Hateful Protesting, freedom of speech?

Originally Posted by Generic Badass

It seems obvious that their motivation is free publicity, but we happen to think that way because we consider ourselves pretty level-headed. Maybe these people think this is the right thing to do and that these mourners should find out this way. I don't know, and that's the point-- no one knows what they're thinking; only what they're telling us.

You're on the right track, GB. I believe what you're saying. But concerning the Westboro Baptist Church, the truth is they are doing this for attention and doing it to express how they really feel at the same time. It's an oxymoron. I mean, 'doing something to express how you feel' is by definition trying to get attention.


I quote Fred Phelps, the leader:

"We don't picket to win people over, idiot. It's to harden people's hearts. Make them hate. Make them hate God even more than they already do.

Our goal is to preach the Word of God to this crooked and perverse generation. By our words, some will repent. By our words, some will be condemned. Whether they hear, or whether they forbear, they will know a prophet has been among them... our goal is to glorify God by declaring His whole counsel to everyone... we hope that by our preaching some will be saved."

To translate the first paragraph:

"We don't seek attention to win people over. It's to harden people's hearts and....etc, etc, etc...."

The quote itself does logically support them protesting because it's what they really believe. While people are entitled to protest peacefully, one can wager that even if people are protesting peacefully without causing physical harm to anyone, it can lead to them being harmed by people offended by their 'beliefs'. It's why I support this law. It's not infringing upon freedom of speech, as everyone in this thread has already clearly proven, it's a way to prevent something bad from happening. While those people are lunatics and the law was made in regards to their action, it can be used as a way of saying, "We're protecting you and honoring those families at the same time."

Those people aren't the only lunatics in the country, let alone the world. It only takes one to snap and take action.

Quote:

And since they have broken any laws during these protests (as far as I'm aware), we should at least take their word for it until they fuck something up. You know, tolerance.

Agreed. Giving them this much publicity fuels their ambitions. I'm not surprised the News reported it, since it's their job, but actually interviewing these people, taking them on your show, and logically approaching them with common sense was all for naught. The quote above proves these people are doing it to piss us off.

Jam it back in, in the dark.