what would appear at first glance to be a setback in one court, the group heads to another one on charges that include flag mutilation — and members of the Topeka, Kan.-based church could not be happier. "Our message has exploded all over the world," a delighted Shirley Phelps-Roper said Thursday. Phelps-Roper's comments came a day after the fundamentalist church was ordered in Maryland to pay nearly $11 million to a grieving father whose son's military funeral was the target of the congregation's frequent picketing campaigns. The church believes that U.S. deaths in the Iraq war are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality. The protesters carry signs bearing such slogans as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags." Followers say they are entitled to protest at soldiers' funerals under the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion. Phelps-Roper, 50, is to appear in Sarpy County Court on Monday on charges of flag mutilation, negligent child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and disturbing the peace. The charges were filed after Phelps-Roper allowed her 10-year-old son to stand on the flag while protesting at a Bellevue soldier's funeral in June. Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov said when the Westboro followers specifically target grieving families, "they don't really deserve the protection of freedom of speech, freedom of religion." Phelps-Roper's attorney, Bassel El-Kasaby, said he has asked that the case be thrown out because the charges are unconstitutional. El-Kasaby was hired by the Nebraska ACLU to represent Phelps-Roper. Nebraska's flag law defines flag mutilation as when a "person intentionally casts contempt or ridicule upon a flag by mutilating, defacing, defiling, burning or trampling upon such flag." Phelps-Roper has noted that the U.S. Supreme Court has struck down laws forbidding flag desecration. Westboro has been effective in getting its name and message out, but most people will not be able to make a logical connection between homosexuality and soldiers' deaths, said David Meyer, a sociology professor at the University of California, Irvine. "Sometimes you actually want to provoke a fury, because the action of protest is meant to be polarizing," he said. "But you hope when you do that more people break on your side than the other side." Meyer said protesters are typically effective in encouraging social change when they fight against something generally accepted as being wrong — as happened with the Civil Rights and anti-draft movements — or when protesters can make a connection to something wrong, such as anti-abortion protesters likening abortion doctors to murderers. Westboro's last legal fight occurred in U.S. District Court in Maryland, where Albert Snyder sued the church after a protest last year at the funeral of his son, a Marine who was killed in Iraq. He claimed the protests intruded on what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event. Nebraska and at least 37 other states have adopted laws restricting how close protesters can get to funerals. The laws were at least partly inspired by Westboro's protests. Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries. On Wednesday, the church was found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress. Jurors awarded Snyder $10.9 million. Ronald Collins, a scholar at the First Amendment Center, said that while he finds the church's message reprehensible, it is protected by the Constitution. He expects the judgment to be thrown out on appeal. "You don't get around the First Amendment by issuing an $10.9 million verdict," Collins said. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! maybe I should of made the title "god hates fags so he's starting a war and killing everybody" eh whatever the case these people are fucking crazy assholes to do this shit to some guys whose kid died over there...I hope he gets his $$$ola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushawn wuan Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! sometimes i think there is no god yes scientology Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitchThe$nitch Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! interesting how they use kids to protest for fucked up shit like this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fist 666 Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! i fucking hate these people. twisted motherfuckers. btw. there is no god. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drue_Down Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Fuck anyone who lives in Kansas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILONE/SK Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! I am extermely pro freedom of speech, no matter how retarded it is. Since I am a Soldier I hate these guys, but I do support that they can do this. Just because it is disrespectful and I do not understand it, does not mean they should stop doing it. With freedom of speech, you have to take all the good and the bad that people can give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILONE/SK Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! BTW, if i was at a funeral and they were doing this, I would get arrested for assulting them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lord_casek Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! agree with cilone. i don't like it, but i can choose to not give them my attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! me and canada are gonna be tight in like 5 years... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NerdUnit Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! On you tube search The most hated family in america. BBC documentary about the Phelps family and how fucking whack they are. Very unbelievably brainwashed kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILONE/SK Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! On you tube search The most hated family in america. I hate crackheads or any parents that do not take care of their kids basic needs more then this family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
En Sabah Nur Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! i live close to kansas. i wouldn't be surprised if they get massacred someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CILONE/SK Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! ^what kind of shit is "i live close to kansas"? I can understand someone saying that they live near a town or county, but a state is too much. that is like me saying i live near Alabama because I live in Georgia. And if they have not been "massacred" yet, why would they now? because kansas is soooo tough???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alloverthetown Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Where's a sniper when you need one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben Kinkaid Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! me and canada are gonna be tight in like 5 years... Yeah because we don't have religious nutjobs up here... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moterhead Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Yeah because we don't have religious nutjobs up here... yea but i wont be ashamed i will be like dont blame me I am from the united states. and then if somebody says some shit about americans I can just be like hey dont blame me i moved to canada... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! i heard this bitch a while back on howard stern. bitch makes no sense at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! yea but i wont be ashamed i will be like dont blame me I am from the united states. and then if somebody says some shit about americans I can just be like hey dont blame me i moved to canada... :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! How come nobody's fire-bombed their church yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! because normal people dont fire bomb things. People in the article are the ones who fire bomb things...kinda suck doesnt it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Yeah, but being as litterally everybody hates them motherfuckers I'd imagine there'd be some other wack jobs out there that would be willing to step to the plate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Or some pissed off vets even. They don't necessarily gotta be wack jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackson Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Welcome to 1999 motherfucker. Check out Louis Theroux, he went there and was very English and polite and spoke to them. Great documentary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blahh Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! I'd have to agree with cilone. letting courts decide who "deserves" free speech is a "slippery slope," as they say. On the other hand though, fuck these fools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Some1 Posted November 2, 2007 Author Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! Welcome to 1999 motherfucker. Check out Louis Theroux, he went there and was very English and polite and spoke to them. Great documentary. I started watching it Via youtube. They just went to court for the funeral thing thats why it was new on NPR. I could imagine these people defending their beliefs in court and acting like assholes so they'll lose... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c-walk Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! i only read the first couple posts but i can understand that they protest cause you cant take away freedom of speech or limit it and in that right they can protest but at the same time if it was someone's funeral that i knew i wouldnt be happy about it and i cant really say what i would do but it would most likely land me in jail for it... what they did is disrepectful but its also freedom of speech Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRUNKEN-ASSHOLE-ONER Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! I'd have to agree with cilone. letting courts decide who "deserves" free speech is a "slippery slope," as they say. On the other hand though, fuck these fools. If practicing freedom of speech via protesting in the streets gets you teargassed, clubbed, tazered, and/or shot with rubber bullets and locked the fuck up.... then how are these douchebags allowed to harass and disrupt peoples funerals? You'd think they'd at least catch disorderly conduct charges if not harassment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatetown Posted November 2, 2007 Share Posted November 2, 2007 Re: God hates fags so much he is killing heterosexuals...?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O228AQRvcqQ Fags eat poop..wow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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