Before the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday, Fred Phelps' daughter and legal advocate Margie was surprisingly cogent in her defense of Westboro Baptist Church yahoos protesting military funerals. Outside however, she put on some musical theater that made her family look like nothing more than pathetic caricatures.
Margie Phelps argued that WBC couldn't be sued for civil damages for
protesting the funeral of Albert Snyder's son, who was killed in Iraq in 2006. She argued that Snyder was a public figure, making him fair game for verbal attacks, and that even vile speech is
protected under the First Amendment. She added that the protesters followed all local laws and police orders while picketing.
The Justices seemed to warm to some of Phelps' points during
the hour-long oral arguments. As NPR reported,
Justice Stephen Breyer noted that Snyder hadn't actually seen the
protesters -- who were 1,000 feet away on public land -- during the
funeral procession. Snyder only saw them on TV later. Breyer said he and his robed coworkers
needed to look for some kind of "line" to determine when people can be
sued over speech.
Snyder's lawyer admitted his case rested on the court interpreting the signs the Phelpses were carrying as a direct attack
on his client, who, he argued, was a private citizen at a private event. And the Justices questioned whether the First Amendment could be used for such a low cause. As Justice Ruth Bader
Ginsburg said, "Why should the First Amendment tolerate exploiting this
Marine's family
when you have so many other forums for getting across your message?"
But the Phelpses wouldn't be satisfied with a legal draw in
the high court. That's not how they roll. During a press conference, Margie and her sister delighted reporters with a
rousing parody of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," singing,
"You're going straight to hell on your crazy train!" They're just so
darn clever! Video of the family band can be found here. The
Topeka Capital-Journal also reports
that Abigail Phelps had a little aria mocking the Marine Hymn that was "not suitable for publication." An arena tour is definitely in their future.
Wrapping up the Phelpses' big day was news that an unknown white powder
sent to Phelps-Chartered, the Topeka law firm Margie runs, turned out to
be harmless. God hates mail terror, you guys.
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Brownie … and just what do the SODOMITES DO? They use Freedoms to Pervert The World. Really, do you think JESUS is some kind of FOOL? Read the Revelations … Billions will Die … Men, Women, and Children. I don’t think the PC thing is applicable to the bible. PC is Satan’s Language to confuse you little monkeys so he can Feast on Your Flesh.
Perhaps, the US military should get the point .. I mean really, there is no other nation capable of being the Whore of Babylon … The US OWNS THIS TITLE: ALL WHO SERVE HER WILL DIE.
The Judgments of Nineveh will be Revisited on America.
If Protesting funerals gets the message across, I salute west-boro church, they are not Cowards unlike most Christians today. You idiots believe in the Armageddon; NOW, FOOLS, HOW MANY US SOLDIERS WILL BE GROUND INTO HORSEMEAT THERE?
Fighting For What … FREEDOM: “the Bad Metaphor for SATAN.|”
WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE … GOD IS NO RESPECTER OF MEN OR NATIONS.
Lets get on up to Topeka, visit the Zoo, before the rest of the animals die, have a picnic, ride the freedom train at Gage Park. Drink some ripple, burn some incense and then head over to the Westboro, circle it, and inverse levitate it down- like Jericho!! Where is ol' John Brown when we need him!
I'm in support of the Phelps for a weird reason.
Society can be measured by how it treats its worst. There's no argument that the Phelps are the worst people in America. And what they are free to do, I am free to do.
Anything that restricts them, even if it's with the best of intentions, will ultimately restrict me in ways I can't even forsee now.
I don't understand why they don't just let them protest, but people of the cities come out with love and support - they would DROWN the Westboro bunch - there are just not that many hateful people in the world.
Even the KKK has a note on their web site saying they don't condone their actions.
The first amendment is too important to restrict. We, as citizens, don't need a law to deal with problems like this. We can take care of them peacefully and legally.
Funny, the media has been playing this as "Poor Mr. Snyder couldn't even bury his son in peace because the WBC was harassing him." They made it sound like old Fred was pissing on the kid's coffin during the service. Now it turns out Mr. Snyder was NOT harassed during the funeral. He found out about the protests later, by watching TV.
Of course, it's not the media's job to tell you what's really going on. It's the media's job to get you to think the way they want you to think. From the look of things, they're doing a pretty good job of it.
It's also a huge hoot watching the Court's "strict constructionists" racking their brains to come up with a way to weasel around "Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech" as clearly stated in the Bill of Rights. Guess some days the construction is a little less strict than others, eh boys?
The one thing you can count on is any restrictions on First Amendment rights that might result from this case will apply to everyone, not just Fred and his merry band of lunatics. Once you start making exceptions for people you don't like, nobody's rights are safe.
Slander is protected by the First
Amendment, but recovery for slander is permitted by law. Free speech does not include the right to cuase hurt and injuriy to grieving parents of an ?American hero who sacrificed his life for his country. Such action is not protected by the First Amendment from rcovery of damages, just as slkander and libel are not.
What this Baptist Church and Margie Phelps are doing is preeching hate. Absolute HATE, WHITE SUPREMACY HATE. I bet Margie doesn't have human nor genetics background nor religious studies background at all, just educationally illiterate. She has no common sense and is a poor excuse of a Christian. Christains don't preech hate, only IGNORANT FOOLS that have absolutely no common sense. I see that the people of which she represents has absolute no respect, no self responsibility, nor think about being safe when it comes to a private issue of a funeral. This is absolutely mindless! This issue is not any where near a first amendment rights' issue, YOU only manipulated yourself into making it one. MAAM! You have so miscontrued the BIBLE, and I believe in the King James' Version, to where you actually manipulated yourself into what you are saying is the "God's" truth, and it's ABSOLUTELY IS NOT! I am sick of these "ROLLERS!" There is nothing HOLY about you nor the people in which you represent! YOU ARE THE BULLY HATER to a Marine Soldier and his family!
Enough said! Daughter of a Vietnam-VET Era Drafted FATHER!
As hard as it my be, let's not cloud the issues by our own feelings. The issue before the Supreme's is not whether WBC's actions were sick, offensive, socially repugnant or morally WRONG. The issue is the First Amendment RIGHT Guaranteed by our Constitution to all Americans- even if we feel they are sick, offensive, socially repugnant, and morally wrong.
Has anyone ever tried protesting THEM on the public sidewalks outside their church? If someone tried that, the church members (if they tried to call the police) would be up against the same First Amendment protections to which they now cling. It would be fascinating to see their reaction.
Greg - I agree. And to back it up with Scripture... Galations 5:13-14
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command: �Love your neighbor as yourself.�
While I agree that we need to confront sin - we need to so in a manner that does not shame Christ.
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