Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
"A small Kansas church that has gained nationwide attention for protesting loudly at funerals of U.S. service members will receive a Supreme Court hearing over free speech rights.
The justices Monday accepted an appeal from the father of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq over efforts to keep members of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church from demonstrating near memorial services and burials.
The church, led by pastor Fred Phelps, said it believes God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events such as soldiers' deaths. Members have traveled the country, shouting at grieving family members at funerals and displaying such signs as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Blew Up the Troops."
At issue is a balancing test between the privacy rights of grieving families and the free speech rights of demonstrators, however disturbing and provocative their message."
Is it okay for anyone to say whatever they want wherever they want? If not, who should decide?
Last edited by Zimbochick; 03-09-2010 at 12:17 AM..
No. I believe the spirit of the Freedom of Speech right is being able to voice you opinions without fear of repercussions. Not the right to inflict discomfort on others or disrupt other peoples lives or just generally be an annoyance. The things we have interpreted it to mean are above and beyond anything a reasonable person would agree with.
But I'm not the one who gets to decide these things.
"If you believe in freedom of speech, you believe in freedom of speech for views you don't like. Goebbels was in favor of freedom of speech for views he liked. So was Stalin. If you're in favor of freedom of speech, that means you're in favor of freedom of speech precisely for views you despise. "
"A small Kansas church that has gained nationwide attention for protesting loudly at funerals of U.S. service members will receive a Supreme Court hearing over free speech rights.
The justices Monday accepted an appeal from the father of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq over efforts to keep members of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church from demonstrating near memorial services and burials.
The church, led by pastor Fred Phelps, said it believes God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events such as soldiers' deaths. Members have traveled the country, shouting at grieving family members at funerals and displaying such signs as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Blew Up the Troops."
At issue is a balancing test between the privacy rights of grieving families and the free speech rights of demonstrators, however disturbing and provocative their message."
Is it okay for anyone to say whatever they want wherever they want? If not, who should decide?
Free speech is free speech, they have the right. They also have the right to get their asses kicked...severely.
Obviously there is a line between speech and harassment. But the line cannot be drawn according to subjective evaluations of "offensiveness". It has to be measured according to the inconvenience to the listener (or others).
John Stuart Mill, a friend of free speech if there ever was one, wrote in On Liberty,
Quote:
An opinion that corn dealers are starvers of the poor...ought to be unmolested when simply circulated through the press, but may justly incur punishment when delivered orally to an excited mob assembled before the house of a corn dealer, or when handed about among the same mob in the form of a placard.
The protesters have the right to state their opinions in any way that does not directly disrupt the funeral. The second they invade private property, obviously, they are legally toast. The protesters should be kept well separated from the participants' observance. On the other hand, a grieving relative cannot claim to be tangibly harmed by the mere knowledge that some people in the country did not approve of the mission of the departed. If a man can choose to risk maiming or death in a foreign action, he can also risk the possibility of obloquy that comes with an ill-advised exercise of that choice.
It's certainly a difficult case of balancing rights if ever there was one.
As an anti-war person, may I add, any anti-war activists protesting at funerals are idiots. They are at the wrong end of the parade; they ought to be protesting recruitments and inductions, not funerals--when it is too late to help anyone.
"A small Kansas church that has gained nationwide attention for protesting loudly at funerals of U.S. service members will receive a Supreme Court hearing over free speech rights.
The justices Monday accepted an appeal from the father of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq over efforts to keep members of the Topeka-based Westboro Baptist Church from demonstrating near memorial services and burials.
The church, led by pastor Fred Phelps, said it believes God is punishing the United States for "the sin of homosexuality" through events such as soldiers' deaths. Members have traveled the country, shouting at grieving family members at funerals and displaying such signs as "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Blew Up the Troops."
At issue is a balancing test between the privacy rights of grieving families and the free speech rights of demonstrators, however disturbing and provocative their message."
Is it okay for anyone to say whatever they want wherever they want? If not, who should decide?
I think if they're like other churches and NOT BEING TAXED that they should be. Perhaps this would curtail their ability to be travelling all over the countryside spreading hate. AND I don't see HOW what they are saying and the time they're choosing to say it isn't considered hate speech. You guys seem to have a law for that.
With regard to freedom of speech, sure I believe in it regardless of if I agree with it HOWEVER I don't have to agree with OR support the actions one uses in order to get their message out. I think we've already established that there are exceptions to freedom of speech otherwise there should be far more support for the 9/11 terrorists freedom of speech, shouldn't there?
Just to clarify I think they can say what they like, it's WHERE & WHEN they do it that I object to and there seems to be NUMEROUS instances in society where that applies.
Free speech is free speech, they have the right. They also have the right to get their asses kicked...severely.
I agree. Freedom of speech allows you to say whatever you want (essentially), but if you offend someone...be prepared to taste concrete
As for the link...how come these churches don't stop to think for a second that maybe it's due to their aggressiveness and crazy propaganda that their God are causing these tragedies?
I agree. Freedom of speech allows you to say whatever you want (essentially), but if you offend someone...be prepared to taste concrete
Haha, attack the Phelps family and enjoy getting sued into oblivion. It's exactly what they want you to do.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
