SCOTUS rules in favor of WBC.

[Brandon Rhea]

A Kansas church that attracted nationwide attention for its angry, anti-gay protests at the funerals of U.S. military members has won its appeal at the Supreme Court, an issue testing the competing constitutional rights of free speech and privacy.

The justices, by an 8-1 vote, said Wednesday that members of Westboro Baptist Church had a right to promote what they call a broad-based message on public matters such as wars. The father of a fallen Marine had sued the small church, saying those protests amounted to targeted harassment and an intentional infliction of emotional distress.

"Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and -- as it did here -- inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the majority.

Though Roberts also condemned the WBC:

"Westboro believes that America is morally flawed; many Americans might feel the same about Westboro. Westboro's funeral picketing is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible," he said. However, "As a nation we have chosen a different course -- to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate."

Sam Alito was the 1 dissenter:

He said the church's "outrageous conduct caused petitioner great injury, and the court now compounds that injury by depriving petitioner of a judgment that acknowledges the wrong he suffered," he said. "In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims like petitioner."

SOURCE: http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/03/02/scotus.westboro.church/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1

 

[Santoro]

While I'm typically one who's all for free speech, WBC's 'speech' shouldn't be covered. They're publicity hounds who need a swift kick in the ass, because their only accomplishment is hurting others.

 

[Random Hero]

If there is such a thing as Divine Intervention, may these people contract the Plague.

 

[Mars]

If there is such a thing as Divine Intervention, may these people contract the Plague.

To hell with the plague, I hope they get a healthy dose of 5.56 :CFuu

 

[Moriarty]

So they're gonna go embarass and hurt the family of the guy who died to give them the right to say that shit... They need to be exported to China or some third world country that would imprison them for preaching about their Bible.

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

Someone at some point will perform a drive by on these ****heads. That's all there is to it.

 

[Moriarty]

How in the **** are they gonna sit there and say this shit? It's people like these that make me ashamed to be American, if you can even call them people.

 

[Matt]

That and the fact they now have a wider basis for there views is ****ing despicable.

 

[Moriarty]

And they expect people to believe in the christian faith by doing that? I'd rather be satanic if I had to choose between them.

 

[Tsar Fire]

And they expect people to believe in the christian faith by doing that? I'd rather be satanic if I had to choose between them.

As a Christian, let me tell you that the rest of us are utterly disgusted by what they are doing as well, but the court is right.

Seriously, they're an embarrassment, but they have the right to say that stuff. We all also have the right to blow them off, ignore them, and disregard what they say as the hateful, worthless drivel that it is.

I may hope for their salvation and repentance, and love them as unique creations of God, but he knows I sure don't like them. They tempt me to wrath.

 

[Jaqen H'ghar]

They tempt me to wrath.

For sooth!

 

[Moriarty]

Still doesn't help the matter. I mean, it's good you aren't saying death to all of us in the military, but it's because of people like them that I refuse to believe the way they do. I have literally seen "Go die, you piece of shit soldier" through their banners and them telling me to go to hell.

I know not all christians are like this, but if their religion is so true, then why would any of them say things like this to the ones defending their rights? Shit like that is the reason I don't have faith in their god.

 

[Mike]

Not surprising. It's america after all. I wonder if Canada would have ruled differently... I think they would have.

 

[Sovereign]

This is a victory for free speech. Americans ought to be proud.

 

[Malz]

A lot of people seem to misunderstand the meaning and implications of "Free Speech."

You can voice opposing political views.
You can call someone a bitch in public.

You cannot yell "FIRE!" in a crowded theater when there isn't one.
You cannot use what are known as "Fighting Words" in your speech.

Personally, I think we should have a law prohibiting funeral protests. It's not denying their right to say it, it's simply designating a time and area to not say it, then they can go about their jerkass business when it's over.

 

[Moriarty]

A lot of people seem to misunderstand the meaning and implications of "Free Speech."

You can voice opposing political views.
You can call someone a bitch in public.

You cannot yell "FIRE!" in a crowded theater when there isn't one.
You cannot use what are known as "Fighting Words" in your speech.

Personally, I think we should have a law prohibiting funeral protests. It's not denying their right to say it, it's simply designating a time and area to not say it, then they can go about their jerkass business when it's over.

I agree with this.

 

[Mike]

Not a bad idea, but there are a lot of times/places that could claim they're on the same page as funerals. It might get complicated.

 

[Jiang Winters]

whoa, where'd j00 come from, Mike? o.o

 

[Brandon Rhea]

These people are not standing next to tombstones during a burial and shouting these things. They're typically hundreds of yards away, and they have a permit for their protests. They also abide by all of the distance rules in place in whatever community they're protesting in.

I ****ing hate these people but they're following the rules, and that's what the Supreme Court was ruling on. This was not a ruling about whether or not protests like these should be allowed, it was a ruling about appeals in regards to one specific lawsuit. It's not like the Supreme Court was siding with their batshit ideas here.

 

[Sovereign]

You cannot yell "FIRE!" in a crowded theater when there isn't one.

It's up to the owner of the theatre to decide, not the Supreme Court. That quote by the way, was used by Oliver Wendell Holmes to silence protesters who opposed America's intervention in World War 1.

Free speech must be unlimited for it to make sense. Anything else is censorship and therefore, fascist.