Gotta love the ACLU - once a douche bag, always a douche bag.
Quote:An organization that supports American troops and their families is appalled that the American Civil Liberties Union has joined the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in challenging a Missouri community's ordinance that limits the access of funeral protesters.
Last week, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Maplewood, claiming that its ordinance restricting access to military funerals is unconstitutional. The suit is part of a broader effort by the ACLU to go after state and local laws that have been enacted in order to deal with the activities of Fred Phelps and his followers who began protesting at funerals of homosexuals but then expanded those protests to soldiers' funerals, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers."
Westboro members believe that America is being punished with the deaths of soldiers and others for its "tolerance" of homosexuality. Merrilee Carlson, president of Families United For Our Troops and Their Mission, says these ordinances are quite reasonable.
"They have created laws in order to put a protective corridor around the families at the time of their funeral," she explains. "And what this corridor does not do is take away the freedom of speech of these people in order to say the things that they do."
Carlson says it is amazing that the ACLU would come to the aid of a group that preaches hate.
"The ACLU has jumped on the bandwagon with these people who viciously go to these funerals and protest and say horrible things to these families," she adds. "And they are supporting these people who say that they have absolutely the right to stand right in front of these people and inflict this harm."
Free-speech rights must come with responsibility, Carlson concludes.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=602490
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AHHHHH ....
These idiots who call them selves Christians can suc-a-root and they are no better than the Muslim Hate School Sponsors that reside in the fine State of Virgina and other places.
I mean which one is worse ?????
They both Spew hate toward another Culture and Religion.
The only difference is one group Flew Jumbo Jets into Buildings in 2001 and Full Out Declared War on anything American.
I guess if those Idiots at Westboro, all 100 of them, and inbreds at that (yeah come get me Christians, I will be waiting for your Dumb Asses), probably couldn't all together crank a hand cranked Studebaker much less fire up and fly Jumbo Jets into a McDonald's.
Yeah yeah yeah, I hate Obama and blah blah blah to those that will incite that I do, but I have already told you that I do NOT hate him.
Westboro are just a bunch of Untattooed Skin Heads or Unrobed KKK just like the Muslim Hate School is Osama Bin Laden incarnate. They both need to go.
THEY ALL NEED TO GO and this is NOT a Freedom of Speech Issue, it is a Breach of the Peace Issue.
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(08-04-2009 06:07 PM)smn1256 Wrote: [ -> ]Gotta love the ACLU - once a douche bag, always a douche bag.
Quote:An organization that supports American troops and their families is appalled that the American Civil Liberties Union has joined the controversial Westboro Baptist Church in challenging a Missouri community's ordinance that limits the access of funeral protesters.
Last week, the ACLU filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Maplewood, claiming that its ordinance restricting access to military funerals is unconstitutional. The suit is part of a broader effort by the ACLU to go after state and local laws that have been enacted in order to deal with the activities of Fred Phelps and his followers who began protesting at funerals of homosexuals but then expanded those protests to soldiers' funerals, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers."
Westboro members believe that America is being punished with the deaths of soldiers and others for its "tolerance" of homosexuality. Merrilee Carlson, president of Families United For Our Troops and Their Mission, says these ordinances are quite reasonable.
"They have created laws in order to put a protective corridor around the families at the time of their funeral," she explains. "And what this corridor does not do is take away the freedom of speech of these people in order to say the things that they do."
Carlson says it is amazing that the ACLU would come to the aid of a group that preaches hate.
"The ACLU has jumped on the bandwagon with these people who viciously go to these funerals and protest and say horrible things to these families," she adds. "And they are supporting these people who say that they have absolutely the right to stand right in front of these people and inflict this harm."
Free-speech rights must come with responsibility, Carlson concludes.
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Legal/Default.aspx?id=602490
The sad thing is Independent Baptists can stand for anything. This group calls itself Baptists and I would bet there is not another Baptist Church in America that agrees with anything this group says. So not only do they hurt families by protesting at funerals but give a very misleading impression about the Baptist beliefs.
I wish someone would explain to me how disturbing a private funtion is free speech.
(08-04-2009 10:29 PM)smn1256 Wrote: [ -> ]I wish someone would explain to me how disturbing a private funtion is free speech.
Yes...If the service is being held on private property, I see nothing that would stop the owners from prohibition of protests. You either own your property of you don't. Free speech zones have already been ruled contitutional and they can be set up far enough away as to not disturb the services. I have NO problem with ANY protest on public property...but...on private property?...NO
1) ACLU is damned if they do or don't here. If they don't file this suit, they get bashed for selectively (politically) advocating free speech
2) I think the suit purtains to public property around the private property (protesting on the streets beside the funeral
3) I hate that they're doing this. Not all speech is protected and they should know better. Smells of ideologue.
(08-05-2009 07:46 AM)Artifice Wrote: [ -> ]1) ACLU is damned if they do or don't here. If they don't file this suit, they get bashed for selectively (politically) advocating free speech
Unfortunately there are a fair number of examples of the ACLU remaining quite on political speech fronts if the cause is unpopular (though certainly not in this case) - many's concern with the ACLU is their inability to be non-partisan (for lack of a better word.)
Though taking up this case and the TiZA* case in MPLS maybe shows a firmer commitment to being more broad based
*TiZA
"A Twin Cities Islamic culture charter school is being accused of illegally promoting religion with taxpayer money. That's the gist of a lawsuit filed today by the American Civil Liberties Union against the TiZA Academy, which has campuses in Inver Grove Heights and Blaine."
(08-05-2009 07:46 AM)Artifice Wrote: [ -> ]1) ACLU is damned if they do or don't here. If they don't file this suit, they get bashed for selectively (politically) advocating free speech
2) I think the suit purtains to public property around the private property (protesting on the streets beside the funeral
3) I hate that they're doing this. Not all speech is protected and they should know better. Smells of ideologue.
I cant see any problem with the free speech zones being put up out of earshot of these funerals. I'm pretty sure the SCOTUS has ruled this is OK.
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I do believe some Pissed of Airborne or Marines billeted at Arlington falling out to go Face-to-Face with these "Christians", would decrease their numbers substantially.
Cemeteries are a weird thing, here they have to logged in at the Clerk of Courts Office and Signed off on by the Council Members.
Then they kinda sorta become County Property and yet they still retain their Private Property Status.
I have seen nutbag families have a Family Cemetery, get angry with each other, and start Fencing Off Parts of the Cemetery as Just Theirs .... Well the County then has to step in and put a stop to it.
I have seen all out blood soaked brawls at Funerals before ...
Now that's a HOOTER TOOTER !!!!!!
The "Grounds" may be Public, but the Service is Private and you should not be allowed to disrupt this Private Service in anyway form or fashion or you go to JAIL.
What these "Christians" are doing is WRONG WRONG WRONG.
Nothing a Squad of Soldiers with Locked and Loaded M16's with Fixed Bayonets would not be able to quell.
Yes Robert ??????
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(08-05-2009 12:36 PM)Tripster Wrote: [ -> ]The "Grounds" may be Public, but the Service is Private and you should not be allowed to disrupt this Private Service in anyway form or fashion or you go to JAIL.
Agreed. The grounds may be public but for a short period of time its rented to private parties for their funerals.
(08-05-2009 09:32 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote: [ -> ]I cant see any problem with the free speech zones being put up out of earshot of these funerals. I'm pretty sure the SCOTUS has ruled this is OK.
Agreed. I think the ACLU is trying to make a point here that even vile speech is protected, but when it comes to disrupting a private event I don't see how that can be tolerated.
These people are truly scum.
(08-05-2009 12:46 PM)wvucrazed Wrote: [ -> ] (08-05-2009 09:32 AM)Fo Shizzle Wrote: [ -> ]I cant see any problem with the free speech zones being put up out of earshot of these funerals. I'm pretty sure the SCOTUS has ruled this is OK.
Agreed. I think the ACLU is trying to make a point here that even vile speech is protected, but when it comes to disrupting a private event I don't see how that can be tolerated.
These people are truly scum.
I agree...The answer is to let them spew their nonsense in one of those free speech zones...far enough away that they can not be heard.
Personally, I abhor these zones and I really think that on public areas...That people should be able to spew as much garbage from their mouths as they wish. In this case I'm glad I do not get to make the rules and the SCOTUS has provided a solution.