Here's a story about the Westboro Baptist Church from the Snyder case.
posted by Mr. Carlisle at 2:49 PM
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
About Me
- Name: Mr. Carlisle
- Location: Portland, Oregon, United States
I'm a native South Carolinian and I attained my undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina. I taught fourth grade for two years in the Mississippi Delta and two years at an alternative high school in Western North Carolina. I have been at Tigard High School since the fall of 2003, where I teach U.S. History and Psychology.
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18 Comments:
That is so weird. I can't describe it any other way.
5:10 PM
This is by far the most disgusting this I have witnessed on your blog. I had to force myself to sit through this without throwing my laptop across my room. These people have no sense of respect and dignity. To protest and hold up signs like "Thank God For Dead Soldiers" at funerals is just inhuman. Those men and women died for this country. How dare they interrupt a family who is mourning the death of a love one who fought for our rights. How dare they call homosexuals "fags" and tell them they are going to hell. They have no idea what those people have had to go through. I'd like to see them go to Iraq and Iran or Afghanistan and see first hand what our soldiers have to live through. I'd like to have them be in the shoes of homosexuals who are bullied and tormented just because of their sexual preference. And to the Fred Phelps, the pastor heading the Church, I'd just like to say that he is most immature geezer I've ever seen. And in the wonderful words of Albert Snyder, "Grow up Fred. You're 80. You're about to meet the devil when you die."
5:22 PM
It almost makes you reconsider not passing the flag burning amendment.
5:30 PM
I do not care if it doesn't violates the First Amendment, but to me it is so so wrong! Its disturbing and disgusting. They are all pitiful. The girls in the back who were just singing away, it was shocking to see them and I was appaled. They don't have a right to say what someone died for. The family does. They should not get in to peoples bussiness. I say when Fred Phelps dies or his daughter does, we pickett each and both of their funerals like they did to our soldiers! And we told them why they died! We show them how it feels to be yelled at negativly when they are in mourning.
Also one of the guys sign said, I think, thank god for dead children? But he had a kid right next to him? Does he want his kid dead or something?
Oh and I thought the exact thing as you Thomas. About the flag.
5:42 PM
Hannah,
Great comment. We will be discussing these people tomorrow in class. The question you need to consider is how far should the First Amendment go? Do you guys think this kind of speech should be allowed by the gov't?
5:43 PM
Wow, so you can hate America but enjoy her freedoms???? Crazy people!
5:56 PM
Okay these people are just plain crazy. The church has crossed so many boundaries in the first amendment, and yet blame America for doing the same? Even if that is/isn't true, obviously they do not understand "Two wrongs don't make a right".
6:12 PM
I hope that these attrocities of the human race that label themselves as "religious," will maybe pick up the bible they use to slander the people of America and the world, and actually read it. It's a sad day in the world when people try and commit heinous acts such as this in the name of an entity as dear as God is to billions of people all around the world. It reminds me of terrorist attacks in the name of Alla. You are entitled to your opinions, but that doesn't make them the opinions of the one you worship. If they could only understand how wrong they are...
6:56 PM
How can these people be so ignorant and hypocritical?? The bible says that you should love your neighbor, and they are basically saying that they hate everyone except the people of their church. They blame the United States and the military, yet if the military didn't fight for them, our country may not even be a country today, and they would not have their free speech that they clearly enjoy having.
6:57 PM
I can't wait till one of these bigoted homophobic poopheads die (trying to refrain from cussing), so people can go and protest their funerals. See how they feel.
I remember when Westboro tried coming to Portland last year, but they were driven out by counter protesters. There's actually some pretty funny counter protest videos on Youtube.
7:21 PM
It amazes me how someone can be so set in their beliefs and cause a lot of hurt and damage to others but not care. I'm glad that other protesters stand up for the country and their beliefs to protect the soldiers honor and show that some people still have respect and appreciation for others.
8:22 PM
Someone should protest one of their friends deaths and say how crazy they are......
9:04 PM
These people are just koo-koo-kachoo crazy! I think it is incredibly disrespectful towards the families of the deceased, they did not even have anything to do with "fags" at all. The soldiers are not promoting it.
9:15 PM
Those people seriously just disgust me. That fact that they get pure enjoyment and happiness out of hurting others while they're already mourning the loss of a child or friend is horrid. Yes, sure they do have freedom of speech, though there are some things that just shouldn't be said. Even more so, there's a time and a place for things. It's one thing to just talk in general about hoping for "more dead soldiers", how god is punishing everyone, and that "God hates fags". However, it's another thing entirely to single out families, drive for miles just to picket their funerals, invite the media, and intentionally cause harm to individuals and enjoy it. They make me sick.
9:17 PM
I think that the Phelpses have a right to express their opinions, but I also think that they the family of a newly deceased person should have the right to be able to lay them to rest without the rude intrusions of others. Protesting at a funeral is just inhumane.
10:19 PM
wow the journalist fails at argumentation. while yes yes yes yes yes we all don't like what that church is doing that's not enough to declare that their rights should be revoked. and yes its true that fact that they are voicing their opioning by picketing (as opposed to the numerous other methods, all of which would be more effective, to say that homosexuality is bad) indicates that they do it b/c they enjoy to watch people suffer, that argument is truly irrelevent. we are arguing is whether or not the church's actions are violating a law and/or a new law could be created such that an objective standard for expressing oneself (one that isn't dependent on whether or not one's ideas are agreeable and thus avoids a slippery slope) can be constructed. as of now, i don't see a way out (yet!) so i'm inclined to concede that the chuch should have this right. saying that one's speech should be revoked because its offensive (or potentially hateful OR IMMORAL) is poor and lazy argumentation and as you can see in the video, it only makes that church more motivated because they know such arguments are vacuous. jeez guys. and yes mr. carlisle it like seems i hate america.
11:25 PM
Wow... The only thought left in my mind after seeing that is pure disgust. Like Narin said, there are so many other ways to protest homosexuality rather than insulting the men and women who fight for that first ammendment right that they are manipulating.
11:06 PM
Margie's hair looks like it came from an orifice that Carlisle so correctly refrains from mentioning.
Secondly, so these people hate America? They have the money. Why don't they just move to China? Or Canada? Or some other big country that would enjoy prosecuting them. Or even a little country that would enjoy throwing them in prison. I'm sure the members of WBC would like that better.
And finally, why waste your entire life doing something this stupid and become so terribly hated it should make a member ashamed to be seen in public? They're not changing anybody's minds. No one wants to join these d-bags. At least, nobody sane.
7:14 PM
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