Ban on Westboro Baptist Church protesting at funerals

[Sahaqiel 1232]

OK, so we all know the WBC is a frustrating waste of human space. Full of complete dickfaces who have no courtesy for people who don't suit their twisted views.

Anyway, they recently got banned from demonstrating anywhere within 300 feet of a funeral.

While I think this is coolio and all, it's clearly a violation of their freedom of speech, which I am feeling uneasy about.

What do you guys think?

[Shadowknight 54]

I'm torn. On one hand, they are dicks that openly disrespect basically everybody, and they also give Christians a bad reputation by claiming to be following a loving God. If they don't respect others, I find it hard to respect them.

But still, you're right. The first amendment doesn't only apply to people who have a message you like, it applies to everybody.

I don't know. I have to think about it for a bit before forming an opinion.

[Cascade 741]

I think they lost their right to free speech a long time ago. They blatantly abused it, so I don't see a problem with this really.

[Linox 28]

^This.

Freedom in general is a privilege, not a right despite what they want you to believe. If you abuse your freedom, you lose it.

[Skippy 82]

Who banned them? Source?

If they are on private property, they can get kicked off no problem, if they are on public property, then there are certain reasonable restrictions that are allowed to be put in place on such demonstrations.

[pheonix561 2080]

Well, its more of a restraining order. You could also say an ex boyfriend being unable to be within fifty feet of his girlfriend and their child is a violation of his freedom of speech, to an extent. I'm okay with this.

Also Skyrider, I read somewhere the WBC doesn't actually think god is a loving one. They think he hates sinners everywhere and whatnot. Someone wrote a book or something. Needless to say I didn't read it, hence my lack of knowledge on the subject.

[Jo-Bengt 0]

Who gives a puppy. Disrespectful pieces of shit already used their freedom of speech.

[PrimaGaga 1025]

I'm torn. On one hand, they are dicks that openly disrespect basically everybody, and they also give Christians a bad reputation by claiming to be following a loving God.

I point to this >> http://www.godhatesfags.com/

[Cirt 612]

Yeah, they abused it. Protesting at funerals is extremely disrespectful. It's only fair that if you abuse a privilege, you should be restricted from using it, in my opinion.

Like, you abused cocaine. Now go to jail. And then maybe rehab.

[Skippy 82]

Shopuld be pointed out, free speech is not a privileged, it is a right. Not the same thing.

[Linox 28]

Shopuld be pointed out, free speech is not a privileged, it is a right. Not the same thing.

About time someone said something about that. I was beginning to wonder if all of you actually agreed with me.

[Jo-Bengt 0]

I don't think it's as much their right to protest as it is where they were doing it. Soldiers who gave their lives(which is everything, really) deserve a proper funeral. They deserve to be put to rest peacefully. These protesters deny them that.

[Knuckle 484]

Isn't protesting at a funeral technically a breach of the right to privacy, anyway? I mean, its not like anyone invited them there, and they show up anyway and bother everyone.

It's just a matter of where one person's rights begin and another person's end, and protesting at a funeral is an overextension of the protester's rights where it invades the rights of another.

[pheonix561 2080]

Freedom of speech is a god given right according to the constitution, yeah, and they're fine protesting anywhere else I can think of off the top of my head. But Funerals are private. Its the same as me reading someone's personal diary, except, its a much bigger deal.

[Aethix 129]

While the WBC does have the right to speak freely, soldiers also have rights to respectful funerals. They don't have the right to use their rights to violate other people's rights.