Fallen Marine's father says anti-gay pickets will draw gunfire

Originally posted by JohnySeagull
you cannot kill people for peacefull protest.

this is what has being happening in the middle east.

this is a very tiny group. if you ignore them they will vanish. this type of group feeds of the hate they give birth to.

You are probably right. All the press and editorials are feeding them. If they were ignored, they would probably get bored and go away.

One thing -- I know the courts have ruled they have the right to these "protests", (which is more like harassment and hate crimes from my perspective), but what is disappointing to me, is that some "loop hole" wasn't discovered to stop them; they have the american "seal of approval" to continue this bs.

Attention seekers from hell. Everything about them disgusts me.

reply to post by ladyinwaiting


They are not a real church either just a family of whakos. I think its naive to leave out the human equation and yes someone will get hurt. Then who is responsible when it keeps happening. I would do everything I could to make their life hell. Picket their church stand around with bigger signs that block theirs find some loitering law something. He'll I would rent a tractor trailers and park them along the road side where they protest something. There should certainly be laws about funerals as people can become temporarily insane with grief.

reply to post by muzzleflash


Yeah well I served my 4 years in the marines and I think your pretty naive. It wasn't this we defended. It was protest against the government. That's what the constitution was for protesting the government and establishment working conditions not the death of soldiers at funerals. These cowards don't know anything about sacrifice. Also to those talking about "peacefull" protesters in the middle east I think you watch too much CNN. They are not peaceful. Libya is in civil war and those "peaceful" protesters have tanks, antiaircraft, machine guns, and artillery. Can you imagine what the US would do if "peaceful" protesters took over American cities with militias and arms? I am pretty sure we would fire apon our people just like Kent state.

Also to you morons reals freedom of speech is being choked off while this crap is protected. Look at Wisconsin. Look at the last Hillary speech about Freedom. Nobody makes a peep about that stuff and those are what the constitution was made to protect. But again the soldier and ex CIA analyst gets roughed up by the government, not private citizens and that's just fine. What a load of crap.

They should treat the military funerals just like the G-20 summits.

Have a free speech zone set up about 3 miles away from the funeral and deploy riot police in a perimeter around the funeral.

If people don't like it, take it to the Supreme Court and we will finally see how constitutional free speech zones are.

reply to post by SMR


I cannot condemn a westboro massacre when those in question resigned from humanity on their own free will. I can just say that killing is wrong.

reply to post by SMR


Exactly. These people seem to revel in sticking there noses where they sure as hell do not belong. They seemed to have skipped the parts where the bible says "judge not lest ye be judged" and "treat others how you would like to be treated".

But it also so apparently says that being gay is wrong. Seems the author didn't know the meaning of contradiction.

reply to post by BoneMosaic


It doesn't say being gay is wrong. It quoted Jesus saying do not treat a man as a women. It was in Romans and the context was that roman soldiers were raping men to humiliate them after battle. It's taken out of context by nut jobs. Obviously Christ accepted everyone and the people interpreting the bible for their own campaigns can go to hell.

My question is, what's the driving force behind these people from Westboro? Who is funding their travels? It's not love for their fellow man or a desire to spread the message of Christ. They seem to have some perverted idea that they are doing Gods will. I think they are just publicity seeking hate mongers trying to see how far they can go.

I believe in freedom of speech but with some common sense. A funeral is not the place to express your rights. This where they get the media attention so what if it hurts mourning parents, family members and friends. I'm not advocating violence but if they continue spewing hate like this eventually something will happen.

Very funny this.
So the very same people who are walking around freely without anyone coming and crushing them are the very same people who want to crush others for walking around freely?
What you people dont understand is that freedom of speech is there for all, not just for you, so you can come on here and freely speak about how others should not

You write wall of texts that has no sense in it.

Muzzleflash has already said it all really, nothing I can add.

The bottom line is this, everyone can protest, whoever, in a free country.

You dont like it?

Why dont you go try live in Yemen?

Mod Note: Do not edit staff actions. This could result in the suspension of posting privileges. Thank you.

These anti-gay picketers just show the true nature of Christianity.

It's about loving your neighbor within the congregation (sometimes) and doing some good deeds (sometimes) and then cultivating a deep-seated loathing of everyone else.

reply to post by SMR


I think the difference is that their speech is not directed towards a specific person, it's directed in general at the US as a whole. I don't agree with their message, and I think the fact that they do this at marines' and other soldiers' funerals who are not gay creates a very surreal situation, where people who are not necessarily supportive of gay rights or who want to see DADT maintained are not oddly placed in the position of being against another group who is vociferous against homosexuality. Very weird.

They are not violent, they are just whacky. Violence cannot be condoned against them, even paint balls, which are a violent projectile, especially damaging if they hit an eye or other part of the face. Also, keep in mind that many of the people are older or young kids.

whats next NAMBLA picketing elementary schools? your rights end where mine begin. wouldnt shed a tear for this rabble.

The price of freedom is that some will use that freedom in ways you don't like.

I didn't see it in the article in the OP, but it has been said here that they were about 300 yards away from the actual funeral. What they did was perfectly legal and constitutionally protected. Morally wrong, maybe to many of us, but not illegal. To the WBC being gay is morally wrong and they unfortunately choose to spread that message the way they do.

According to what has been posted here, they did not physically intrude on the funeral, block entrance, etc... They did not try to provoke anyone or 'get in their face'. They held up some signs and said mean things. Boo hoo. If they did it to me I would be angry, so what.

Their right to protest a funeral is the same right that allows you to go and protest near their 'church' and hold up signs and say they are backwards abominations to their alleged religion.

All this talk of hate crime only comes into effect when an actual crime has been committed, and IMO, there should be no 'hate crimes'. It only creates protected classes. Comparing shouting fire in a theater is and old one and misunderstood. The shouting of FIRE in a theater (that is not on fire) is not what is illegal, it is attempting to incite a stampede and riot that is illegal.

You may not like it but that is part of the price of freedom, you have to deal with other free people, some of which may be total morons.

If people were smart they would just ignore these idiots and laugh at them. This man who threatened that something might happen to them is playing right into their hands. Threatening physical harm is not protected speech and depending on what he actually said may be actionable.

reply to post by muzzleflash


I agree with you for the most part.

The constitution can't control basic human nature though. In times where people are hurt emotionally you never know what they will do. The constitution is the last thing on their mind.

I'm sure if some people were protesting at my mom's funeral I'd do something crazy. I'm sure George Washington and Thomas Jefferson wouldn't even sit back and let people picket their mother's funeral. (although we're taught to believe they were mellow as church mice and never got mad).

People are more complex than the constitution, even though its a great piece of writing, its not the holy grail answer to everything human.

I'm not advocating changing any laws, but I see the beauty of people settling things man to man every once in a while (even if there are legal consequences).

Like the time the kid getting picked on finally beat up the bully at gym class. Sure, it was against the schools "constitution" and he got in trouble, but I'm sure he didn't regret what he did.

"It does not follow, however, that they may intentionally inflict severe emotional injury on private persons at a time of intense emotional sensitivity by launching vicious verbal attacks that make no contribution to public debate," ---SCOTUS Justice Sam Alito

Also realize that the Westboro church is a racket...

They don't so much believe in their message, they have constructed what they do to perfectly fit into their constitutional freedoms.

Their signs and phrases used are made in such a way that when someone does react violently, the Phelps clan can just sue the # out of them and get paid.

They can scream "American Soldiers are going to hell, Fags will burn in hell!!" And stare you right in the eye. The minute they say " YOU are going to hell, faggot!" or "Your child will burn in hell for being a soldier and everyone is glad they are dead." The judge won't have to award any damages.

Phelps knows he can piss people off to the point of inciting violence against himself, thereby staying within the law and being able to take someone to civil court and extract money.

If it weren't for the fallen marines and soldiers they couldn't picket at the funerals. Go ahead, scrap the military and lets see what a fine country this becomes in 30 years. We take things for granted... It's sad that too often people learn the hard way - by forsaking our god given duties.

It shows you how much strength and trueness is in the soldiers and how much fakeness is in the protesters. They were too cowardly to serve their country so they bit the hand that feeds them.

If it were me at the funeral I would punched the protesters in the @#%%! face and then prosecuted and locked up for 3 years for battery or something to please the whiners and other fakers.

Lucky that I wasn't there.

reply to post by muzzleflash


Some of the people you have quoted may be respected thinkers, but what did the likes of slave-owners such as Washington and Jefferson care about freedom ?

Quoting their opinions on ''freedom'' is about as valid as quoting Genghis Khan's opinions on peace and reconciliation.

You know how we can help?
Why don't we off set the cost of Albert Snyder's payment to Westboro so he doesn't have to pay those 'protestors' one red cent. Let us put our money where our mouths are and do something to help.Snyder
Also you know what else will help?
Giving Westboro a taste of their own tyrannical medicine.
I say water guns with holy water in them.
I say a message to them: "God doesn't like commandment breakers. Do you know if the person this funeral is for is gay? Then you break the 9th Commandment of Bearing False Witness which is of the devil."
Ninth and unabridged
Then everyone chant to the devils
"The Power Of Christ Compels You" and soak them.
After all, it is every Christian's duty to banish the devil at every turn so they can't call foul against freedom of religious practice, which is exactly what they are doing. Then this can go all the way to the Supreme Court, only this time it will tie Westboro's hands til judgment.
Sometimes you have to fight fire with water. LOL