Westboro baptists plan to protest at Ledgers Funeral

Manic Moran · 25-01-2008 06:24AM

orestes wrote: »

As much as I personally hate this bunch and everything they stand for, they are entitled to freedom of speech and the right to free assembly.

I can't think of any right which does not stop when someone else's rights start, from the right to speech through to even the right to life. They're perfectly entitled to say what they want. They're perfectly entitled to wave their banners, marching down the main street going to the Senate. Their entitlement to protest at funerals, however, stops at the next-of-kin's entitlement to privacy.

NTM

Jrad · 25-01-2008 06:25AM

This makes me sick.

Dont be at yourself · 25-01-2008 07:26AM

As much as I personally hate this bunch and everything they stand for, they are entitled to freedom of speech and the right to free assembly.

I think it is disgusting that they protest at funerals, whether it is soldiers or actors, and use their religious beliefs as an excuse for their hatred, but they have the right to do it. Their right to do what they do is stated in the UN declaration of human rights. Not from a religious stand-point, but as a basic civil liberty.

I hate what they do, but I defend their right to do it. I know this isn't gonna be the most popular point of view put across on this subject, but it's what I believe. Freedom of expression doesn't just apply to the people you agree with. The same freedom applies to evil bastards like these. Like I said, I don't agree with them, but I will defend their right to say what they believe.

If you don't believe in the freedom of people you completely disagree with to voice their beliefs, then you don't believe in freedom at all.

Pinko leftie. They should be put in jail for enciting hatred and violence.

orestes · 25-01-2008 07:32AM

Manic Moran wrote: »

I can't think of any right which does not stop when someone else's rights start, from the right to speech through to even the right to life. They're perfectly entitled to say what they want. They're perfectly entitled to wave their banners, marching down the main street going to the Senate. Their entitlement to protest at funerals, however, stops at the next-of-kin's entitlement to privacy.

NTM

They are entitled to free speech and freedom of assembly. Regardless of how repulsive you and I might find their opinions, their right to hold and voice them are basic human rights, and they are entitled to voice them at any public event. Those rights don't suddenly become void just because the occasion in question is a funeral. It is a public event, therefore they are allowed to protest at it, even though it is distasteful as hell in my opinion. Like I said in my earlier post, freedom applies to everyone or it just doesn't exist.

I can't believe I'm defending people I hate so much, but it is the very basis of freedom that nutters like these be allowed their voice.

Dont be at yourself · 25-01-2008 07:36AM

In other news today, the story The Three Little Pigs was criticised because it may offend muslims and cowboy builders.

Lets wrap everybody in fair-trade, carbon-neutral cotton wool and have a big group hug.

randylonghorn · 25-01-2008 09:25AM

Actually, I would have thought Irish Wolf would have more reason to be offended ...

Andrewf20 · 25-01-2008 11:04AM

They need to be ignored if possible. Why do they care if he played a a gay role? Its not as if he is damning all mankind. Suggest through ignoring them that we couldnt give a sh!te what they think.

Canis Lupus · 25-01-2008 11:10AM

Naos wrote: »

300 is a great film.

2) Keith Allen had a nice little surprise and to see them defend it was funny indeed:
The 'head' woman, blonde lady, had given birth to her son out of wedlock
, which is against their religious beliefs.

Yeah I saw that. She and the rest of them go on about everyone else being sinners and she broke one of the 10 commandments but she's happy out carrying on living a "pious" life.

That documentary was a bit of a shame however because he pushed that revelation in the wrong way and didn't particularly think out how to take the conversation. He could have torn shreds out of her but in the end she got off relatively lightly.

abelard · 25-01-2008 11:20AM

orestes wrote: »

They are entitled to free speech and freedom of assembly. Regardless of how repulsive you and I might find their opinions, their right to hold and voice them are basic human rights, and they are entitled to voice them at any public event. Those rights don't suddenly become void just because the occasion in question is a funeral. It is a public event, therefore they are allowed to protest at it, even though it is distasteful as hell in my opinion. Like I said in my earlier post, freedom applies to everyone or it just doesn't exist.

I can't believe I'm defending people I hate so much, but it is the very basis of freedom that nutters like these be allowed their voice.

No legal system in the western world interprets a constitutional right to free speech as being absolute. There are always restrictions.

Ireland has an Act which prohibits incitement of hatred.
France has restricted open anti-Semitism
in Canada, hate speech against an identifiable minority is an offence
The Scandinavian countries all prohibit hate speech

The US is actually one of the few remaining places that they could get away with this, but it is still very much on the fringe of the law. These people should absolutely not be allowed a platform to spew their bile. I am not "against" freedom of expression for taking this view, but favour freedom of expression tempered by the inclusion of the rights of all citizens

ScumLord · 25-01-2008 12:37PM

orestes wrote: »

They are entitled to free speech and freedom of assembly. Regardless of how repulsive you and I might find their opinions, their right to hold and voice them are basic human rights, and they are entitled to voice them at any public event. .... freedom applies to everyone or it just doesn't exist.

I can't believe I'm defending people I hate so much, but it is the very basis of freedom that nutters like these be allowed their voice.

There's such a thing as an abuse of freedom of speech. As much as there rights must be upheld the state should uphold the rights of the people they're abusing and persecuting.

They're going out of they're way to hurt people when they're at there lowest. For that kind of abuse they should be arrested.

Cabaal · 25-01-2008 12:50PM

Hellm0 wrote: »

Who cares, these guys feed off media attention. Thats why they do this crap, so people get pissed off and talk about them.

Ergo: Dont feed the trolls.

I have to agree, can this thread be locked

kevmy · 25-01-2008 12:59PM

I can't see the Aussies letting these guys away with this (I presume Heath Ledger will be buried in Australia).

Anyway I think it's legal to beat the sh1t out of a guy in Oz if it fall under the legal definition of 'fairus dinkuminus' which I'm pretty certain this would

yaynay · 25-01-2008 01:00PM

tritium wrote: »

Scumbags. Always the nutters who think they have a direct line to what God wants. Aren't these the same guys who had a go at Ireland a while back?

That's because it's generally nutters who believe the 'story' of god...

Sherifu · 25-01-2008 01:02PM

Cabaal wrote: »

I have to agree, can this thread be locked

+1

floydmoon1 · 25-01-2008 01:44PM

I am totally against what these guys are doing but yaynay arent you inciting hatred aswell by saying things like this

That's because it's generally nutters who believe the 'story' of god...

Dave! · 25-01-2008 01:56PM

i wonder do the WBC oppose scientology.., if so, why not protest against it?

yaynay · 25-01-2008 02:03PM

floydmoon1 wrote: »

I am totally against what these guys are doing but yaynay arent you inciting hatred aswell by saying things like this

I don't believe so. I am expressing an opinion and if people have a different one so be it. I am not calling for violence, and there is no incitement to hatred or intolerance of any kind.

Stephen · 25-01-2008 02:20PM

The /b/tards should spend some of their time concentrating on these fu<kers.

humanji · 25-01-2008 02:42PM

DaveMcG wrote: »

i wonder do the WBC oppose scientology.., if so, why not protest against it?

Because even they know scientology is a load of tosh and not worth the hassle.

Manic Moran · 25-01-2008 06:17PM

orestes wrote: »

and they are entitled to voice them at any public event. Those rights don't suddenly become void just because the occasion in question is a funeral. It is a public event, therefore they are allowed to protest at it,

I would very much argue the concept that a funeral is a public event, unless it's a State Funeral, which obviously isn't the case here.

NTM

randylonghorn · 25-01-2008 07:51PM

Manic Moran wrote: »

I would very much argue the concept that a funeral is a public event, unless it's a State Funeral, which obviously isn't the case here.

NTM

Funnily enough, I would tend to think the opposite ... that a state funeral is a public event (after all, the state, and therefore Joe Public through his taxes, are paying for it).

An ordinary individual's funeral is I suppose "semi-private", in that, while it often takes place at least in part in public, it is essentially a private matter for those who knew the deceased.

Manic Moran · 25-01-2008 08:16PM

Sorry. Misunderstanding. Perhaps if I put it as "I would very much argue (against your) concept of a funeral as a public event."

NTM

Lockstep · 25-01-2008 08:32PM

I love the way they claim to know the will of God.

If it's the same Phelps as I think it might be, they had a relative, Sam Phelps who picketed Gay funerals and tried to claim it as extra credit for his school. When they refused to grant extra credit the grandaddy, Fred Phelps threatened to sue so the school backed down.

Rev Fred Phelps ran for Kansas Senator.

*shudders*

randylonghorn · 25-01-2008 08:37PM

Manic Moran wrote: »

Sorry. Misunderstanding. Perhaps if I put it as "I would very much argue (against your) concept of a funeral as a public event."

NTM

Ah ... gotcha!

Bit like if I say to my American friends "I'm pissed!", and they want to know who's been annoying me ...

Kicker, same crew all right, though I hadn't heard the extra credit story. Why the hell would the school back down? ... crazy!!

Lockstep · 25-01-2008 10:05PM

Did anyone read that Irish times article about the pair of Jewish and Baptist students (one was called Ruth Malhotra) who sued their college in Georgia as they claimed that the college's protection of gays/minorities infringed on their rights to freedom of speech.

My favorite was when a reverard in the article made a claim that Christians will have to fight for their right to be christian.

Yeah right.

Archeron · 25-01-2008 10:49PM

kickoutthejams wrote: »

My favorite was when a reverard in the article made a claim that Christians will have to fight for their right to be christian.

.

YOU GOTTA FIGHT...dum dum...FOR YOUR RIGHT...dum dum... TO BE CHRISSSSTIAAN!!!!

My how the world changes.

Wertz · 26-01-2008 12:18AM

Jeremiah 16:1 wrote: »

Does anybody protest at Westboro Baptist funerals?

Yep, usually it's people protesting about why there's so few of those funerals...

Westboro baptists plan to protest at Ledgers Funeral

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