Westboro Church has made headlines around the world with their "God Hates America, God Hates Soldiers" campaigns of hatred and defilement. The US Supreme Court upheld their right to spew hatred. And that has me puzzled.
The KKK is viewed as an extremist hate group in the US, men like Ernst Zundel have been prosecuted for spewing hate literature that could incite hatred against an identifiable group" and for being a threat to national security here in Canada.
So why is a "Church" allowed to spew hatred towards the defenders of "Freedom"?
I do not understand the mentality - in light of the wars that the US is in - the hatred being spewed by the members of the Westboro "Church" smacks of the hatred shown to Vietnam Vets....of that spewed towards Holocaust survivors, of that spewed against Blacks.
Sorry folks, maybe it's just me but truly, the Supreme Court in the US seems to have lost sight of it's job.
Hatred - Hate Crimes - Hate Literature - Bullying - all of these things are wrong, morally and legally so why is a "Church" being allowed to spew hatred? I thought that extremism was what many of the wars that are being fought, are about, standing against extremism.
I thought that morals and values were regarded in the US by it's government and it's court system as fundamentals of law. It appears to me however that that is not the case. Nor is common sense or common decency.
For this "Church" to be allowed to incite hatred against an identifiable group - the military men and women who have paid the ultimate price for OUR FREEDOMS, for them to be allowed to teach children such awful, horrible things, shocks and dismays me.
I remember an interview many years ago of a 4 year old child of a white supremacist and the shocking hatred that that child spewed. What has happened to our society? What has happened to the fundamentals of this country called the US of A?
This "Church" has been allowed to spew anti Semitic rhetoric, anti Gay rhetoric, members have been arrested for invasion of privacy and for assault among other things. They have burned the Canadian Flag to protest Gay Marriage, the have burned the US Flag and while it may not be illegal to do so it is the supreme insult.
From Wikipedia:
On September 24, 2009, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Westboro Baptist Church and reversed the lower court's award. It found their picket near the funeral is protected speech because it involves "matters of public concern, including the issues of homosexuals in the military, the sex-abuse scandal within the Catholic Church, and the political and moral conduct of the United States and its citizens", and did not violate the privacy of the service member's family.[96] On March 30, 2010, the appeals court ordered Albert Snyder to pay the church's court costs of over $16,000, a move that Snyder's attorney's referred to as "adding insult to injury".[97] The decision has led to nationwide support for Snyder, with over 3,000 promises for donations to help offset the cost; Political commentator Bill O'Reilly offered to pay the entire amount of the costs on March 30.[98][99] The American Legion has also raised $17,000 to help pay Snyder's court costs.[100]
On March 8, 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari in Snyder v. Phelps, (Docket No. 09-751, March 8, 2010).[101] On May 28, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, joined by 42 other Senators, filed an amicus brief in support of Snyder with the Supreme Court. On June 1, Kansas Attorney General Stephen Six filed a separate brief supporting Snyder. This brief was joined by the Attorneys General of 47 other states and the District of Columbia, with Maine and Virginia being the two exceptions.[102][103]
In an 8–1 decision, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Phelps on March 2, 2011.
Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion stating: "What Westboro said, in the whole context of how and where it chose to say it, is entitled to 'special protection' under the First Amendment and that protection cannot be overcome by a jury finding that the picketing was outrageous."[104] Justice Samuel Alito, the lone dissenter, said Snyder wanted only to "bury his son in peace". Instead, Alito said, the protesters "brutally attacked" Matthew Snyder to attract public attention. "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case," he said.
I agree with Justice SamueI Alito and I feel that the Supreme Court of the US of A has let the citizens of the USA and the world down with their recent ruling. The Patriot Guard are heroes in my humble opinion and I pray that they have the strength and support they need to keep protecting the rights of the men and women who have served their country and their right to be buried with dignity. End Quote
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The only thing about the name "Westboro Baptist Church" that is true is it's in Westboro.
ReplyDeleteThis group of people is not a church and they are not affiliated with any group, including any Baptist denomination.
Free speech is a difficult thing to manage. As a pastor, I struggle with the fact that this group of people (sorry, Betty, I refuse to use the word 'church' even with quotes around it) has the potential to give those who genuinely love God and want to serve others a bad name.
They are an embarrassing, misguided bunch of hateful people, but they are not a church.
I agree with you wholeheartedly Rob.
ReplyDeleteI think that this "Church" is a Hate group hiding behind the word "Church" or "Religion" in order to perpetuate it's hatred. Again, that is my humble opinion.
I use the term that the main stream media and the members of Westboro in quotations as I do not feel that the term "Church" should be used to describe what goes on there...
One of the biggest problems today is the media. They give these nut cases national and unlimited attention. Without the massive media attention they would just be another group of nuts in a small corner of nowhere making fools of themselves.
ReplyDeleteFreedom of Speech laws are tricky. There are some universal morals such as incest. Other "morals" are not universal, for example, fidelity in North America is considered paramount. In Algeria, the men are expected, as "real men" to visit prostitutes frequently...In Russia, they believe that the side effects from oral contraceptives are far worse than performing abortions. In North America, we think differently. Ethnocentric beliefs where we believe our beliefs, values are the only "right" ones limit ourselves and keep us closed and our world and lives small. I agree with the pastor's comments regarding don't even GIVE these groups attention.Unfortunately, much of our "entertainment" vis-a-vis, reality shows, day time talk shows..etc...present us with situations and people who are much more troubled or disturbed than the majority of the populace. Portraying "lowest common denominator" people allows the majority of us to breathe a sigh of relief and say, "At least we're not THAT bad".
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that this group can inflict more pain on a family at that time. They give "church" people a bad name. With freedom comes responsibility or at least it should. Our military members and family deserve so much better than that kind of treatment. Thanks to the Patriot Guard for the service they provide.
ReplyDeleteThey call themselves Christians and yet they spew hate with their words and actions. They make a mockery of the U.S. constitution with their vile, hateful behavior.The courts are wrong (again) and the vote pandering politicians who support them are the very ones who hold their hands over their hearts when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited.No wonder the U.S. is held in contempt and has the lost the respect of most of the rest of the world. The hypocrisy displayed is so sad... "Home of the free and land of the brave" ... yet they allow people to mock, curse and show total disrespect for the very people who put their lives on the line to make it so!
ReplyDelete