It's about the ruling upholding the 1st amendment. And also allowing the monstrosity that is Westboro Baptist Church to protest military funerals. While I think what they are doing is the absolute cruelest thing they could possibly do to a military family while they are grieving the loss of their loved one, what they are doing isn't illegal. It's disgusting and a compete travesty. But not against the laws of this country. And I can honestly say, I'm fairly content with the 1st amendment being upheld yesterday.
A quote from the Huffington Post: "The ruling, though, was in line with many earlier court decisions that said the First Amendment exists to protect robust debate on public issues and free expression, no matter how distasteful."
If the government was allowed to stop these people from protesting, it would create the groundwork for the government to make all protests illegal. And that I cant stand for. Many believe that our service members are fighting for our rights anyway, and in a sick turn of events, these people are exploiting their battle. They have the right to protest because of the wars we waged to claim those rights.
Many people I know start talking about hurting or killing the members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Well, that IS illegal. And as mad as I would be at that kind of demonstration at a funeral of my loved one, I would never do anything illegal towards them. What would that prove? So my thought? The media needs to completely boycott ANYTHING dealing with them. No pictures, no articles, no news story at nine. They need to be completely ignored. Perhaps we give them power by talking about them.
OR we need to throw it back in their faces. I would round up all the people I could and call the media, and go stand in front of the church members and allow the media to film these animals chanting that filth to the military family left behind and all the people that loved that particular person. We wouldn't talk. We wouldn't fight. We wouldn't cry. We would just stand there. And let Westboro Baptist Church have their minute in the spotlight, telling the children of a fallen service member that their father died because of a gay person in America. Because my children would know they are a bunch of lunatics. And dad was a great man, who fought for the rights of our country, even when they are exploited by sick fucks such as the members of the Westboro Baptist Church. Just so others could see that they don't mean shit to us, protest, whatever. It doesn't diminish the fight of our Soldiers. It doesn't mean that homosexuality is evil. It just means that there happens to be **another** group of religious nut jobs screaming at the top of their lungs. Tomorrow there will be a different one. They never go away.
Although, I was so excited about that computer hacker group trying to get into their system, but I don't know if it was actually true or just a publicity stunt. I wish someone would get to them from the inside out and collapse the whole thing. But we have to do it legally, or they have won.
While I'm obviously not thrilled what they are doing to our military families, I think the government did us a great service yesterday by upholding the amendment. I saw on Twitter where a wife asked if any one actually liked the ruling. I needed to write this post in response to those kinds of people. I wish these sickos would stop. I wish there was something we could do to stop them, but squashing freedom of speech CERTAINLY isn't the right way to do that.
6 comments:
I agree with you. You're right, it's disgusting, but it had to be done. I do have to wonder if the ruling would be the same if their signs were more racist or anti-Semitic...Just a thought. I really like the idea of the media completely ignoring them, ignorance just might be bliss in this case.
I actually agree with you. I think that while they are hateful and I would spit on them if I saw them, they aren't violating the first amendment. The problem is if you disallow those people from protesting, what gives any group the right to freedom of speech? Just because we don't like what they have to say doesn't mean they don't have the right to say it.
I absolutely agree with you, I had to take a Mass Media Law course in college and to take away their right to protest could undo the rights the rest of us sane people actually appreciate.
I was really upset about the ruling, but I'm not surprised either. TECHNICALLY, the government can't say where and when we can protest. However, several states have passed laws making it illegal to protest at military funerals. Oklahoma and North Carolina are just 2 of the states that have done this. I only know because I did research. I think that if people really want to stop this so-called church (which is really just a group of CRUEL people), they're going to have to contact their state representatives. This - just like the civil union bill - will have to be done state by state, because the federal government can't regulate it.
When I read the ruling, I had to grudgingly admit to myself that I agreed with it. I think it's despicable what these people are doing, but you're right, it's legal for them to do it. My sister lives in Kansas & she told me that they came to her town to protest a military funeral. They stayed the required distance away and everything was done legally. And then someone parked a fire truck in front of them so the mourners wouldn't have to see them...also legal! I love that. I hope more & more individuals find things like this (legal things) to show these people we don't want their message and to go away.
And I completely agree with your statement that the media should igore them. By reporting on these animals, the media is rewarding their behavior.
I agree that it is an amendment & they aren't doing anything illegal...BUT this subject/them make my stomach boil. For one, that is not how God instructed a church to act. Secondly, unfortunately because of this first amendment...this will not stop! But...it needs to!!!
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