NKU + ∞

That's really nice to hear. The 'Westboro Baptist Church' is repugnant.

Does anyone actively support the Westboro Baptist Church? I would love to give that person the verbal beating of a lifetime.

lol Westoboro Baptist church was at my school like 2 months ago, and it was like 6 of them vs 2000 of us hahaha

no, no one really supports them. they are basically just a family. everyone at the church is related to what's-his-face. they're super offensive, but this is america and we need people that test our freedoms of speech so that way the rest of us still have it when we need it.

lol, we did that last year here in Louisiana
I think one guy showed up in their place and he was just standard Christian, not crazy-ass fundamentalist... and he soon switched sides once he realized what was up. lol.

+ a Google to the Norse.
and
+1 to Gunfighter for figuring out how to tpye the infinity symbol.

They showed up at my school after the shootings. There's an group of veteran motorcyclists that come to drown out their chants and hold huge flags in front of their signs. Was great.

Not to draw away from the thread, but how does one write an infinity symbol?

Ah, the Westboro Baptist Church...

The answer to the question "Who are the most universally-hated and utterly repgnant people in America, even more than Neo-Nazis, the Klan, the innumerable gangs, rapists, thugs, murderers, thieves, and the New York Yankees?"

;) (Kuds ot that group...the kids that thwarted the WBC, not the WBC...)

...in Louisiana? They travel???

I wonder if they're the reason so many Baptists insist on calling themselves just Christians or Congregationalists rather than Baptists.

yuk yuk I laugh at my obscure joke.

Yes, the WBC travels. They've done funerals all over the place, including Liz Taylor's and rocker Ronnie James Dio.

How are they not jailed and/or 'disappeared' yet?

The liberals in the Supreme court declared their protests at military and celebrity funerals to be "protected free speech". Now, as far as disappearing goes, let 'em try it at a serious BAMF's funeral and I'm sure they will. :-)

The ruling was 8-1, Alito the only dissent. How is heaping abuse on people "speech"?

"thieves, and the New York Yankees?"

you repeated yourself obi

"How are they not jailed and/or 'disappeared' yet?"

- what was that Stalin? Oops i mean Putin.

@goldfinger - if you highlight the infinity symbol in gunfighters post, and then right-click and select 'copy', you will then have it in your 'clipboard' anytime you need it! :D

You got me, Putin. And how is a private funeral not protected (right to privacy anyone)?

I would love to see one of the patriotic biker groups (like Hell's Angels who are actually some pretty cool guys) decide they had seen enough of WBC start showing up at any soldier's funerals they can to provide "security" for the mouners' and the deceased's rights. The WBC would be pissing their pants...

These repugnant people are going through an internal crisis of their own, with lots of young people leaving the cult.

http://documentarystorm.com/lifestyle/americas-most-hated-family-in-crisis/


Offensive speech speech is the kind most needing of protection. If today you can start limiting the contents of a group's protest (and that's really what's being argued) it's not too much of a stretch to limit more popular subjects. We should not change our values because some two-bit cult with a decent lawyer is making a lot of repulsive noise.

I am a great believer in the freedom of speech in any circumstances. I am also a great believer in the freedom to give someone a kicking when faced with extreme provocation. If only both these freedoms had equal respect in the eyes of the Law the Westboro Baptist Church would cease to be a problem...

I have only ever seen the Westbro Baptist Church on TV in comedy shows like the Chaser (Aussies will know it). The Westbro Baptist Church is laughable.

^^ I'm from the UK, still watched the Chaser's - worryingly funny!

I'm not sure if it's made its way back across the pond, but Louis Theroux did a follow up to his previous documentary on the church, talking to some of their children that have now left.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Most_Hated_Family_in_Crisis

Can you read?

Who's that directed to?

I posted the link to that documentary.

The only argument 1st Amendment absolutists ever make is the slippery slope fallacy. You don't need to protect speech that inflicts emotional distress on innocent people in order to safeguard open and honest political dialogue. Free speech law is not meant to protect thuggery which does nothing to advance public debate and in which the value of prohibiting this "speech" clearly outweighs any social value in protecting it. Courts have held in the past that people have recourse to torts for emotional distress caused by speech. Again, we're not even talking about 'government restriction' of speech in this case, but rather the ability of private persons to sue for speech that's only purpose is to cause severe emotional distress.

So who's the judge of what speech is OK and what isn't? You? I can't think of an sinble person I'd trust to make that call.

As far as I understand, no one's been going after these people for damages. They've been trying to silence them. I say sue them for everything they're worth, but you cannot have the government ruling what is acceptable for individuals and groups to say. That's blatantly in the Constitution.

single person