Protesting at the 9 y.o. shooting victim's funeral

[GrayMatterWife]

The Westboro people issued a statement today, advising that they would not be protesting the girl's funeral. Apparently, a quid pro quo for some sort of promised airtime.

[Momo]

The Westboro people issued a statement today, advising that they would not be protesting the girl's funeral. Apparently, a quid pro quo for some sort of promised airtime.

UGGGH!

I hate that someone gave into the Westboro blackmail. Giving them airtime and publicity just feeds their monster.

ITA!! This will be there new MO.

[oceanchild]

ITA!! This will be there new MO.

I'm not so sure it's new. They seem to be really good at getting press already. I mean it's like six people right? And pretty much the whole country knows who they are.

[Meenah]

Did you see that she was born on 9-11-01 and her picture was posted then (as an infant) with wishes? This absolutely dissolved me into tears. Right or wrong, it did.

[SuzySunshine]

No details yet but MSNBC is reporting that the SC sided with the Westboro idiots. Sad, sad day.

[diggitydot]

Ugh. Douchebags.

[SoonerTexan]

Depending on how they decided it, I might be able to see why. Still a sucky outcome for the families

[oceanchild]

Depending on how they decided it, I might be able to see why. Still a sucky outcome for the families

It's a first amendment decision, and probably a pretty reasonable one when you get right down to it (8-1 vote on the court). Still, ugh.

[SuzySunshine]

Oh I expected that result - it still sucks though!

[Amiens]

It passed 8-1 in favor of Westboro Baptist Church, with Justice Sam Alito being the dissenting opinion. It came down to first amendment rights, and one of the justice's opinions went along the lines of regardless of what one may think of WBC, it is their first amendment right to protest.

[diggitydot]

I certainly don't begrudge them their right to make asses of themselves. I just wish people would ignore them so they'll hurry up and implode/go away.

[GrayMatterWife]

From a legal point of view, it wasn't a hard call.

And as much as I like Justice Alito, the dissent was weak in terms of legal reasoning. I think he got it completely backward. The more repugnant the message, the more we should protect the right to say it, or the protection means nothing.

The more repugnant the message, the more we should protect the right to say it, or the protection means nothing.

I actually completely agree with you.

[MarissaNicole]

That group absolutely disgusts me but in our country you don't get to decide WHAT kind of speech is protected, it almost all is, even if its stupid/cruel.

This groups protests all major trajedys claiming that the occurrence was deserved and that it is God's way of punishing people. I think they do it for the press more than anything. Everyone is always disgusted by it and they always manage to get a ton of attention.

[scrub-jay]

I think that there should be a large collection of choral singers who travel around to where the Westboro are going and out-sing their protests. Every.time.