Thread: US Supreme Court allows anti-gay military funeral protests

The US Supreme Court has ruled that a controversial anti-gay church has the right to picket military funerals by the free speech provision in the US Constitution.

BBC News - US Supreme Court allows anti-gay military funeral protests
Sigh...stupid constitution.

Free speech means even disgusting speech. I'm amazed that even the most liberal of the justices sided on the painful, uncomfortable, but correct decision.

But the good side is how this has mobilized private citizens. A friend of mine is part of a group of bikers that exists entirely to shield funerals from Westboro's pickets, placing themselves between them, blocking traffic, escorting funeral-goers, and just generally using their intimidating biker selves to keep them reigned in.

The ruling is legally correct and morally wrong. One day, someone is going to have their fill of these pukes and take this matter into their own hands and there will be less WBC assholes running around. The bad part is, that if that happens, it will play right into their little PR game.

The decision is amoral. That's what the U.S. government is supposed to be. It's job is not and never has been to uphold morals, but to create a culture where all socially-compatible morals can be expressed.

Granted... I don't think the majority of our country gets that. But... still.

rights are not based on morals. Your morals are yours and yours alone. The law is neither moral nor immoral. It is only about rights. For example, murder is not morally wrong in the eyes of the law, it is a violation of the victim's right to live. Everyone has the right to free speech. It is morally wrong (IMHO), though legal to protest anything at anyone's funeral.

I've studied cults like WBC for a decade or so now, and one of the key characteristics to cultists and others under similar brainwashing is that all hostile responses are treated as religious persecution, and therefore it only reinforces the belief. The leaders will say things like "the world will hate and persecute you for what you believe". So the majority of the world thinking you're batshit insane means nothing because you're part of the elite special few and the world hates you for your awesomeness.

The worst response possible is counterprotesting and, of course, violence. If people simply got bored and stopped paying attention, they would all retreat back to their tiny town. The problem is, people have their own causes they want to preach just as much, and WBC is a great vehicle to yell about how destructive religion is, or why the Religious Right is evil, or how our troops don't get proper respect for their noble sacrifices, ad nauseum.

Originally Posted by Non Sequitur Persona

Free speech means even disgusting speech. I'm amazed that even the most liberal of the justices sided on the painful, uncomfortable, but correct decision.

I like the way you worded this: "The painful, uncomfortable, but correct decision." Sometimes the right decision to make isn't the one you WANT to make, but in this case, disallowing these members their right to free speech opens the door to disallowing another group their right to free speech.. and think about that on the flip side.. what if they were to, all of a sudden, say that pro-GLBT rallies and protests were no longer allowed? You can't really allow for one and deny the other, as much as some may want to. Just remember, as ardently as you might want Westborough people to shut the fuck up, others might want YOU to shut the fuck up with your cause just as ardently.