Westboro Baptist Church.

[Juniperdewdropofbrandy]

WTAF?? Did I read right?

here
What is the world coming to? This won't end well.

Background on the "church", from two of Fred Phelps' sons who got out.

blank.org/addict/

'And in the US, much of a city was effectively under martial law under a bombing. Something that hasn't (AFAIK) happened over here after any bombings.'

These things have to be done legally. Blair passed the Civil Contingencies Act which gives a lot of powers under an emergency.

'The right: To freedom of movement

What happened? The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 gives Cabinet ministers sweeping powers in designated emergencies including quarantine areas, restricting travel, handing control of essential industries to the army.'

www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2006/apr/23/humanrights.constitution

When I say "on the state payroll", I mean that some of their members are on the state payroll and not the entire Church.

Their modus operandi is to provoke people into attacking them or otherwise prevent them from demonstrating - they then sue them for $$$$$ for curtailing their first amendment rights. Nice little earner.

This article argues, I think, that they haven't made enough money out of their lawsuits to fund their activities

"Albert Snyder, a military father sued Phelps, Westboro Baptist Church, and other affiliated characters in 2006, winning a verdict of $10.9 million for picketing his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder?s funeral. However, later judicial action reduced the award to $5 million, and after that, the award was struck down entirely It is unclear if action is still pending, but it does not appear any higher court was willing to hear the case (UPDATE: Albert Snyder wrote to me to say that they are still waiting to hear if the Supreme Court will hear their case)."

stanfordreview.org/article/countdown-to-westboro-baptist-church-at-stanford-the-law-and-wbc/

claig I understand and respect your right to free speech but I have to say I think you are talking a load of shite!

That is perfectly possible, but most highly unlikely.

Can't find the link here, but someone (who happens to be gay), bought the house directly opposite the WBC, and painted in the gay rights rainbow stripes! Its known as the Freedom House. Its really pretty and hopefully pisses off those weirdos everytime they see it!

Interesting case of Snyder vs Westboro Baptist Church.

As far as I understand it, the Supreme Court upheld Westboro Baptist Church's rights in this case.

They voted 8-1 in favour. The one dissenting judge was reported as follows

"Snyder's lone backer, Justice Samuel Alito, wrote a passionate dissent that accuses his colleagues of being plain mean. "Respondents' outrageous conduct caused petitioner great injury, and the Court now compounds that injury by depriving petitioner of a judgment that acknowledges the wrong he suffered," Alito wrote. He seems to be asking them, How can you sleep at night? "In order to have a society in which public issues can be openly and vigorously debated, it is not necessary to allow the brutalization of innocent victims like petitioner," wrote Alito. "I therefore respectfully dissent." Perhaps another adverb is more fitting: angrily."

www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2056613,00.html

That is how the law works. One day the majority may be the other way and that may set a precedent.

here it is, pretty isn't it!

there are also a group of Hells Angels who travel around to wherever WBC are going to demo and just stand in from of them blocking the view. Recently they turned up at a university campus to protest about something or other, and the entire student and faculty body made a human chain around the entire site, so the WBC could not get anywhere near it.

Americans are starting to get really cheesed off with this lot, and I think the WBC are goading people into hurting them so they can then sue.

There's some really interesting theories I feel quite ignorant for just thinking that they were a hate group.

craic have you ever been in contact with WBC?

The Southern Poverty Law Centre, one of the US's most respected civil liberties organisations, have categorised the Westbro Baptist Church as a hate group. There's a bit of evidence, both from a former West Point graduate and one of the cult's former members, that Fred Phelps' obsession with homosexuality is actually a classic bit of cognitive dissodence stemming from his own gay encounters in his youth

Personally I prefer this way of dealing with them

'have you ever been in contact with WBC?'

certainly not. I think they are a hateful fake organisation used to try and undermine free speech.

craic I didn't mean any offence just with you saying you had spoken to Schneider I thought maybe you had been in contact with WBC.

Sorry to offend you

Synder even

I don't believe that the woman who works for the Kansas Department of Corrections

"she has been the director of the department that coordinates prisoners? release and overseeing efforts to give ex-inmates job training and housing"

is not acting when she pickets funerals of dead soldiers with her offensive banners and slogans.

I don't believe that people as awful as that would be working for the Kansas Departmemt of Corrections on the state payroll and would have received the following award

"And several years ago, the Kansas Correctional Association gave Phelps an Employee of the Quarter Award, praising her for having helped create the state?s re-entry program ?almost single-handedly.?

It doesn't add up, in my opinion. I think it is a fake group.

Wannabestepfordwife, I have never spoken to Snyder. Where did you get that idea?

"she has been the director of the department that coordinates prisoners? release and overseeing efforts to give ex-inmates job training and housing"

In fact, did Louis Theroux interview the Kansas Department of Correction or even tell us that she works or worked there?

Why doesn't the media interview the state officials in charge and ask them how she can hold down this job?

In all her years working there, has there never been a gay ex-inmate that needed job training and housing, and what did she do in that case?

Why aren't the media chasing those issues up rather than playing along with what I think is the act of the Westboro Baptist Church?

In this country, we have councillors who have to resign for tweeting offensive remarks etc.

It is inconceivable that the state would be able to employ someone with actions as vile as hers without facing protests from thousands of citizens who would be questioning state officials, and it is difficult to understand how this would not become a factor in state elections etc.

In a real situation like this, the media storm would be so great, that it is likely that there would have to be some resignations.

It seems that this does not occur, and that is a bit strange, in my opinion.

This is the price of free speech.

Sorry craic I must have misread

No problem, wannabestepfordwife

I think you have a point claig - thanks for giving me something to think about. Its bloody scary if you are right though isn't it?

paula, yes it is scary, but that is how I think the real world is.
We, the public, are played and spun by powerful people.

When a politician says "trust me, I'm a straight kinda guy" and here is the 45 minute dossier to prove it, then the public is probably be played and spun.

All we can do is try to see through the lies and spin and vote for the people we think are the best and who spin the least and who protect our liberties.