Gunpowder Chronicle posted on October 31, 2007 9:24 PM | Rating:
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The Westboro Baptist Church -- that group of ridiculous Kansans who claim to be Christians and picket soldier's funerals saying "God Loves Dead Soldiers" -- got slapped down in court today.
And that is a good thing.
Here's a little lesson in the First Amendment folks:
1) The First Amendment is about free speech against the government. It is not about protesting a private event. There is no free speech protection for despicable, hate-filled people invading a private event. Funerals, ladies and gentlemen, are private affairs. Even on government property (like National Cemetaries).
2) There is no absolute right to free speech. Not even in speech against the government. There are limits. And there are certainly limits on protesting during a private funeral.
3) The people from Westboro Baptist Church are despicable, and their speech is a hate-filled diatribe. Normally, I would say "who cares?", but in this case, they are protesting against the government by invading the private ceremony of soldier who died protecting that right.
This was a good verdict by a sensible jury. For once, the legal system worked for the good guys.