Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Supreme Court upholds douchebag's right to be a douchebag

the Westboro "Church" has the right to do it's disgusting minstrel show at funerals, the Supremes rules 8-1 with only Alito dissenting.


a correct decision, but I really wish some non-state actor would knee cap the whole sickass family, so they'd have to protest in wheelchairs.

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/10pdf/09-751.pdf

Saw that, and thought exactly the same thing. I'm really surprised there hasn't been an incident already, but I'd guess it's just a matter of time before some mourning family member gets a bit of vengeance.

The likelihood of a retaliatory incident just increased ten fold.

It was the right decision and it will simply be handled legislatively now,by each respective state.

Figures - and the decision was an easy one to predict, and in all honestly rightly so, disgusting as it may be.. However, this part:
_____________________________

That said, � �[e]ven protected speech is not equally permissible in all
places and at all times.� � Frisby v. Schultz, 487 U. S. 474, 479.
Westboro�s choice of where and when to conduct its picketing is not
beyond the Government�s regulatory reach�it is �subject to reasonable time, place, or manner restrictions.� Clark v. Community for
Creative Non-Violence, 468 U. S. 288, 293. The facts here are quite
different, however, both with respect to the activity being regulated
and the means of restricting those activities, from the few limited
situations where the Court has concluded that the location of targeted picketing can be properly regulated under provisions deemed
content neutral. Frisby, supra, at 477; Madsen v. Women�s Health
Center, Inc., 512 U. S. 753, 768, distinguished. Maryland now has a
law restricting funeral picketing but that law was not in effect at the
time of these events, so this Court has no occasion to consider
whether that law is a �reasonable time, place, or manner restrictio[n]� under the standards announced by this Court.
_____________________

....does allow 'regulation' as to time/place.. I think there will be some serious 'regulations' coming down the pipe..

The thing about this ruling also fully protects those anti-Westboro protesters who bring their OWN signs and get right in the faces of those idiots...

And I still can't believe that church is still standing.. But that's just me..

+1

Westboro knows NOTHING about Christianity. They act out of malice, hate, and conceit. They are a repugnant scourge on decent Americans.

+1000

Guess I never have heard, do they claim to be Christian?

Agree, it's the right decision. Also think someday someone is going to do something very bad to those folks.

We call our parents, "The greatest generation"

I'm trying to imagine a Westboro Church-like scenario during WW2

....not having much luck with that.

GTC

Okay, they have a "right" to protest

Does this mean you can't force them to get a permit or tell them EXACTLY where they will be allowed to stand?

Do I have a "right" to protest them... with a paint ball gun?

+1

Seems to me the Westboro chuch is inciting violence given their behavior. Sure would like to be seated on the jury when someone reacts to their actions.

Correct decision IMHO, but they are going to reap what they sow sooner or later!

Terry, you just summed it up.

Then why can't you yell "FIRE" in a crowded movie theatre? I support free speech, but it does have its limits. The definition of hate speech runs in both directions.

falsely yelling fire isn't hate speech, it's creating a clear and present danger of injury. while one could argue....and the plaintiffs did....that the Westboro people create a danger by making people so mad they beat the crap out of them, the courts have not been convinced.

and letting the state decide what is just tooooo mean to say in public is a place we dare not go.

I hate the decision, but I recognize that their rights mean we all have rights.
Stripping away freedom of expression because we don't like what is being said, means YOU or I might be next, base on someone not liking me calling hussein the national lawn jockey.

I can't wait till Phelps dies, just to see how many will picket at his funeral..? That might be worth the drive..!

I don't blame you you one bit........

Of all the current "stuff" going on, having to defend their right to protest is one of the most difficult....