Westboro Baptist Church Case Taken To Supreme Court

Westboro Baptist Church Case Taken To Supreme Court In recent months, Reverend Fred Phelps, out of the controversial Westboro Baptist Church, has made rather radical demonstrations that have garnered the attention of America. In mid-July of 2010, Phelps and several of his congregation picketed outside of metal legend Ronnie James Dio’s funeral, calling him a “Satan worshiper.” In more recent days, the church has been harshly criticized for their promising to hold a burning of the Muslim holy book, the Quran. “WBC burned the Quran once – and if you sissy brats of doomed America bully Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center until they change their plans to burn that blasphemous tripe called the Quran, then WBC will burn it again to clearly show you some things,” said the church in early September when the DWOC canceled their proposal to burn the holy book.

And the Westboro Baptist Church has made headlines again. Recently, at the funeral of Army Lieutenant Todd Weaver, who was killed a month ago in a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, Shirley Phelps-Roper, Fred Phelps’ daughter, helped to host a picketing of the funeral. Attendees of the protest carried signs on which slogans such as “Thank God for Dead Soldiers” and “God Hates Fags.” It has been well documented through the last several years of the activities of the WBC that they have a radical view of homosexuality and America, claiming that God is punishing the United States for condoning same sex relationships.

Within the coming weeks, the Supreme Court must answer a question that most of the country has been wondering for the past several months of hearing of these drastic protests: does the First Amendment Right extend to cover hateful speech even if the target isn’t a public figure, but rather a private citizen?

In 2006, the family of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder was awarded nearly eleven million dollars in damages against the Phelps Family, who had protested outside of the deceased Marine’s funeral.

The question remains. Is such hateful behavior towards our country’s soldiers and members of the LGBT really protected by the First Amendment, or is it punishable under court of law? And if it’s not legal, what consequences should be administered to those such as the WBC who do disrespect the dead? Quite frankly, it disgusts me that it's even up for debate. Whether or not you support the soldiers or not, there is no condoning the blatant disrespect of the men and women who have sacrificed their lives for this country, including the members of the Westboro Baptist Church and the Phelps family.

Sources

  1. GodHatesFags.com
  2. Church's protests at military funerals a free-speech test for Supreme Court by Robert Barnes, Washington Post
  3. Fred Waldron Phelps, Sr. (Wikipedia Page)
  4. Funeral protests could upend common view of free speech by By David G. Savage, Tribune Washington Bureau
  5. Protesters at Military Funerals Test Free Speech by Jan Crawford, CBS News

Latest articles