Dead Marine's Father Ordered To Pay Protesters' Legal Costs

[TheMason]

I'm sorry, I know this isn't about the Philippines, but this really chaffs my A$...where has the morality in America gone? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for free speech, its one of the freedoms that the armed forces fight for. But protesting at soldiers' funerals is just plain wrong IMHO. These people are nothing more than a hate group hiding under the cloak of a church group. The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church says an order to pay the protesters' legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a "slap in the face."Full Story: http://edition.cnn.c...dex.html?hpt=T1

The Supreme Court has accepted the case to decide if funerals are entitled to a protest free zone in similar fashion to protest free zones around abortion clinics. If they rule in his favor, he probably won't have to pay legal fees. I don't really have a problem with him having to pay legal fees if he loses his case though. Based on the law as it stands today, what the protesters did was not illegal. Despite the unpleasantness of their message, I'm really glad that there are penalties in place to punish people that file lawsuits when no law has been broken. I'd hate to live in a country where I could be hauled to court simply because I said or did something that someone else didn't like or disagrees with.Freedom of speech sometimes means you have to listen to speech you don't like or agree with. I'm not defending what the protesters did, rather I'm defending the principle that people that file lawsuits without merit should pay a penalty for doing so.

You are correct but with freedoms come responsibilities as well. You also need to respect others peoples rights. Freedom of speech does not mean anytime any place. I can say what I feel but if I say it in the middle of a crowded neighborhood at 3am with 2000w speakers I would surely be arrested. These wack jobs are entitled to any crackpot ideas they wish to have and they are entitled to express them, but when they do it in a manner that is intentionally antagonistic that is another matter entirely. They have had to flee under police protection in several venues they have attempted to make their demonstrations in. Maybe one of these times the police will be busy elsewhere when this happens. Then we can just say the mob was exercising their freedom of expression and let them go. Surley these people won't object to that.

I agree with you 100%. I think (and hope) the Supreme Court will rule that all funerals, not just military ones, are off limits to protesters. Free speech should be secondary to basic respect and decency when a family is mourning their lost love ones. Let them go picket the Pentagon or their local military base if they want to, but stay away from the funerals alone.

[volstateguy]

I agree with you 100%. I think (and hope) the Supreme Court will rule that all funerals, not just military ones, are off limits to protesters. Free speech should be secondary to basic respect and decency when a family is mourning their lost love ones. Let them go picket the Pentagon or their local military base if they want to, but stay away from the funerals alone.

Agreed 100% with you here Mason. This is exactly the point I was trying to make. I may be a bit too close to this issue as I'm in the military myself, and my emotions were running high when I originally posted this. However I think it shows a basic lack of respect and decency to protest and picket anyones funeral when a family is trying to mourn their loss.

[Jake]

I agree with you 100%. I think (and hope) the Supreme Court will rule that all funerals, not just military ones, are off limits to protesters. Free speech should be secondary to basic respect and decency when a family is mourning their lost love ones. Let them go picket the Pentagon or their local military base if they want to, but stay away from the funerals alone.

Agreed 100% with you here Mason. This is exactly the point I was trying to make. I may be a bit too close to this issue as I'm in the military myself, and my emotions were running high when I originally posted this. However I think it shows a basic lack of respect and decency to protest and picket anyones funeral when a family is trying to mourn their loss.

Special interest groups such as the ones protesting at a military funeral rape the meaning of free speech. What irritates me more are these lawyers who are willing to represent these people. The hell with beingpolitically correct -- I would prefer to give them back their own medicine.A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his/her life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to and including my life." Respectfully -- Jake

[Inspector]

I think the local VFW's and all Veterans groups should start protesting this Kansas Church whenever they hold services. They also should write down License Plates and protest their homes on the weekends. I would bet the parishioners suddenly try to hold a different standard to their interpretation of "Rights to Free Speech" when their tactics are used on themselves.To protest a funeral of a fallen solderer and enrage their grieving families it a deplorable act. They show the morality of something less than a dog. They deserve no respect from any veteran or from the families of veterans. Pigs have more dignity then this church group.

They don't always get things their own way. They have been chased off at least two college campuses by the students. There is also a motorcycle group of former veterans that also attends these gatherings and does a very good job of blocking them from view. I forget the name of the group. The leader of this group is a certifiable nut case. Many of these protesters are also his relatives. Another argument against inbreeding I suppose.

Patriot Guard Riders

[Inspector]

I'm sorry, I know this isn't about the Philippines, but this really chaffs my A$...where has the morality in America gone? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for free speech, its one of the freedoms that the armed forces fight for. But protesting at soldiers' funerals is just plain wrong IMHO. These people are nothing more than a hate group hiding under the cloak of a church group. The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by the Westboro Baptist Church says an order to pay the protesters' legal costs in a civil claim is nothing less than a "slap in the face."Full Story: http://edition.cnn.c...dex.html?hpt=T1

The Supreme Court has accepted the case to decide if funerals are entitled to a protest free zone in similar fashion to protest free zones around abortion clinics. If they rule in his favor, he probably won't have to pay legal fees. I don't really have a problem with him having to pay legal fees if he loses his case though. Based on the law as it stands today, what the protesters did was not illegal. Despite the unpleasantness of their message, I'm really glad that there are penalties in place to punish people that file lawsuits when no law has been broken. I'd hate to live in a country where I could be hauled to court simply because I said or did something that someone else didn't like or disagrees with.Freedom of speech sometimes means you have to listen to speech you don't like or agree with. I'm not defending what the protesters did, rather I'm defending the principle that people that file lawsuits without merit should pay a penalty for doing so.

You are correct but with freedoms come responsibilities as well. You also need to respect others peoples rights. Freedom of speech does not mean anytime any place. I can say what I feel but if I say it in the middle of a crowded neighborhood at 3am with 2000w speakers I would surely be arrested. These wack jobs are entitled to any crackpot ideas they wish to have and they are entitled to express them, but when they do it in a manner that is intentionally antagonistic that is another matter entirely. They have had to flee under police protection in several venues they have attempted to make their demonstrations in. Maybe one of these times the police will be busy elsewhere when this happens. Then we can just say the mob was exercising their freedom of expression and let them go. Surley these people won't object to that.

I agree with you 100%. I think (and hope) the Supreme Court will rule that all funerals, not just military ones, are off limits to protesters. Free speech should be secondary to basic respect and decency when a family is mourning their lost love ones. Let them go picket the Pentagon or their local military base if they want to, but stay away from the funerals alone.

:lol:

[tom_shor]

I think the local VFW's and all Veterans groups should start protesting this Kansas Church whenever they hold services. They also should write down License Plates and protest their homes on the weekends. I would bet the parishioners suddenly try to hold a different standard to their interpretation of "Rights to Free Speech" when their tactics are used on themselves.To protest a funeral of a fallen solderer and enrage their grieving families it a deplorable act. They show the morality of something less than a dog. They deserve no respect from any veteran or from the families of veterans. Pigs have more dignity then this church group.

They don't always get things their own way. They have been chased off at least two college campuses by the students. There is also a motorcycle group of former veterans that also attends these gatherings and does a very good job of blocking them from view. I forget the name of the group. The leader of this group is a certifiable nut case. Many of these protesters are also his relatives. Another argument against inbreeding I suppose.

Patriot Guard Riders

Yes that's it. They are on you tube. Check it out.