Those Westborough bastards finally get what they deserve

[Gunslinger08]

Originally posted by: Noobtastic
Freedom of speech no longer applies in the event of hurting someone else's feelings, no matter how unjustified?

Might as well tear apart the constitution.

Freedom of speech is not complete. You can still be held liable for how you express yourself.

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: mugs

Originally posted by: silverpig

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: yllus
I'm not a lawyer so I'll go with what the courts decided, but I sort of don't like this verdict. You should be able to protest damn near anything as long as you're on public property and all that.

i have to agree.

while distastfull they have the right to protest. I think this verdict was wrong.

The should have the right to protest, just not anywhere at anytime. If you disagree with this verdict, then you should think noise bylaws are unconstitutional for infringing on a protester's rights to demonstrate at 3 am.

There are all sorts of limits to protesting. This is nothing new. You can't protest using hate literature for example. All this ruling does is set some new and welcome limits.

If they protested at a time or in a place where they weren't allowed to, or they didn't have the appropriate permits or whatever, then they deserve an appropriate fine. But that's not what's going on here. This is a jury punishing a group for saying things that weren't very nice. I have a problem with that.

Indeed, this is a dangerous precedent and a further indication of the "Pussification of America" as aptly-put in another recent thread.

While the "protestors" are scum and false Christians, I do not agree with the verdict. Slap them with a fine and move on.

 

[TehMac]

You "ZOMG FREE SPEECH IS UNDER ATTACK!!!" people have to realize these people are absolute morons. They're crazy. A while back, crazy people got locked up, and now they get fined, no one complained when some lunatic got his ass shut up in jail. Did the constitution fall apart then? Uh, no.

This isn't a matter of free speech, these people are just loonies who got owned. They should be put into mental asylums, but whatever.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: TehMac
You "ZOMG FREE SPEECH IS UNDER ATTACK!!!" people have to realize these people are absolute morons. They're crazy. A while back, crazy people got locked up, and now they get fined, no one complained when some lunatic got his ass shut up in jail. Did the constitution fall apart then? Uh, no.

This isn't a matter of free speech, these people are just loonies who got owned. They should be put into mental asylums, but whatever.

Wow. :roll:

They're not crazy, they're bigots.

Even if they were insane, they don't deserve to be locked up unless they are a threat to someone. Their protests are non-violent (although they are sometimes the victims of violence).

 

[Number1]

There are limits to what is socialy aceptable and disrupting someone's funeral is totaly out of line.
This is the best news I have heard this year. They may not have enough money to pay for the fine but they will have to sell their assets.

Hopefully this is the last we hear of this bunch of fanatic morons.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: TehMac
You "ZOMG FREE SPEECH IS UNDER ATTACK!!!" people have to realize these people are absolute morons. They're crazy. A while back, crazy people got locked up, and now they get fined, no one complained when some lunatic got his ass shut up in jail. Did the constitution fall apart then? Uh, no.

This isn't a matter of free speech, these people are just loonies who got owned. They should be put into mental asylums, but whatever.

yes they are crazy bigots. but they still have the right to protest and say what htey think.

While i find what they say sickening and it pisses me off they protest at Military funerals (personaly i want someone to kick tthere ass's) they have that right.

 

[dougp]

Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes said, 'The right to swing my fist ends where the other man's nose begins.'

Very famous words - their words were their fists, and the place they protested was another's nose. While it may have been public property they were on - what they did was wrong. Maybe not illegal (but it should be IMO ...) but I feel this is a good ruling. Remember, laws are interpreted ...

 

[FoBoT]

this is the real thread

 

[Noobtastic]

bump

 

[irishScott]

There is justice, and then there is law. Theoretically, law is supposed to support justice. I see no injustice in this ruling.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Meh, freedom of speech is overrated when used in this manner.

 

[Demon-Xanth]

"I don't agree with what you say, but I'll go to war and die to defend your right to say it."

 

[buck]

I hope there was more to this than whats in the story....

 

[TheKub]

So was it 2.9 or 10.9. Ive heard both figures on TV and online. Not that he will ever see any of it.

 

[soydios]

the First Amendment only protects you from government censure, not from getting sued because you were callous enough to protest at someone's funeral.
using someone else's suffering to further your own ends = immoral

 

[effowe]

^^ Updated ^^

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Corporate Thug
Meh, freedom of speech is overrated when used in this manner.

whats next though? you take away this groups right to protest then another group is going to complain.

this sets a bad precident.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

I disagree with this. As I've said before, I believe in complete free speech. If someone calls me a n***** b****, that's there right. I don't really care. If someone comes to my funeral and says how I was a dumb oreo who f***** a white girl that's again, their right. Someone may beat his or her ass for it, but it's their right to say it.

Just like I can call moshquerade moshy and mushy It's free speech! ^_^

 

[paulxcook]

immoral != illegal

Judicial interpretation FTL on this one. These people are terrible for protesting a funeral, but the consequences for appropriate and legal future protests may outweigh the feel-good justice of this case.

 

[OutHouse]

mods combine all 3 threads on this subject into one.

 

[daveymark]

up next: protesters @ gay parades and abortion clinics to be sued etc.

I forsee the ACLU getting involved in this. It probably won't happen until a group like PETA/ALF gets sued though.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: daveymark
up next: protesters @ gay parades and abortion clinics to be sued etc.

I forsee the ACLU getting involved in this. It probably won't happen until a group like PETA/ALF gets sued though.

Oh shut up. The ACLU is not some liberal group and if you had half a brain you know they already sued to help them.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/...2/AR2006072200643.html

Now go back to watching your faux news and listen to bill Oreally for more fun facts.

 

[zinfamous]

Originally posted by: Number1
There are limits to what is socialy aceptable and disrupting someone's funeral is totaly out of line.
This is the best news I have heard this year. They may not have enough money to pay for the fine but they will have to sell their assets.

Hopefully this is the last we hear of this bunch of fanatic morons.

agreed.

if the precedent this sets is to limit the outlet for neonazis, kkk, and other hate mongers then I'm all for it. be a bigot all you want, but not in public. keep it in the family, inbreed yourselves into oblivion if you need to--but stay out of the genepool of civilized society