It is reported widely that "The U.S. Supreme Court ruled this morning that the First Amendment protects anti-gay picketers Westboro Baptist Church from tort liability..."
John Roberts, the Chief Justice not the former Much Music VJ, wrote the majority position:
“The ‘content’ of Westboro’s signs plainly relates to public, rather than private, matters,” Roberts said. “The placards highlighted issues of public import—the political and moral conduct of the United States and its citizens, the fate of the Nation, homosexuality in the military, and scandals involving the Catholic clergy—and Westboro conveyed its views on those issues in a manner designed to reach as broad a public audience as possible. Even if a few of the signs were viewed as containing messages related to a particular individual, that would not change the fact that the dominant theme of Westboro’s demonstration spoke to broader public issues.”
“Because this Nation has chosen to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that public debate is not stifled, Westboro must be shielded from tort liability for its picketing in this case.”
I totally in favour of freedom of speech and, as distasteful as Phelps et. al. are, freedom of speech is there to protect those who do not speak in a reasonable manner.
That said what the WFDS does not understand is why, when the Phelps gang is picketing a military funeral, the people at the funeral don't just beat the living hell out of them.
Seriously, step up to the plate.
WFDS
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