To ask if the 'extremist group' in Florida are getting any form of punishment?

[Fab123]

abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=13273981&page=4

Seems the church in Florida wanted to relish in some form of media frenzy which has now cost lives at a "crucial point" in the conflict. Obviously they are a minority but what is to stop other people who are perhaps a little trigger happy and, heaven forbid, enjoying the war doing the same thing? Is there any form of deterrent, perhaps at least the same sentencing as the burning of the flag for example? Although usually that doesn't cost lives and dissolve years of hard work and global sacrifice...

Meditrina Yes, I remember that in September. We all know that sane, logical people condemned it and knew what the result would be - but no one actually stopped it from happening and they all just sat back and watched. Therefore you can only assume that the people perpetrating didn't care, didn't believe in their President and other officials or simply knew that nothing bad would happen to them and so did it anyway.

Interesting about their insurance though. Shame that is the only way to penalise in the modern day and age. They could have upped the premium and sent it to an aid charity over there and that would have been slightly more beneficial...

Another example of how religion poisons everything (not my words - Christopher Hitchens - I happen to agree)....

Religion meaning extremist, fundamentalist intepretation. On both sides in this case....extremely sad and tragic for the UN workers...bloody hell how awful

Fab: it didn't happen on 11 September (which was the first proposed date), so they did get the message then.

I agree they knew there is no punishment in US law for what they did, but they must have known the level of condemnation - which is why I think this was done without pre-announcement. It's like using your right to free speech to shout "fire" (when there isn't) in a crowded place and starting a stampede in a which people die.

Mazar-e-Sharif was a success story in terms of being one of the stablest places in Afghanistan -until this. People died, both there and in Kandahar because of the entirely predictable (and predicted by Obama and others) reaction to such an act.

Aside from the moral responsibility they bear, it's telling that the pastors say they have not read the Koran, but are ready to condemn it in toto.

Delia sorry, only just got your post. You're talking about the Phelps family in Kansas, right?
Just watched a docu on them actually, and seen that they had a Court case bought against them by the father of a young soldier who's funeral the family had picketed in 2006. He won $13 million awarded by the Supreme Court in a case that "could redefine the first amendment right of free speech" as the news broadcaster said.
The pivotal statement from the case was " There is a civilised way to express an opinion in America, but it does not involve intentionally inflicting emotional distress on others" read the father, after his win.

So, anyone going to take on Jones and his congregation? There's clearly been a precedent set for this kind of behaviour, but still no one is doing anything.