Left Wing Media Befriends Westboro Baptist Church

[The Infidel]

That shit isn't going to fly when I run a PTSD Military awareness group that raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, asshole.

Really

 

[Lumpy 1]

Interesting twist ..

Liberals on the board ganging up with personal attacks on the messenger for a heart felt point of view.

Liberals on the board twisting obvious hate speech to an issue of freedom of speech.

In my opinion more than any freeloading freedom fighters (ones who never served) the military deserves the ultimate respect and admiration. They are the ones that show the ultimate sacrifices while the rest of us squabble and puke on the rights they have fought for.

You may feel better about yourself proclaiming that you disagree with this bastardized church but the bottom line is you end up supporting the hate speech..

You know I love ya Lump, but you're wrong.

You really think it's a good idea to curb speech and squelch the press just to temporarily inconvenience the assholes that call themselves the WBC? Isn't that giving the scum a status and value they should never, ever be afforded?

There are better ways to fight assholes like WBC. Laying down our freedoms just to piss them off a little until they raise more cash from their psycho supporters is not the way to do it.

When it comes to a man or women giving their lives for their country and deserving a dignified burial.. damn right, more than any others. Some things are simply a matter of right and wrong. Reading though the thread though, do they actually have to stay 100 yards away?

The established press are strictly arms of the political system, they squelch themselves in ideology..Basically their paid liars.. I wonder if they deserve protection..

 

[Modbert]

Really

Yes. It's not much as I'd like, but it's something to help raise awareness and when possible some money for WWP. I can't take credit for all of it though. It's thanks due to the generosity of others either through donations or recruiting members that the group is possible to the extent it is today.

Which is why when Lumpy over here accuses me of being Anti-Military, I take offense to that. Ignorance, especially in this case, is not excused on his part.

 

[goldcatt]

Interesting twist ..

Liberals on the board ganging up with personal attacks on the messenger for a heart felt point of view.

Liberals on the board twisting obvious hate speech to an issue of freedom of speech.

In my opinion more than any freeloading freedom fighters (ones who never served) the military deserves the ultimate respect and admiration. They are the ones that show the ultimate sacrifices while the rest of us squabble and puke on the rights they have fought for.

You may feel better about yourself proclaiming that you disagree with this bastardized church but the bottom line is you end up supporting the hate speech..

You know I love ya Lump, but you're wrong.

You really think it's a good idea to curb speech and squelch the press just to temporarily inconvenience the assholes that call themselves the WBC? Isn't that giving the scum a status and value they should never, ever be afforded?

There are better ways to fight assholes like WBC. Laying down our freedoms just to piss them off a little until they raise more cash from their psycho supporters is not the way to do it.

When it comes to a man or women giving their lives for their country and deserving a dignified burial.. damn right, more than any others. Some things are simply a matter of right and wrong. Reading though the thread though, do they actually have to stay 100 yards away?

The established press are strictly arms of the political system, they squelch themselves in ideology..Basically their paid liars.. I wonder if they deserve protection..

Did you read the case documents, and the briefs in question? That'll answer your question about the 100 yard zone...among other things.

If you're talking about reasonable time, place and manner restrictions it's one thing, and one of the conversations we should be having concerning this case and its issues if it weren't for the snarkfilled mouth breathing hacks that infest the place.

But when you start advocating stripping the established press of its First Amendment protection for partisan political reasons, or worse to make somebody you don't like pay money that will just be replaced, it's something completely different. The First is one of the rights those men and women fought and died to protect, and it's the very centerpiece of our freedoms. The entire First, not just the parts you like and not just for the people that fit your or anybody's partisan ideals.

I will not, under any circumstances, allow a pile of shit like the WBC to strip those freedoms from us, or from the press, or from any of those who currently enjoy them. They're not worthy of that kind of sacrifice. Piss on 'em.

 

[goldcatt]

Really

Yes. It's not much as I'd like, but it's something to help raise awareness and when possible some money for WWP. I can't take credit for all of it though. It's thanks due to the generosity of others either through donations or recruiting members that the group is possible to the extent it is today.

Which is why when Lumpy over here accuses me of being Anti-Military, I take offense to that. Ignorance, especially in this case, is not excused on his part.

What I'd like to find out is how many of the people whining about libs loving hate groups and not respecting the military have gone out personally to counterprotest at a WBC attended funeral? Like I have, more than once. And I know of several others on this board, all of those I know of being left-leaning.

Those people are scum of the highest order. But that makes it even more important we don't allow their con games to strip the rest of us of our rights.

See what you've done Lumpy? Ya done gone and got me riled.

 

[Modbert]

What I'd like to find out is how many of the people whining about libs loving hate groups and not respecting the military have gone out personally to counterprotest at a WBC attended funeral? Like I have, more than once. And I know of several others on this board, all of those I know of being left-leaning.

Those people are scum of the highest order. But that makes it even more important we don't allow their con games to strip the rest of us of our rights.

See what you've done Lumpy? Ya done gone and got me riled.

I'll give him credit if he mans up and apologizes for his accusation against me.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Really

Yes. It's not much as I'd like, but it's something to help raise awareness and when possible some money for WWP. I can't take credit for all of it though. It's thanks due to the generosity of others either through donations or recruiting members that the group is possible to the extent it is today.

Which is why when Lumpy over here accuses me of being Anti-Military, I take offense to that. Ignorance, especially in this case, is not excused on his part.

Hey hold on there.. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I thought you were anti-military..

 

[Modbert]

Hey hold on there.. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I thought you were anti-military..

Well thanks then.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Bullshit... I just wonder what your point of view on the military is?

Your question in itself is bullshit, what kind of point of view are you even wondering about for the military? If you're assuming I'm Anti-Military members, you're more of a moron than I thought.

That shit isn't going to fly when I run a PTSD Military awareness group that raises money for the Wounded Warrior Project, asshole.

You disgust me.

Hey, wait a second again ..I assumed nothing, you going off the deep end is your own doing..

As far as all this name calling and disgust.. get a diaper change

 

[SFC Ollie]

Ok I've read most of this, and did some reading, but I can't figure out what this wannabe church protesting at our heroes funerals has to do with freedom of the press.

Do they have freedom of speech? Yes, unfortunately. However, the freedom of speech that they have been granted would probably make the founding fathers roll over in their graves.

And I still can guarantee that if this group ever shows up at a funeral where I am in the Honor Guard or even if they show up at a funeral I am attending for any reason; I will need someone to come downtown and pay my bail. Things will get very very ugly.

 

[Smartt33]

I believe it is more than just a free speech issue. The media may be just addressing the speech issue. However, it is more the mean and hateful way that these innocent people are being treated as a result of their loved ones dying for this country, and the courts allowing it.

It doesn’t matter when he found out about it. Do you think the mourning is over after the funeral is over? Do you think that the dirtying of their loved one’s name and the demeaning of the family does not effect them? You are a fool if you believe that way. The fact that these haters made the news, and the family is humiliated, after the funeral, just because those fools get press at all, and the hate that they are allowed to get, is enough to say it is far more than just a speech issue.

I Guarantee that is someone goes to a city where one of their people has died, and protests in the city that the condition in America is because haters like the Westboro bunch are freely distributing their hate in America, there would be Hell to pay!!!

You think a football field of distance makes them invisible? If they were not trying to get personal with the family, why did they not just go to the courthouse and protest? Because they are hateful, and their behavior was unacceptable.

And the courts are not smart enough to know that if they call the case for what it is, criminal misconduct, offensive to the grieving family, and a violation of the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, they would have something that would not be unconstitutionally incorrect.

 

[goldcatt]

Ok I've read most of this, and did some reading, but I can't figure out what this wannabe church protesting at our heroes funerals has to do with freedom of the press.

Do they have freedom of speech? Yes, unfortunately. However, the freedom of speech that they have been granted would probably make the founding fathers roll over in their graves.

And I still can guarantee that if this group ever shows up at a funeral where I am in the Honor Guard or even if they show up at a funeral I am attending for any reason; I will need someone to come downtown and pay my bail. Things will get very very ugly.

Here's what it has to do with freedom of the press, Ollie.

The underlying suit here was brought by Matthew Snyder's father, for monetary damages for, among other things, intentional infliction of emotional distress. Sounds reasonable, right?

Except if you go back and read the court documents, he never saw the WBC assholes in person. What he's suing over is seeing the coverage of their protest in the media.

Now we get to basic tort law, IIED being a tort like product liability, for instance. To establish your claim in product liability you you have to sue everybody in the chain to get to the manufacturer of a dangerous product. So that means the retailer who sold it, the distributor who imported it, and so on back to get to the maker of the product. Since they all touched, handled or had responsibility for the product before it did whatever bad thing it did, they all have to be included in order to determine liability - and often they are all found to have contributed to the harm in some way and are slapped with that heinous joint and several judgment. That's a basic principle in these types of suits. Everybody who could conceivably have contributed to causing the harm must be joined in the suit.

Do you see the problem here? If WBC loses, it sets a precedent that third party content can be used to crate liability. Which means the press can be sued as part of the chain that created the harm to the plaintiff - simply for delivering the news and having the wrong person watch and get upset over it. Just like the retailer who sold the defective product, even though the retailer wasn't the one who made it wrong.

Imagine the ramifications of that for a moment. We would never have seen 9/11 among many, many other things.

And yes, when it's the courts of law handing out the judgments under the direction of state laws, it is a government sanction that infringes on freedom of speech and press.

That's a little simplified, but it's the basic gist of the issue. THAT is why the media organizations filed their briefs. It has nothing to do with WBC and everything to do with their own interests. And I for one think they're right to be nervous.

 

[Care4all]

i have supported the Snyders over the Fred Phelps group from day one, and even on this site applauded the decision of the court in their favor, and applauded oreily's financial help for them....

I have spoken out against the westboro baptist church on every single thing they have done against the families of the military dead....on every single thread we have had on them.

I am a military brat, I went to military schools on various different bases we were stationed at, my husband is also a military disabled vet....the insult in chanel's initial post regarding the left is nothing but partisan hackery...which i normally have no problems with and usually just let those kind of divisive comments from right wingers just roll over my shoulder....

BUT, I took the right wing partisan blog that chanel linked to and followed it to the Stars and Stripes article and then followed links to the court documents and READ THEM.

In the brief of the right wing and left wing press organizations it explained what they are concerned with....

THE concern, is that the Fred Phelps/WBChurch were NEVER HEARD and NEVER SEEN by the snyders while they were burying their son....the WBC protesting was only known by the snyders AFTER the funeral was over because they saw it on the media....and then later, read about it on the internet at the westboro baptist church's web site. (I NEVER NEW the snyders were not AWARE OF THE WBC GROUPS PROTEST, during the funeral and had only read about it and saw it later on the news, DID YOU? Regardless, still very very scummy of the group)

The different press groups are concerned with the ruling, because they believe that this decision could prevent the media in the future, from reporting on divisive groups like WBC, since THIS is how the snyders found out about them, and that this precedent set by the court could prevent the press from their constitutional rights to a free press without government interference....they believe that this decision cuts off their right to report the news.

They do NOT in any manner agree with the WBC.

i'm all for making the WBC stand 200-1000 yards away from these dead soldiers funerals so that no military family is disturbed by them during this very solemn and personal time of grief and remembrance of their loved one.....I wish the WBC would just disappear forever and a day, truthfully....

But I do not fault the press for having their concerns of their constitutional right to report on such incidences.

care

 

[goldcatt]

Absolutely right, care.

Not only that, but depending on the breadth of the ruling it could easily be expanded to make the press liable for reporting ANY intentional event that causes harm to a person and that a family member could see and experience distress from. How would you like there to be a serial murderer, child snatcher or serial rapist in your area and the press can't report on it because they'll be sued? Wouldn't you want to know, and want them to be able to do their jobs?

It could conceivably go even broader than that...but I don't even want to think about it.

 

[Madeline]

Interesting twist ..

Liberals on the board ganging up with personal attacks on the messenger for a heart felt point of view.

Liberals on the board twisting obvious hate speech to an issue of freedom of speech.

In my opinion more than any freeloading freedom fighters (ones who never served) the military deserves the ultimate respect and admiration. They are the ones that show the ultimate sacrifices while the rest of us squabble and puke on the rights they have fought for.

You may feel better about yourself proclaiming that you disagree with this bastardized church but the bottom line is you end up supporting the hate speech..

Okie dokie then Lumpy. We would all love to outlaw the WBC's behavior without infringing on freedom of speech or freedom of association. So tell us, dear, how can that be done?

 

[Modbert]

Absolutely right, care.

Not only that, but depending on the breadth of the ruling it could be expanded to make the press liable for reporting ANY intentional event that causes harm ot a person and a family member could see and experience distress from. How would you like there to be a serial murderer or serial rapist in your area and the press can't report on it because they'll be sued? Wouldn't you want to know, and want them to be able to do their jobs?

It could conceivably go even broader than that...but I don't even want to think about it.

This is why we have to be careful of laws, although well-intentioned, could have severe unintended consequences. Not only serial murderers or rapists, but for other crimes as well.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Ok ladies i understand the law now anyway. thank you both. (Goldcat and Care).

I also understand this law needs some fixing. What ever happened to good old common sense?

Anyway, still, if they should come around here, well, someone raise my bail.

 

[Lumpy 1]

Left Wing Media Befriends Westboro Baptist Church..

So.... your telling me this is a good thing, huh..?

 

[random3434]

Absolutely right, care.

Not only that, but depending on the breadth of the ruling it could easily be expanded to make the press liable for reporting ANY intentional event that causes harm to a person and that a family member could see and experience distress from. How would you like there to be a serial murderer, child snatcher or serial rapist in your area and the press can't report on it because they'll be sued? Wouldn't you want to know, and want them to be able to do their jobs?

It could conceivably go even broader than that...but I don't even want to think about it.

Everyone here who knows me knows how much I hate the Westboro Freaks, and those who support them.

BUT, what some of the cons on here don't understand is EXACTLY what goldcatt just laid out. What other freedoms (even if we hate those voices saying//doing it) will be taken away next?

 

[random3434]

Left Wing Media Befriends Westboro Baptist Church..

So.... your telling me this is a good thing, huh..?

Quit playing stupid like you like to do and read what people on here are saying. Even Ollie knows it's not like that.