Thread: Marine Dad Ordered to Pay Legal Fees

Originally Posted by Blakeman

Originally Posted by kilo33

I agree with you wholeheartedly on their right to wave signs, pass out literature etc. The problem is that some portions of the country have been 'trained' to accept that 'freedom of speech' applies to shouting vulgarity, threatening, harassing, and intimidation - not to mention the defamation of venerated objects, ceremonies, and practices. I will respect anyone's right to protest - and protect it as well. As long as said protest does not a) hinder commerce or government function. b) constitute a criminal offense - such as class C assault and breach of the peace.

I don't believe I have ever heard them say anything more vulgar than the three letter F word in relation to homosexuality.

I believe they are bat-shit crazy too, but I feel that if we ignore them they will crawl back in their little holes.


As far as the permit, I think it should not have to cost money for anyone to speak their minds in a public place. I don't mind them having to tell someone at the local government level they will be doing it, but charging to speak on public property should never happen.

I am in agreement with your position Blake. But when a municipality needs to allocate extra manpower to ensure the protests are secure, someone needs to buck up. Why shouldn't some of the costs be spread to those that are creating the need for security? WBC events have an obvious need for some sort of security, as well as others.

I guess the next question would be, "where is the line drawn?" And my answer would be ..."I don't know."

Originally Posted by Blakeman

Originally Posted by Veovis

Originally Posted by Blakeman

I don't think it is right to stop anyone from protesting on public property

What, precisely, were the asshats "protesting?" The OP mentions they had signs with anti-gay message. What did they want, the soldier to come back from the dead and "turn straight?"

This wasn't a protest, it was an insult. Gratuitously insulting/provoking people in public is not legal, as far as I know. And that's all this was, a thinly veiled insult.

And let's forget all the goddamn legal arguments and agree on one thing: it's not right. Right and wrong outweigh legal and illegal in my book, any day of the week.

They think the that because the US tolerates homosexuality that God is killing off military folks in Iraq or something to that effect.

I don't care if they think that Duggus, the lord of Turd worms is coming through their feet and we should all listen, it is their right to wave signs warning the end of our feet is nigh. To stop anyone from speaking, protesting or demonstrating is wrong. The US law should not pick what is 'right' and what is 'wrong' as far as speech or it opens up doors to bypass the constitution and have all sorts of things not allowed.

Nobody likes these folks, but the more we ignore them, let them do their thing and not affect us, the more support they will lose and the quicker they will go away. To confront them or take up violence and lawsuits against them only emboldens them. This lawsuit made the front page because the dad sued and lost, now they will do it even more....

Ok, but they aren't warning us about anything, they are doing a blatant anti-homosexual speech at a corpse. Do they want the corpse to become straight so god would love him again? In all seriousness i don't see the point of their speech, insults, gay bashing, or whatever you want to call it. The only point to that speech was to insult the father for having a gay son that died. In my opinion they should be fined for the 10million for harassment, and emotional damages to the father.

Originally Posted by kilo33

The son is not (or has not been confirmed as being) a homosexual. WBC targets ANY military funeral and holds that because the US has become an immoral nation, that God is punishing troops overseas.

So they heckled a straight guys funeral because they don't like gays........ they are genius.

Yea, I too will have to side with Blake and Hog on this one: as long as they stick by the regulations on a prior post, they are within the law.

However, that does not mean I do not anticipate (and disturbingly am rather looking forward to) the day when this group protests the wrong soldier's funeral.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westbor...neral_protests

Saw that in the WBC wiki, so I guess it depends on their distance from the funeral and what was going on. Although they should all be shot imo.

Also blake, love that youtube video, the patriot guard is freaking awesome.

Originally Posted by drfroob

Yea, I too will have to side with Blake and Hog on this one: as long as they stick by the regulations on a prior post, they are within the law.

However, that does not mean I do not anticipate (and disturbingly am rather looking forward to) the day when this group protests the wrong soldier's funeral.

I dont see how the law protects this, at my highschool there is a poster thats specifically says that i cant do hate speeches against any group of people. Can i sue my school for infringing on my right of free speech then? I can't legally say the "n" word without getting a fine in my state. Can i sue California now for infringing on my right of free speech, NO because those things are offensive and are made to insult and hurt people. The same thing applies to those people who heckled the funeral, their sole purpose was to insult offend and hurt people based on their life choices which is not covered by free speech...

Man people have become to bitchy. Oh boo fucking hoo not everything is equal! I hate how everything is now protected under free speech. These people arnt changing anyones mind they are just hate mongering homophobes who are all blindly following a fucking retarded super conservative piece of shit minister. Im sure they are within their rights to bitch and shout and be annoying but find the right time to do it. You dont see a KKK rally walking down the street on MLK day do you? Or a nazi group prancing about on Hanukkah? There are times when you should just leave. Sure you want to get your message out but an emotionally difficult time for friends and family of the deceased is just being dicks for the fun of it.

Originally Posted by drfroob

Yea, I too will have to side with Blake and Hog on this one: as long as they stick by the regulations on a prior post, they are within the law.

However, that does not mean I do not anticipate (and disturbingly am rather looking forward to) the day when this group protests the wrong soldier's funeral.

And btw they protest all soldier funerals because they allow gay people into the military. They state that god lets them die cuz there are gays there... so their really wont be a "wrong funeral" they just might get their asses handed to them one time (I will savor that day).