So there a times when you just need to be disgusted to be part of humanity; this is one of those times. The Supreme Court, in a decision that should revoke the title of Supreme, "ruled... ...that a grieving father's pain over mocking protests at his Marine son's funeral must yield to First Amendment protections for free speech." I have provided four different articles on the decision for you to read for yourselves.
I am all for upholding First Amendment rights, and rights that have been granted to us by our fortune of being part of this great country, but there are certain things, especially regarding our freedom of speech, that should be restricted. Just like how free speech is limited in the case of yelling fire in a crowded movie theater without there being an actual fire because it risks putting others in danger of serious injury, so should it be limited in this case.
Now you may be wondering how is a protest regarding the gay-rights debate anyway related to the movie theater situation, but it is logically the same. I am not ignorant to the concept that other people hold a different belief system then me, and I am not posting this as a retort to those who hold the differing view from me. I am posting this in regards to this one situation, this one instance. The only thing I am trying to say is there is a time and a place for such demonstrations, and such a demonstration at a Marine's funeral is probably the least appropriate place ever.
Let me get back to how using this location for such demonstration relates to the movie theater. These 'people', and I use that term very loosely for this group, are demonstrating against gay rights, at a funeral of a fallen Marine, because "Westboro believes that God is killing American soldiers as punishment for the nation's sinful policies." This is detrimental to the morale of our Courageous Soldiers who have made a decision that this nation and its people are worthy of their time, and the risk of their lives. Knowing that this is how the people of the nation show their appreciation for such devotion does not establish confidence in what they are doing.
I guess in this entry I am trying to say two things. First, I appreciate the sacrifice the people of our Military have voluntarily made in order to allow me to sit here and write this blog. What they do allows me to go to college and follow my ambitions. It is because of them i can go out and party with my friends and live a safe, adventurous life. It is to these men and women I salute and raise my ever filled glass to. Thank you for what you do, and don't let the hatred and ignorance of few sully the majority's appreciation of you, and your dedication to us.
The second thing I am trying to say is that a reinterpretation of the Freedom of Speech needs to be made. We need to add a new clause. I deem this new clause that I am proposing as the "Don't be a Dick Clause." As you can probably tell from the name, if you are being an over the top excessive dick you should not be allowed to continue your protest. I do not mean your everyday asshole, I mean those over the top pricks who go out of their why to force opinions on people at the most inappropriate times.
Let me give a couple of examples to clarify:
Intentionally splashing pedestrians by speeding through a puddle is a dick move, but you are safe.
Protesting gay rights at a Marine's funeral based on some skewed view of religion, you should be sentenced to 100 kicks into the nuts by those you offended. Or some other fitting sentence (like maybe having to give that 5 million dollars to that soldiers family).
I was going out of my way to not be crass, but upon seeing this article I was just ENRAGED. It was not only that these 'people' could not have the common decency to respect the sanctity of a funeral, but one honoring a brave Marine who gave the ultimate sacrifice so those 'people' can have their opinions.
Honostly something I have said here are probably excessive, but this goes under the "Harm Principle." This protest has caused irreparable emotional harm to those there to honor the fallen, and nothing can change that. This is why i am disgusted with this decision, and what made it worse was that the Supremer Court made this ruling in an 8-1 decision. It scares me that Justice Samuel Alito is the only person representing the highest court in our nation, who still has some common sense and common decency.
Articles on the Supreme Court Decision
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/03/supreme-court-oks-anti-gay-churchs-picketing-of-funerals/1
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-02/us/scotus.westboro.church_1_anti-gay-protests-albert-snyder-westboro-baptist-church?_s=PM:US
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110302/ap_on_re_us/us_supreme_court_funeral_protests
http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20110303/NEWS01/103030302/Supreme-Court-Anti-gay-picketing-at-military-funerals-OK
Links regarding Free speech and its Limitations.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech#Limitations_on_freedom_of_speech
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harm_principle
Information found on Fred Phelps, if you actually care about some insensitive person (And yes I was polite, because I am better then this guy.)
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1662196/bio
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_Phelps
As much as I wish I could agree with you I cannot. Yes, these morons should be shot in the head with a dirty Harry Magnum, but the supreme court just did what it was expected to do; hold up the citezens rights. I understand that the situation is completly fucked, but it is that retarded groups right to say what they feel where they feel. This is America, and that is the beauty, and the stupidity of our country. Our Founding fathers chose the freedom of speech as the first ammenndment reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." So here the "people" of the protesting group are protected by their moronic religious beliefs, their freedom of speech and their right to assemble. If the Suprem court were to make amendments to this what would stop them from changing any of the laws and change the whole meaning of our country?
ReplyDeleteThis is why these people are chosen to be supreme court justices, they understand they law, they understand the restrictions in the law, and since these idiots were not breaking the law (unless they did not have permits for their protest, which at that point the police should have been called) they still have rights . They are still americans, even though most people wish they werent, so they are protected by the same rights as us.
It is indeed sad that they find it necessary to go to a funeral (though they were not actually at the funeral just within close proxemity) and try to tell society that our soilders are dying because their are gays in the world. We can go to their "church" and protest and shout that they caused 9/11, and it is their fault the world economy is in the tanks, and we can do this because the supreme court did not change our first ammendment rights. This would be similiar to what they did and If i want to do that I do not to be limited in doing so.
Valid points, I just request people to quit using the forefather given rights to be dicks.
ReplyDeleteUpon reading this post again, I can agree with Dan's comment. I think I just hate inconsiderate schmucks.
ReplyDelete