Freedom of Speech

A unfortunate religious group known as the Westboro Church group have taken to protesting outside the funerals of service men and women who have fallen in the line of duty.  They believe that US soldiers are being killed because we are too tolerant of homosexuals and abortion.  A father of one of the soldiers has sued the group, winning monetary damages for invasion of privacy and emotional distress.  However, an appeals court overturned the case based on the groups First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech.
     I agree with Amor patriae’s take on the issue.  The whole idea that you can pick and choose what should be protected under the First Amendment is preposterous.  No matter how innocuous something is, you can find someone who will be offended by it.  That is the whole point of the First Amendment, to protect people from the whims and opinions of others.  You can’t make exceptions no matter how tempting it is, even in cases as hideous as this one.  I also appreciated that the writer changed their initial opinion of the case when thinking unemotionally on it.  That is what we as a people need to do more often and what the Judicial Branch needs to do always. While someone being so despicable as to protest outside the funeral of a soldier killed in duty because they believe that the US is too tolerant of homosexuals is repugnant, living in a country that does not allow it is even more so.
      The Westboro Church group, infamous for these anti gay protests should stop, but the way to achieve that is not in suing them.  In Weston , MO a group of locals heard of the Westboro’s plans to demonstrate outside of the funeral of one of their local soldiers and formed a protest of their own that shielded the funeral and ultimately forced the retreat of the Westboro group.  This is a much more effective and satisfying way of dealing with these protestors.  Instead of potentially infringing on the rights of all US citizens, we should use our rights to say what we think and give the Westboro Church a taste of their own medicine.  Protesting outside their church every Sunday does not sound like a bad way to spend the day.  I personally think that the Westboro Group is a crazy, grotesque mutation of what a religious organization should be, but I would rather they protest, than that all those who have fought for our right to do so have their struggles be in vain.