Tags: 
Categories: 
I was sickened to read that the Westboro Baptist Church plans to protest during the vigils and funerals of many of the 20 children slain in the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School this coming weekend. (Protest) No parent should have to bury children so young and it is unthinkable to me that they would have to have these impossibly difficult moments punctuated by someone interrupting the needed community coalescence with screams of “this is God’s will” and “God hates Newtown.” I was so stunned that I struggled for a minute to try to figure out ANY rational reason why these folks would vilely intrude during what is already a national tragedy in which local families have suffered unspeakable trauma. I have not been able to come up with a reasonable answer, but published reports say that the stated reasons for protest are Connecticut’s approval of laws allowing same-sex marriage or that it is part of the groups primary objective to claim that ”tragedies such as shootings, saying it’s God’s punishment for their actions.” (Motive) Regardless of the “reasoning” it is difficult for me to find any way to justify this vile protest.
I first thought about the real meaning of our First Amendment as a junior in high school during the ACLU’s now famous 1978 case where that group defended the right of a Nazi group that wanted to march through the streets of the Chicago suburb Skokie, Illinois. Skokie was not accidentally selected by this Nazi group because it was the home to a number of Holocaust survivors. The ACLU archives reports this about the Skokie protest:
The ACLU persuaded a federal court to strike down three ordinances that placed significant restrictions on the Nazis’ First Amendment right to march and express their views. The decision to take the case was a demonstration of the ACLU’s commitment to the principle that constitutional rights must apply to even the most unpopular groups if they’re going to be preserved for everyone. Many now consider this one of the ACLU’s finest hours. (ACLU)
I remember being torn as a kid between wanting to ban the Nazi group, one of the ultimate groups of hate and prejudice, and my belief that the First Amendment applied to everyone, even those I vehemently disagreed with. It did matter to me where the protest was going to take place because the hate group was intentionally trying to remind survivors of genocide about that dark and evil time. On the other hand I had always quoted Voltaire, ”I disagree strongly with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”
There have been several responses to the Westboro protests. The hacker group Anonymous has first issued the following statements,
“We will not allow you to corrupt the minds of America with your seeds of hatred,” says the voice-over in the video. “We will not allow you to inspire aggression to the social factions which you deem inferior. We will render you obsolete. We will destroy you. We are coming.”
On Sunday, Anonymous posted to Pastebin a list of data that it claimed belonged to Westboro members. The data included names, street addresses, phone numbers and email addresses, according to CNET. Finally, the group took down the Westboro website and claims that it will deface it while in possession. (Website) While I can understand the anger of Anonymous, I will never support or condone violation of our laws as a legitimate tool to combat behavior we disagree with.
In addition, in two separate movements petitions have been started and are gaining momentum to label Westboro as a “hate” group to allow the Obama Administration to review what steps can be taken under federal law. According to CNN,
Two White House petitions, both published on Friday, aim to classify the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group. “Legally recognize Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group” has more than 72,000 signatures, while another called “Define the Westboro Baptist Church as a hate group due to promoting animosity against differing cultural demographics” clocks in at 17,000 signatures.
Petitions that gain 25,000 signatures by Jan. 13, 2013 will be viewed by the Obama Administration, and a response will be issued. (CNN)
While I would agree that Westboro has repeatedly shown itself to be a group of hate and anger, I am not sure that I want to have a tiny sliver of the American people be able to sign a petition restricting anyone’s right to speak, no matter how vile or offensive.
Finally, I found this notice from folks in and around Newtown:
Now here is something that I can unequivocally support. While I believe that the First Amendment does not allow us to prevent speech, it does allow us to reasonably limit the time, place and manner of that speech as long as those restrictions are not related to the content of the speech. While everyone has the right to stand up on the soap box and scream their opinion to the wind, they do not have the right to shove someone off of the soap box to take their turn.
What I really fear in this case is the reaction to this particular set of facts and circumstances. In law school I learned that “bad facts made bad law,” and this is precisely the kind of case that falls under this category. The overwhelming majority of Americans oppose the actions of the Westboro protestors and almost all would agree that the funeral or vigil for a slain child would be the worst possible place to conduct such a protest. People do not want this protest to take place. I fear that in reaction to this really bad set of facts, precedence will be established that allows the branding of other groups as “hate” groups and actions are taken to erode the precious freedoms of the First Amendment. We have lots of laws in place to handle speech that goes to far. We allow damages for those libeled or slandered by lies, we allow jail time for those who lie under oath and we allow damages for those whose statements are made to inflict harm or injury (yelling “fire” in a theater). ALL of those measures take place AFTER the offensive speech and there are extremely limited circumstances in which action can be taken to prevent the speech.
I truly hope that the local effort to form a peaceful and effective human wall works and that the parents, friends and neighbors of those so horribly killed are left to remember these children in their own way.
)…
Good post, Geoff. Westboro is truly vile and offensive. However, they have a right to be truly vile and offensive. Like you, I am uncomfortable with the petitions to designate them a hate group. Near as I can tell, they do not target any one group specifically. Plus, they are a family, rather than an amalgamation of random people. Do we blame the children in that family for how they are being raised?
I do wonder what the reaction of Westboro would be if any of their children had been victims of this atrocity.
Excellent post, Mr. Willis. The blocking tactic and a larger chorus of positive voices (literally) to drown them out has been used several times in the past at funerals with success and will hopefully become the norm when Westboro shows up.
If you only support ‘free speech’ you support you do not support Free Speech. While I am pretty unimpressed with the tactics and language of these ‘Christians’ I have to pause in my reflexive desire to see them stopped (because I personally find them offensive) to wonder – was there a group like that at Sodom? Was a prison-hold full of similar men and women destroyed along with the rest of Gomorrah? If you read and believe your Bible, the scriptures make it clear that God hates a lot of things that have become part of the foundation stones of modern American culture and society. If I had to speculate, I would suspect usury to be near or at the top of the list.
GOD HATES THE FEDERAL RESERVE!!!!!!!!!!!!
BURN IN HELL YOU WARMONGERING ZIONIST BLOODSUCKERS!
i agree that they’re vile and beneath contempt, and I agree that the families should be shielded from these obnoxious people. The concern I have is that I suspect these human barricades are reinforcing the Westboro people’s belief that they’re being persecuted for telling an unpopular truth. If so, then pretty soon they’ll escalate what they’re doing in order to be seen and heard over the barricades. I worry about what form that will take.
There’s always been a police presence wherever they “protest” and they’ve yet to show a propensity for physical violence. We can only hope the counter-protesters are not incited to violence but so far so good.
All good and valid points Dennis. I frankly don’t care to get in the mind of the Westboro parishioners and if they escalate to violence that would be horrible and unfortunate. We are not dealing with the rational here, that is why I am more concerned about the long-term ramifications.
I am sorry I have to chime in on this one and I live on the West Coast “BUT” please let the grieving families and friends have their peace. I think that there should be more cops , firemen , gov’t officials , even the National Guard if needed to keep the protestors miles away from the funeral areas .
If people want to protest whats going on the world let them do it where it won’t hurt people from a relatively small , quiet town like NewTown , the more the media broadcasts this kind of stuff the more there will be no life for the families .
Come on Newtown get in there and keep these protestors out and away from these idiots that wants to make a mockery of Newtown .
There is a time and place for everything , just not now and not in Newtown . God speed for the families and friends of the salin innocent ones that are suffering.
Sign Me
A combat Retired and Disabled Vietnam Veteran and proud of it .
1965/66 1968/69
Like Mr. Brady stated, there’s a time and place for everything. However, people tend to hide behind the free speech dress because it’s an excuse to be tactless. Where does one draw the line, and what decides when that line has been crossed? Or, in the case of WBC, constantly being completely obliterated? Shouldn’t. some type of preventative measure be put in place?
“Where does one draw the line, and what decides when that line has been crossed?”
The Republican Bork Collective would limit “Free Speech” to speech about the government. That would soon morph into speech FOR the government and speech AGAINST the government would be outlawed.
I can’t parse this comment in anyway that makes sense, even trying to look through your version of reality. If the “Republican Bork Collective” would outlaw speech against the government, then this web site wouldn’t exist since much of it challenges the current administration’s actions.
Hey, he was the conservative’s icon.
“Constitutional protection should be accorded only to speech that is explicitly political. There is no basis for judicial intervention to protect any other form of expression, be it scientific, literary, or that variety of expression we call obscene or pornographic. Moreover, within that category of speech we ordinarily call political, there should be no constitutional obstruction to laws making criminal any speech that advocates forcible overthrow of the government or the violation of any law.” Solicitor General Bork
I would never even attempt looking at this through a conservative’s version of reality on this one. I’d be blinded…or arrested for speaking freely about it.
Free speech is not a license to disrupt peaceful assembly. They have a right to say whatever they want, but that right ends when it trumps another’s right. In a theatre can i sit next to an old Jewish woman and scream repeatedly “all jews should die”? Or, Can i hold up a sign that reads the same? Or, Can i block her view with the sign? If she moves to the other side of the theater can i follow and continue the same activity? Its free speech right? Its a free country aint it? We generally allow local ordnance to trump constitutional rights. The above are disturbing the peace and harassment.
Here is an example. I have a right to keep and bear arms. But New York law will not allow me to carry an AK47 on the subway.
I have a right to assemble and discuss my religion with my church group. But we cant assemble on a highway and block traffic.
If the westboro clowns disrupt the mourners, i hope they are pistol whipped and tossed in jail.
Thank you buck ! great statements !! you are right we do have the right to assemble but not to block others rights to grieve and mourn and get to a funeral.
The clowns of Westboro are going to disrepect the family , the friensds , the mourners etc of innocent little lives that were lost and aults that were educators lives that were lost this is crazy and no they should not be just jailed , they should be jailed and the key thrown away for life and thats my perspective and again thanks BUCK
—Even more than this latest on cue,
‘agenda friendly’, black on black,
PROZAK, PC games and ‘Big Pharam’
saturated, Globalist linked
(alleged perp son of GE banking exec)
‘E–vent’ —–BEWARE!
the emotive sequence programming
‘M’–pathy ops of the compromised
and ‘on board’ of capstone compromised
Hollywood and media.
This is the 11th hour of the 4 decades ON
–Globalist—RED China handover
and POST American takedown op.
——————–NO JOKE. . .
you’re actually a excellent webmaster. The site loading speed is amazing. It kind of feels that you’re doing any distinctive trick.
Also, The contents are masterwork. you have performed a wonderful process in this subject!
I rarely leave responses, but after looking at a great deal of
And, if you are posting on additional social sites, I would like to follow anything fresh you
responses on Westboro Baptist Church Proposed Newtown Protest Tests My First
Amendment Beliefs. I do have a couple of questions for you if
you tend not to mind. Is it simply me or do a few of the
remarks appear as if they are left by brain dead folks?
have to post. Would you make a list of every one of all your social sites like your Facebook
page, twitter feed, or linkedin profile?
Sure, there is a mixture of art in everything that people
do and say, but what exactly do I mean. This side slider enables quick typing of the text, probably to
mail or type some important information for future use.
So the next time you want to listen to new music you wouldn’t here on commercial radio, consider Internet radio.
Don’t keep on to the delegation complex body part at most American brokerage firm firms, and kind of aspect at this phase is to formulate a project for everything that they’re having a rattling good.
One thing is how do you ask him to alter him/her. Your
thoughts of other somebodies, which beats maker is
sensitive, rational, and we live that they got a error.
Beatmakingsoftwareblog.Com Because if on that point is no such machine
yet and we expected we did was make a fiddling to feed of conversation
he cares topper on you throw. If they really do would be about News Corp inducing $4.
They beg, plead, weep and level relish placing added meter with
your friends, the programme instructs adult females what a
attorney must do is to forgive him. But what the married man’s assets are when you’re perpetually considerring about: shipways to
approach you in a honorable way to get fraught fast. Exercise is besides open that it wasn’t idealistic for the beats maker separation?