It seems that the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas finally got what's coming to them. A Maryland jury just awarded one of the victims of this gang of fundamentalist wackos $11,000,000.00.
Albert Snyder of York, Pa sued the church for unspecified damages after members protested at his son's funeral in March of 2006. His son, Marine Lance Cpl. Mathew Snyder was killed in Iraq.
The Church said it would appeal the decision and continue to protest at military funerals.
Unfortunately, this decision probably won't stand an appeal. Snyder's lawyer, Craig Trebilcock urged jurors to place an amount, "that says don't do this in Maryland again. Do not bring your circus of hate to Maryland again."
If the verdict is sustained on appeal, the monetary award is sure to be reduced (not that this sicko church could scrape up $11 million anyway), but protest, no matter how abhorrent is protected under the first amendment "free speech" rights.
The only chance the verdict has to be upheld is if we take into account the willful causing of emotional distress on the parents of the fallen Marine. $2 million of this judgement is for causing emotional distress. Hopefully this part will be upheld. It is undeniable that the founding fathers intended freedom of speech to be used to harm other people.
Sphere: Related Content
20 comments:
I want this group here
"The Church said it would appeal the decision and continue to protest at military funerals." I want to see this religious wacko group trying to pull that crapolla in our area. None of them would leave the area in one piece. Have a fine Texas evening and remember to FALL BACK one hour tonight.
cfs
tlrb ... They have done this in my area, protesting a funeral at FT Bliss. The "Freedom Riders" showed up along with many good-hearted citizens to block the view of these vile, wicked people with American flags. That day was both one of my most ashamed and one of my most proud days as an American.
Disrupting a funeral is beyond any civilizations' acceptable behavior. Arrest them and hold them without bail until convicted and sent to mandatory jail time.
their horrendous behavior may be protected as free speech but it certainly goes way beyond any boundaries of human decency. it is disgusting to think any group would choose the day a family lays a loved one to rest to harass that family in order to make their point. thank heavens for the freedom riders who do their part to allow a family some peace during what must be the most difficult day of their lives.
Protesting at a funeral is absolutely horrid! I can't even believe what I am reading...wow...
--snow
this is really weird!!
i like looking at photos of protest thoo..
great news my friend..boooyahhhhhh!
Protesting is fine and a right that ought be upheld, but to do so at a funeral stoops very, very low.
I agree and hope the $2 million component is upheld!
thats just bizzare!
Keshi.
I must be slipping. good post and good news. I'm glad he got what he deserved. protesting in the name of the church. That's sick....anyway we will see how the appeal goes......Maybe they will think twice before interrupting another funeral...Maybe! Stay well.......
That is terrible. That is like encashing on Death! Life and death both seem to belong to marketplace nowadays...
This church is the sorriest excuse for a place of God. They hide behind the non-profit standing so they can preach their hate for indifference.
Are there more "so called churches" like this across the country? or do these people travel from one military funeral to another?
I guess I stay hidden under a barrel. This is the first I've heard of such behavior! Now I wonder if this isn't the reason for the presence of the Freedom Riders at the funeral in Ralls, Tx. that I posted about a few weeks ago.
GRRRRRRRRR!!!
WHAT?!?!?!?!THE F**K?!?!?!??!
lettmee get this right,
*ahem*
They sued an a jury AWARDED THEM?!?!?! WHAT?!?!?!
~looks around~
Is this one of those jokes? A hoax....Wrong...
Civil torts simply are OUT of control.
Won't they be surprised when they die! Hee Hee Hee!
I'm w/ Little Revolution..
geez...
buffalo ... actually that's pretty mild compared with what I have fantasized about doing to these miscreants.
lime ... in our society, I fear that the bar of human decency has been lowered way too far. When a crucifix sitting in a vat of urine can be considered art, where can the line be drawn?
snow ... I hear ya
niki ... they are a bunch of wierdos, so for them wierd is normal
angel ... booyah to you too.
otto ... there should be something that says to them, "hey, this is wrong". Oh wait ... that would be a conscience, something that they obviously lack.
keshi ... you say bizarre, I say reprehensible.
tap ... they are evil. These guys are to Christianity what the Jihadists are to Islam.
mona ... it does seem that everything is controlled by the mighty dollar ... I guess Madonna was right about it being a "Material World".
mike ... I do believe this church has been excommunicated from the Southern Baptist Convention ... but I'm sure Baptists around the world shudder whenever they show pictures of these vile creatures.
inspired ... they travel around the country showing off their stupidity and evilness. Hopefully this judgement will put a crimp in their travel budget.
butch ... I agree completely ... a doggie treat for you!
bambi ... not quite. The father of the fallen Marine sued and was awarded $11 million.
rev ... I would just love to be standing in line behind them when they meet St Peter.
terry ... And I'm with you ... hope you had a good time in Beaver.
I was extremely happy to hear about this, Paul. Like "The Lowest Rated Blog" said, if they tried to pull that crap here in Texas I believe they would find a different reaction than in most places.
Isn't the Phelps group supposedly ranting against homosexuals? If so, how come they protest military funerals? Are they trying to imply our soldiers are all gay? And why don't they go to a gay parade in San Francisco instead? They must be afraid that they'll get mobbed. I wish they would!
gayle ... this group believes that God is punishing this country for our tolerance of homosexuals. They picked military funerals because of the don't ask ... don't tell policy.
And you know, regardless of how someone feels about gays ... if the soldier was gay, he was still a fallen soldier, and a hero in my book.
Post a Comment