the rix mix

Justices Rule for Protesters at Military Funerals

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that members of a fundamentalist church have a free-speech right to hold anti-gay protests at military funerals to promote their view that God hates America for tolerating homosexuality.

In a case pitting free-speech versus privacy rights, the nation's highest court held that the picketing at a private funeral and even hurtful protest messages were protected by the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

I can't imagine the heartbreak of having the Westboro Baptist freaks show up at the funeral of a hero soldier. I think the issue is about the privacy of grief & dignity, not free speech, but the court disagrees. Since it must be about free speech, I am always inclined to side with free speech no matter how distasteful.

By pushing homo-bigotry to the limits of utter lunacy, Westboro is homo-bigotry viewed in a funhouse mirror. Extreme as they are, Phelps & his family  mirror the disfigurement of all homo-bigots, even those  who keep their  prejudices mostly closeted.  All are ugly. Some happen to be uglier than others.

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