case for regulating free speech in USA.....

[joey_downunder]

I admire all you "freedom of speech no matter how much it may offend" supporters.

Probably what makes you Americans so different in some aspects to the rest of the world.

I can't get over how inhumane it is to use this tragedy for such selfish /attention- getting purposes though.

 

[Rion]

Fred Phelps is a Con Man

 

[Caesars Ghost]

Free speech isn't the issue. It's proximity to funerals that is the issue.
Hate speech, intent to incite, etc... should not be permitted to speak within close proximity to those who grieve the loss of loved one's.

When a permit is required for the Phelps church to gather at funeral locations, then those permits can very easily be let to command a distance be afforded from a funeral.
When people have to/ or at least should, give right of way to a funeral procession on the roads, with police escorts in attendance as well, then there should be a right of way afforded to funeral properties.

Especially when those are private properties and the public sidewalks and roadways are not funded by the tax dollars of the traveling Phelps clan who arrive at any given address in any State they choose to target.

Maybe the Angels will show at the Connecticut funerals so as to once again thwart Fred and his agenda.

Angels Turn their Backs on Hate -- Fred Phelps/Westboro Baptist Church - YouTube


People can say what they will about Obama,but he did well with this one.
(Obama signed bill into law)
Vets Act Will Restrict Military Funeral Protests *August 2012





And God bless the Foo Fighters.
Foo Fighters protest Westboro Baptist Church September 19th, 2011 By Eric Marrapodi, CNN Belief Blog Co-Editor



Unfortunately, there is no such protection for the pending protest plans by Westboro with regard to the Connecticut victims funerals.




10 Nonviolent Ways to Thwart a Westboro Baptist Church Protest




1. Strap on Angel Wings

Image credit: The Laramie Project at Duke
Angel Action is an organization that helps counter-protesters organize and construct 10-foot-tall “wings” for protesters to wear, which are used to block the view of WBC members and their signs. The group was informally founded during the murder trial of hate-crime victim Matthew Shepard, who was tortured and killed in 1998. WBC founder Fred Phelps staged a protest at the courthouse, and Angel Action founder Romaine Patterson, a friend of Shepard, devised the wings and set up around Westboro protesters. The organization is still involved in thwarting WBC pickets, including the planned Sandy Hook appearance, and has set up a Facebook event to provide details as they are available.

 

[marshlewis]

Actually, they aren't. From what I've read up on them, the majority of them don't believe in any of that stuff. They basically do things like this to get attention and in the hopes of someone getting angry and touching them. At that point they sue for assault.

So, basically... they're trolling the victims and their supporters for money.

thats actually a relief to hear. the lesser of two evils.

 

[Bethesda]

I admire all you "freedom of speech no matter how much it may offend" supporters.

Probably what makes you Americans so different in some aspects to the rest of the world.

I can't get over how inhumane it is to use this tragedy for such selfish /attention- getting purposes though.

I have to say in a way how much I admire Americans for their tolerance of these truly odious people in terms of the free speech aspect - if they been in the UK I suspect they would have all met the wrong end of a police baton a long time ago and overall our police don't pay out too much in damages (they would all have been detained anyway on the basis of behaviour likely to cause a breach of the peace - old Middle Ages common law). I also think that given how Jesus treated those who turned the Temple into a market place that He wouldn't have been too slow to drive such oxygen thieves out of hearing and sight of any funeral.