Westboro Baptist Church to picket Ronnie James Dio's funeral!

[Darth Snoopy]

Because people should know about this hate organization so they do everything they can to put them out of business.

 

[BadMoon]

Its nice that sometimes we can all be on the same page when it comes to a religious and political topic

This is one thread that I'm pleased to say everyone has a right to agree! And should agree!

 

[devilof76]

I agree.

The only thing I don't agree with is that they have a right to freedom of speech in a private cemetery. The Bill of Rights was intended to protect speech from the government, and just like this board, people are not free to say what they like on someone else's property. We have a right to free expression, but we don't have a right to a forum, provided to us at someone else's expense.

When I was a kid, I remember a KKK rally at the Maine Mall. I asked my dad why the mall let them be there, and he told me that they had to. Similarly, in 2001, after 1000 Somali refugees emigrated into this area, a Midwestern white supremacist group showed up here to protest. Instead of being denied, they were accomodated. Why? "Freedom of speech," said the people with no clue what the words mean.

These are perfect examples of how severely the Constitution has been dismembered. Legal interpretation may be on the side of the pigs in the WBC, but in reality--according to the fundamental law of this country--they have zero legal (or moral) right to do what they do. I think if someone really wanted to fight them, that would be the way. Ignoring them only renders the problem dormant (and then, only after they have been waited out). It does nothing to stop the next group to come along, who will more than likely be much worse. What do you do once you have brownshirts picketing in the streets?

 

[Adoptedscot]

Awesome
x

Its nice that sometimes we can all be on the same page when it comes to a religious and political topic

This is one thread that I'm pleased to say everyone has a right to agree! And should agree!

Absolutely
x

 

[darthviper107]

"Their freedom of speech ends when it begins to effect others."

~~Can't this be considered slander?? If they're yelling "God hates ****" then they're insinuating that I"m a homosexual, which I find offensive. And if I were in the military it could result in me getting discharged. (I have nothing against homosexuals, but if I can sue them for it I'd do it without hesitation.)

Unless it's directed against a particular person or people then it's perfectly legal.

For instance, you can't say F ck You, but you can walk around just fine with a shirt that says F ck on it.

 

[devilof76]

I think the only speech that would properly be illegal is fraud and incitements to violence or public disturbance. It's not an exercise of free speech in the First Amendment sense to start fights, riots, panic, scams, or any other crime. No one has a right to do that. It's too bad there are no legal scholars or lawyers or judges able to do anything about it. Kind of pathetic, actually.

 

[galactiboy]

Usually the only barrier to these groups is proximity to an event or location. Don't know if they can be inside of a cemetery, but definitely outside and across the street.

I know when they came to my town they were relegated to a specific street corner which was about 4 or 5 blocks from the service and 2 blocks north of the funeral procession.

So honestly, their impact on the funeral was minimal at best.

 

[Deak Starkiller]

I remember hearing these ____ers on Stern, ____ em'. RIP DIO! \m/

 

[The Ween]

So did they picket his funeral? I wonder what will happen if a lot of metal heads show up and these idiots start ____.

 

[devilof76]

So honestly, their impact on the funeral was minimal at best.

Oh. If they are on public property, then that's completely different. Good argument for minimizing the existence of public property though.