When free speech costs too much

A Kansas-based fundamentalist group was ordered to pay nearly $11 million in damages to a mourning father for picketing at a military funeral and claiming that American deaths in Iraq are punishment for U.S. tolerance of homosexuality.

Albert Snyder sued Westboro Baptist church after a protest last year at the funeral of his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. He claimed the protests invaded and violated the sanctity of what was supposed to be a private ceremony.

The Associated Press reports that a jury agreed. On Wednesday, the church and three of its leaders — Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Phelps-Roper and Rebekah Phelps-Davis — were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress. Jurors awarded Snyder $2.9 million in compensatory damages and $8 million in punitive damages.

Snyder, of York, Pa., said he hoped other families would consider suing.

"The goal wasn't about the money, it was to set a precedent so other people could do the same thing," he said.

There is a point when any freedom goes too far, and although this is neither hate speech, nor is it speech intended to insight violence, treason or coup, it is blatantly disrespectful to, well, just about everyone.

The media is qualifying this group as right wing, but face it, they are challenging the boundaries of free speech, that is not a very right-winged thing to do. They are also doing so in the face of mourning survivors of dead Iraq War soldiers - ummm, hello McFly, that is no way to gain support with the right, or to be aligned with conservatives. It's no way to be aligned with anyone for that matter.

IN truth though, the Westboro Baptist church is not political, but rather they are fundamentalists, and the politicized label holds no water here anyway. But political labels, alignments and support are not what this group seeks.

The Christian Post report read:
Westboro Baptist, which is not affiliated with any Baptist denomination, holds an unorthodox view on predestination, the idea that God determined at the time of one's creation whether they were bound for heaven or hell.

While the belief, stemming from the teachings of John Calvin, is also taught in mainstream churches, members of Westboro Baptist particularly emphasize God’s hatred in spreading their message.

The members of the church, made up of mainly Pastor Fred Phelps and his relatives, also believe that they must alert the condemned of their fate even though such people have no chance of going to heaven. According to past media reports, the congregation prays that all of God’s chosen people will come to this church. When the last person comes, they believe, Christ will return and the world will end.

Given their background, it is not a surprise that most members of the church seemed pleased with the ruling. The Associated Press reported that they left the court room with tight-lipped smiles.

Rev. Phelps was confident an appeal would rule in their favor.

“Oh, it will take about five minutes to get that thing reversed,” he said.

Jonathan Phelps, son of Fred Phelps Sr, said the national media attention will just give church members another platform to preach their message.