This Is Not A Democracy, It's A Republic........
SWEET. Justice at last for these families who have already sacrificed so much.
sometimes, there is justice!!!
I don't see a link for the story.
Oddly, I'm still iffy about stifling someone's free speech (although, I'm not sure this qualifies as free speech) I'm still glad about this judgement.
I see no value in harassing families of fallen soldiers - especially when they are saying their final good-bye.
There is free speech and there is harrassment.
I imagine Mr. Snyder thought:
I have a RIGHT to not hear your bullshit at my dead son's funeral. PERIOD. Especially when my son died giving his life for your right to say the disgusting crap you say.
The next step, should be a class action suit filed against Westboro Church, by ALL the families of the fallen that had to put up with their bullshit.
Have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I get down about my state because most of the time the people are so stupid in what they will follow. But finally they helped Lady Justice off with that blindfold to see what hate filled vultures these bastards are.
Witness, I agree with your premise...but if you can get fired for saying "nappy headed ho", or arrested for hate speech in San Fran for calling someone gay names... then a lawsuit against these haters is just fine with me.
The best part that could come from this is that the church is so humiliated by this that they all Jim Jones their asses and the Govt seize the assets to give to the father, and if there are any other hidden assets they give them to the military charities.
They really aren't troop haters. They hate homosexuals and this what we derserve as a country because we accept it. Crazy conservatives.
vanessa ... Phelps is a democrat.
Uh, "Thank God for dead soldiers" is a sign they held up....
I guess that's just their form of love huh vanessa?
I would be less offended if he held protests at the Folsom street fair, matter of fact I'd supply the cardboard and sharpies, but to protest at grieving family members is crossing the line and even libtards should be able to agree on that....they won't but they should.
I understand the whole wrath of God because we tolerate gays, thing. But (and as Darwin pointed out they are demonrats - Miss Jenn even had a story where he won 31% of the demonrat vote! SCARY!) to take that giant leap in their insane logic of protesting at the funerals of our best and bravest really irks me!
As I said before, I'm not sure anymore where these imaginary lines of censorship begin and end. I had thought that the 1st Amendment applied to government censorship of political speech only. Perhaps the supremes have blurred the lines over the years, I don't know.
What I DO know is if nothing else it's in incrediably poor taste and just a few years ago it was a line that no sane person would ever have crossed.
It's just another crumbling part of our civil behaviour towards our fellows. It's very much a shame we all bare.
phelps doesn't even qualify as human in my book - - scum is even too good to call him - - three cheers for the finding against him and his so-called followers. shame it wasn't for more.
I hate it when people claiming to be Christians make real Christians look bad - not a judgment, an observation. Oh, and I am glad the psycho's lost 
and that's coming from a "Christian!"
Van do you ever think, read or arm yourself with knowledge before opening your gaping maw?
Phelps is a DEM, he has run for governor and several other positions as a DEM.
He is NOT A CONSERVATIVE.
And holding up a sign that says "Semper Fags" or "God Loves Dead Soldiers" does not qualify them as troop lovers.
Fuck I am going through this thing right now folks where stupid people really piss me the fuck off.
Fuck I am going through this thing right now folks where stupid people really piss me the fuck off.
Jennofthejungle
That ALMOST sounded like an apology, Miss Jenn, and you have absolutely no reason to explain to US about losing it when dealing with consistantly obtuse people!
Even a Saint would lose it when dealing with the habitually stupid!
BTW - Hope you are having a very HAPPY HOLLOWEEN!
Oh no Wit my dear it was most certainly NOT an apology to the trolls.
Just an explanation. : )
I would have a better Halloween if hoardes of cute kids knocked on my door looking for candy.
Last year one, she was about 6 or so... she was dressed up as Ariel from the Little Mermaid...and I said, "Hey can you sing the song?"
And this little angel did, she sang Ariel's song. It was so cute I almost died on the spot....loaded her pumpkin with candy!
Robert, at the risk of having you trash me and my good character AGAIN, I'm going to say that I agree with you when you said -
"The next step, should be a class action suit filed against Westboro Church, by ALL the families of the fallen that had to put up with their bullshit."
I hope all kinds of Gold Star Families come out of the woodwork and to just that; Lawsuits up the ass for that gutless un-American, anti-military usesless piece of shit!!!!!!!
May the REAL God have mercy on his sorry ass, BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE WILL!!!!!!!!
Miss Jenn - I know you weren't apologizing to the trolls! I said it ALMOST sounded like an apology to US - which, of course, was definately not needed!
What a wonderful experience to have a little angel sing for you! I used to love it when the little ones would come to my door in Oklahoma, although I certainly can't claim to have had a song from one of them.
Condo living just isn't condusive (especially in an area as transient as DC) to having long term family living. I just met a wonderful fellow who has offered to fix some electrical problems I have for free and he just told me he's moving - he and his wife just had a baby and they are moving to a home (house). Bummer! He's one of those "good guys!"
Oh.. I lived in a condo when I used to get all those kids. It was great. This place all these town homes more spread out... not that many kids around.
Sucks. I got 3.
Wit,
If the wonderfull fellow does move and you find yourself in a jam, give me a call, I'll be happy to check you're 'shorts'.
As for this thread, 'You're mission Mr. Phelps, should you choose to accept it, is to come up with cash, lots and lots of cash so you can pay the Snyder family. Then move you're congregation to another country, say, Guyana. There you will find Kool Aid, plastic cups and further instructions..........You're church will self destruct in 10 seconds.
I very much enjoyed this verdict, despite its testing the freedom of speech which, as everyone knows, should be framed by rationality. These assholes aren't even rational, as we both indicate. You might enjoy my graphic.
BZ
I didn't get one kid last night. Not one. Bummer I'm stuck with all this chocolate.
The judgement is for 11 million - $8 million in punitive damages and $2.9 million in compensatory damages.
Brilliant. I finally got 8 kids.
BZ.... this in no way effects free speech. The Westboro Psycho's can have all the free speeech they want, just not at the expense of others. Mr. Snyder had a right to have a private funeral.
I mean if this is free speech where do you draw the line?
I suppose then if I am sitting on my private patio and the guy next door starts screaming at the top of his lungs FUCK YOU FAG endlessly, when I am trying to read....watch TV or blog...I have no recourse? I am allowed no freedom from his speech?
Why does he have the rights and I don't?
Ya know. This case is great, I am very happy he won.
This has nothing to do with freedom of speech...however...
There seem to be a few facts about this that are still up the air, mainly when Mr. Snyder learned about the protests.
If he learned about them, as I read in the Baltimore Sun, after the fact (on TV) and then sued for intentional infliction of emotional distress, then that is a much harder case to prove (and uphold on appeal) then if the protestors did in fact intrude upon his (and the other attendees) reasonable expectation of privacy (which is a slam-dunk tort case).
If what I read is true, then Mr. Snyder could have had his private funeral, although one could argue that he has a tort claim even if he saw the protests on TV (via emotional distress). There is a high threshold but the Westboro members could have exceeded it.
There could be a legitimate appeal as to whether or not the plantiffs made a satisfactory case for harm in terms of the protests. Now, there is also a defamation component in play related to statements made about the soldier on the Westboro Church's website. I think there should be little doubt that the Church bears legal responsibility.
The compensatory and punitive damages are a whole other story.
I very much enjoyed this verdict, despite its testing the freedom of speech which, as everyone knows, should be framed by rationality.
Whether it should or should not be, it isn't. Also, I think the people who would be most ardent advocates of this point of view are people I would not trust to make rational decisions on this matter to begin with.
The left-wing PC police takes a variation of this argument and although it may not be framed in rationality, it may be framed on the basis of something they think may make the world a better place.
Do we really need to go there?
Nothing good happens going down that road. Nothing.
Well, Geek, from what I know of the Westboro Bunch, they are not content to just protest, but to DISRUPT funerals with their vile chants.
I would also not trust the Baltimore Sun on ANYTHING! They are notoriously anti-military!
Fair points witness. There's no question of their intentions, but do the facts of the case show that to have happened in a way where the plantiff's claim to IIED (intentionally inflicted emotional distress) is sufficient?
Hard to say without all the pertinent facts. IIED cases are very hard to prove but those Westboro clowns sure know how to push the envelope. Also, if the case were that weak, the judge could have tossed it prior to a verdict.
The Baltimore Sun could be wrong and that was only one fact of many that could play a part here.
I'm not a big fan of the award either, although there's some debate about the appropriate nature of damage awards as a deterrence to future action. I'm not fully on board with that thinking, but that's probably academic at this point.
HUMPTY DUMPTY SAT ON A WALL,HUMPTY DUMPTY WAS ONLY TWO INCHES TALL,HE WELL ON HIS HEAD AND BROKE HIS SHELL,POOR LITTLE EGG I WISH HIM WELL
You people are fucking freaks. And you call yourselves Americans? You are nothing but a bunch of terorists. This site is a fake site set up by Islamic terrorists to turn americans against themselves with lies.
Get the hell out of the USA - you are NOT AMERICANS, you are terrorists. Laugh at this but it it true. You are the true killers of america. Osama is proud of you.
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