The anti-gay, anti-Catholic, anti-semitic, anti-American, anti-everything Westboro Baptist Church of Fred Phelps , Sr. was hit was massive legal judgement today over their picketing of the funeral of an American soldier killed overseas.
BALTIMORE — The father of a fallen Marine was awarded nearly $11 million Wednesday in damages by a jury that found leaders of a fundamentalist church had invaded the family’s privacy and inflicted emotional distress when they picketed the Marine’s funeral.
The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress to the Marine’s father, Albert Snyder of York, Pa.
Snyder sued the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified monetary damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
If you aren’t familiar with Westboro Baptist Church, I suggest you check out the link above. In short, they are a cult infatuated with homosexuality. They have been disavowed by extremist fundamentalists, mainstream Christian organizations and anyone who refers to themselves as Baptists. Jerry Falwell called them out as idiots (his funeral was protested by WBC as a result).
I can’t even begin to describe these people. You need to hit Wikipedia and google to learn about these incestuous, cultish, bitter, anti-God, unpatriotic assholes to understand exactly who they are. I really shouldn’t even give them attention, but they make my blood boil. These heretics will rot in hell. Until then, at least they may soon be financially destitute. As much as I have been a First Amendment purist, I am happy to see this result from our judicial system.
steveflesher
Philip
Mel Maguire
Mark Ciavola
Comments
As a former Marine, I have to say that I just attended a funeral for a friend who was killed in Afghanistan, and I could tell you that I am sure none of those freaks would ever get close to the church where this patriot was being memorialized. They are sick individuals and, I do have to say that I agree 100% that they have the right to say anything they want, but I think the father who sued these freaks should be able to get every dime out of that “church’s” bank account. I also believe 100% that this man was inflicted with emotional distress and invasion of privacy. I cannot imagine the pain in his heart that must have occurred – how painful his grief must have been compounded by these inhumane people.
Maybe the father’s Freedom of Speech will finally gets these freaks to shut the HELL up!
Hey this is good news, I like to see scum get whats coming to them.
I don’t know why you allow them to make your blood boil though, they are retarded. Let them run around and have their fun.
I imagine one day, Fred Phelps woke up and asked himself, “I picketed the funerals of Matt Shepard and Barry Goldwater, I went to Iraq to support Saddam Hussein, I endorsed Al Gore… what else can I do to convince people I’m a complete, hate-filled, whackjob, a$$hole?” And that’s when he decided to start protesting at military funerals.
Where does he go from here? Two words: Puppies. Wood-chipper.
Even a ‘First Amendment purist’ must applaud this decision. The First Amendment surely was never intended to provide safe haven for this type of slanderous, malicious, harmful display of bile.
I hope this bankrupts this cult, at least temporarily.
I’m sure hardcore libertarians would argue with my “purist” label (I guess I’m not a total purist). But I tend to allow for free speech where others of my ilk might want to make some idiots shut their pie-holes. I’m not afraid to criticize speech that I detest, but I won’t shut people up by force of law.
I really feel, though, that WBC might be outside the First Amendment. They have threatened to appeal, and I think this one might make it to the Supreme Court. In fact, I predict that the decision will be a landmark case in the tradition of Schenck v. United States (the “yelling fire in a theater” case).
It will be interesting to watch. I believe there is a First Amendment case here, and I believe that Phelps and his minions have crossed the line. Regardless, I hope these createns rot in the lowest rungs of hell. Sorry.
I am SO glad to hear this. Philip you know that Mike Ghallager (from newstalk 660) had the daughters on a while back, and they were the most obnxious people I’ve ever heard. Taking all sorts of scripture out of context and telling people not to judge, but then they do just that. It’s such hypocracy.
I do hope they have to pay. And pay in a big way!
These people are indeed nuts. What is funny though is the liberal media is not picking up on this.
You wanna know why?
Because it serves the media better to have all christians such as Falwell or Republicans who appear on Hannity & Colmes portrayed as religious wingnuts.
Fred Phelps wife, Shirley Phelps has appeared on H&C discussing this same things. Hannity and other “extremists” argued passionately with her and she really came across as crazy.
But the media is too busy trying to convince us that anyone voting Republican with a belief in God is an extremist, so they aren’t likely to point it out when Christians and Republicans like Hannity and Falwell ridicule this kind of nonsense.
Hannity and other “extremists” argued passionately with her and she really came across as crazy.
“Crazy is as crazy does!”
One good thing that I think came about from the WBC’s idiot actions is the absolute outpouring of public support for those who have lost loved ones. To see the Patriot Guard show up and create a line, drowning out the voices of the hell-bound brings tears to the most hard person’s eyes, I think.
Those servicemembers protected us with their lives, and we have come together to protect them in their deaths. It is so easy to talk about honor and thankfullness… but so many Americans have stepped forward to provide a visible line with their own bodies for these fallen heroes.
There are many things in America that make me want to throw my hands up and run away to set up my own tin-pot dictatorship somewhere in South America. The actions of America in protecting our families of the fallen is one that gives me abounding hope in our nation’s future.