Westboro Babtist Church at Elizibeth Edwards Funeral

[steelpoint]

"Hundreds of family, friends, and admirers filled a North Carolina church today to bid a final farewell to Elizabeth Edwards .

On Tuesday, at the age of 61, Edwards lost her battle to breast cancer.

But while many, including Senator John Kerry and estranged husband John Edwards mourned inside the church, protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, stood two blocks outside the church. The Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for heckling mourners." From Foxnews.com

Why can't someone prosecute these mofos for being a public disturbance, disturbing the peace, or something else to get these a******* locked up.

 

[Cain]

Well, they use the 1st amendment a lot, and to be honest, it does give them the right to free speech. The only issue is, they are infringing on other's rights also. A judge that has the opinion of stopping them isn't that hard to find, finding one who can stand up to the media and other forces is.

I personally, think Westboro needs to be stopped, they are very disgraceful, and if I die in combat and they show up at man, I really hope they are stopped in their tracks.

 

[Intense]

I would wonder about the chances of getting a restraining Order, to keep X number of feet away, so as to not disrupt mourning services would be more than fair minded.

 

[random3434]

"Hundreds of family, friends, and admirers filled a North Carolina church today to bid a final farewell to Elizabeth Edwards .

On Tuesday, at the age of 61, Edwards lost her battle to breast cancer.

But while many, including Senator John Kerry and estranged husband John Edwards mourned inside the church, protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, stood two blocks outside the church. The Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for heckling mourners." From Foxnews.com

Why can't someone prosecute these mofos for being a public disturbance, disturbing the peace, or something else to get these a******* locked up.

Again, what would have been better is if Fox News and other outlets never even reported about those freaks.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

The best response to the Westboro Baptist Church:

Home

I have a bunch of friends that ride with them.

 

[Revere]

What would it take to keep John Kerry from showing up at your funeral?

 

[Rat in the Hat]

How do these miserable wastes of oxygen find out when and where our fallen heroes are going to be laid to rest? Do they have a network of supporters searching all of the local newspapers in the country looking for info?

I can see how they would know about high profile funerals such as Mrs. Edwards, but it's their finding out about private funerals that bothers and baffles me.

 

[Againsheila]

"Hundreds of family, friends, and admirers filled a North Carolina church today to bid a final farewell to Elizabeth Edwards .

On Tuesday, at the age of 61, Edwards lost her battle to breast cancer.

But while many, including Senator John Kerry and estranged husband John Edwards mourned inside the church, protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, stood two blocks outside the church. The Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for heckling mourners." From Foxnews.com

Why can't someone prosecute these mofos for being a public disturbance, disturbing the peace, or something else to get these a******* locked up.

I think they should all be charged with "inciting a riot" because that's what it would be if they showed up at the funeral of any of my friends and family.

 

[Againsheila]

The best response to the Westboro Baptist Church:

Home

I have a bunch of friends that ride with them.

It's a good response, but I still want to beat the crap out of the WBC goers. They really give Christians a bad name. Yeah I know, not very Christian of me. So glad I don't have to be perfect.

 

[Againsheila]

I would wonder about the chances of getting a restraining Order, to keep X number of feet away, so as to not disrupt mourning services would be more than fair minded.

I, who believe in the right to protest, think it's wrong for anybody to protest at funerals. They are burying their dead, give them some respect. It's a hard time for anyone. Perhaps we should go protest at the funerals of anyone from the WBC? See how they like the tide turned against them.

 

[Rat in the Hat]

I would wonder about the chances of getting a restraining Order, to keep X number of feet away, so as to not disrupt mourning services would be more than fair minded.

I, who believe in the right to protest, think it's wrong for anybody to protest at funerals. They are burying their dead, give them some respect. It's a hard time for anyone. Perhaps we should go protest at the funerals of anyone from the WBC? See how they like the tide turned against them.

They would probably go running to the nearest judge to get a restraining order, crying that their right to privacy was being violated. Especially since the protesters would outnumber the mourners 200 to 1.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

The Westboro Baptist Church are professional outragers. They're all lawyers, and all of the church's money comes from suing people who attack them at protests. That's exactly what they want - they're trying to make people attack them.

 

[random3434]

The Westboro Baptist Church are professional outragers. They're all lawyers, and all of the church's money comes from suing people who attack them at protests. That's exactly what they want - they're trying to make people attack them.

Exactly!

And the media helps their "cause."

I wish NOBODY would pay attention to them, and then I think they'd go away...at least from doing this..........

 

[Againsheila]

The Westboro Baptist Church are professional outragers. They're all lawyers, and all of the church's money comes from suing people who attack them at protests. That's exactly what they want - they're trying to make people attack them.

Somebody needs to track their members and create a protest when one of THEM dies. Turn about is fair play and I'll bet we'd be there by the thousands....let them know what it feels like.

Also, anytime you meet one of them, you should tell them what you think of them up front and in person.

 

[Madeline]

WBC protests at funerals are despicable abuses of the first amendment IMO, but they are nonetheless freedoms we all share and should not be over-anxious to surrender. There's a famous SCOTUS decision involving the rights of the American Nazi Party to parade through the streets of Skokie, Illinois, back in the 1970's or so. Skokie was the home of many Holocaust survivors and heavily Jewish, so clearly the fucking Nazis choose that locale for its shock value.

Bottom line is, freedom to speak or assemble or worship or whatnot means very little if the most offensive speech/conduct/religion etc. is not protected.

I'd be okay with trimming the WBC's sails, and mebbe outlawing funeral protests....I just think we need to go slow and ponder well before we do anything, as we are altering the freedoms any of us has as well.

 

[Intense]

There is nothing wrong with getting the Courts to issue Restraining Orders that keep them far enough away to not be heard during the event's.

 

[mudwhistle]

"Hundreds of family, friends, and admirers filled a North Carolina church today to bid a final farewell to Elizabeth Edwards .

On Tuesday, at the age of 61, Edwards lost her battle to breast cancer.

But while many, including Senator John Kerry and estranged husband John Edwards mourned inside the church, protestors from the Westboro Baptist Church, stood two blocks outside the church. The Westboro Baptist Church is notorious for heckling mourners." From Foxnews.com

Why can't someone prosecute these mofos for being a public disturbance, disturbing the peace, or something else to get these a******* locked up.

Did they say why?


Is it so they can show everyone what total assholes they are again?

Wasn't all of their nonsensical protests supposed to be about gays in the military? WTF is their rationale in this?

 

[goldcatt]

There is nothing wrong with getting the Courts to issue Restraining Orders that keep them far enough away to not be heard during the event's.

The courts don't have to issue restraining orders. Remember the recent SCOTUS case involving these people and the Matthews family? The town simply issued the permit for the protest for a site a few hundred yards away. The family didn't even know they were present until after the fact.

And that was using already existing time, place and manner restrictions. It doesn't take gutting the First or running to the courts to protect the families. Just a little common sense.

 

[Intense]

There is nothing wrong with getting the Courts to issue Restraining Orders that keep them far enough away to not be heard during the event's.

The courts don't have to issue restraining orders. Remember the recent SCOTUS case involving these people and the Matthews family? The town simply issued the permit for the protest for a site a few hundred yards away. The family didn't even know they were present until after the fact.

And that was using already existing time, place and manner restrictions. It doesn't take gutting the First or running to the courts to protect the families. Just a little common sense.

That works for me too. Different places have different governing rules and restrictions.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Patriot Guard and American Legion riders at a troops funeral.