The US Supreme Court is hearing a critical free speech case this week, Snyder Vs Westboro Baptist Church. Westboro is the protester group that pickets fallen soldier's funerals with hate signs like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers" and "God Hates the USA." They also have "God Hates Fags" and other inflammatory statements.
The bases of this church protests is that America is no longer the blessed country of the founding fathers and God has turned away his blessing because of Americas tolerance of abortion and homosexuality, as well as many other social changes in society in the 200 plus years American has been independent.
Like many arguments dealing with the First Amendment, I have mixed emotions. My first emotion is that such vile speech should be prohibited to protect the families of these dead solders. But my logical mind knows that any restriction of speech, no matter how vile, hateful and bigoted it might be, must not be permitted. It then becomes too easy to start to restrict other speech to a point that we may not have any free speech left.
Free speech has to be absolute. We as a people must be willing to allow some of the most wretched speech one can hear or read or see so that we'll all have the ability to express ourselves on any subject we desire, such as I do here on my blog. You as an individual can choose to reject the speech by ignoring it and not allowing your emotions to be controlled by that speech. I know that is easier said than done, since we are very emotional beings. I hear speech that I reject all the time coming from the mouths of Fox GOP News, I can only hear so much of it until my anger boils over at their lies and I have to change channels.
I realize that these families can't change channels when these nut cases are shouting and have large signs within range of the bereaving families, friends and fellow soldiers. Free speech does have it responsibilities in the execution of that right. The same holds true to the other religious nut that was going to burn the Koran on September 11th and the Project Rescue religious nuts that shout and picket abortion clinics and doctors at their homes and the Tea Baggers that have signs and shout bigoted insults and lies about President Obama. I hate their speech, but they do have a right to say it. When it crosses the line is when they physically block you from exercising your right.
We have already started limiting free speech, for example making a statement that will incite a violent act against another individual is not protected. Adult sexual content in many forms have limitations, though the limitations are questionable and more likely unconstitutional because the foundation of the limitation is without scientific foundation. But religiosity has influenced the court to incorporate some limitations for political reasons, not scientific.
(As a side bar. I think there can not be any restriction or limitation of a right or liberty by any government or political subdivision, unless there is a large body of careful scientific research data that proves beyond a reasonable doubt there is real harm to the citizenry, if not restricted or prohibited. Obviously such things as murder, theft, making false statements about an individual that causes actual physical or economic harm, etc., but would not include merely perceived harm or emotional harm).
So as much as I abhor the speech this Westboro Baptist Church espouses against our brave and dedicated military service personnel and our LGBT citizens, I must support their right to such vile speech in this case. I wish I did not have to. But civil rights are not negotiable.
I do feel that the press should not mention this group again. If they get no attention, as they have with their protesting of LGBT parades, then they will stop their hate protesting of dead soldiers and any other group they may want to exploit to get their message out in the media. Come on media, you use to use editorial integrity regarding these crazy groups and not give them air time or print space. These nut cases stayed in the background and faded away over time. As long as the press give them a forum to put forth their hate speech, they will continue in earnest and in greater strength to obtain the attention they so desperately seek. So please media, including you Fox GOP news, STOP!
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