2008 Woodie Awards
Are there limits to free speech?
Robert Berra
Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/5/07 Section: Opinion
- Page 1 of 1
Members of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., are an interesting bunch of people; and by interesting, I mean that they are vile, loathsome, loud, bigoted, fundamentalist hatemongers. Most people would recognize them by the public protests they hold at the funerals of fallen U.S. soldiers.
Their protests are not just limited to just Kansas, though; the church frequently travels to different states in order to protest soldiers' funerals. The members of the church, almost exclusively members of the Phelps family, hold signs saying "Thank God for IEDs" and "God hates fags" while singing "I'm ashamed to be an American / where the fags can freely roam."
Members can also be seen either standing on an American flag or with American flags tied to their shoes.
They believe that the apocalypse is imminent -- as in next week imminent. They are also very fatalistic in that they believe that everything is determined by God. Therefore, if a soldier dies in Iraq, then it must have been because America allows homosexuals to run around freely (so their sorry excuse for logic goes).
The WBC is generally not violent, and they do not seem particularly interested in gaining converts; they just want to let the rest of us know that we are all going to hell.
The problem is that the church leaders are knowledgeable about the law (some even have law degrees). They have been very careful about keeping their protests legal and avoiding criminal charges.
Another avenue of retribution against the WBC, however, may prove more successful. Albert Snyder of York, Penn., sued the WBC for unspecified damages after members of the church demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. 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. In total, the church owes Snyder $10.9 million.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court. The net worth of the WBC is somewhere around $1 million.
The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.
So there has finally been definitive action taken against the WBC, and it follows a strategy that has generally worked when dealing with hate groups: Sue them until they are bankrupt and lose their ability to function.
Their protests are not just limited to just Kansas, though; the church frequently travels to different states in order to protest soldiers' funerals. The members of the church, almost exclusively members of the Phelps family, hold signs saying "Thank God for IEDs" and "God hates fags" while singing "I'm ashamed to be an American / where the fags can freely roam."
Members can also be seen either standing on an American flag or with American flags tied to their shoes.
They believe that the apocalypse is imminent -- as in next week imminent. They are also very fatalistic in that they believe that everything is determined by God. Therefore, if a soldier dies in Iraq, then it must have been because America allows homosexuals to run around freely (so their sorry excuse for logic goes).
The WBC is generally not violent, and they do not seem particularly interested in gaining converts; they just want to let the rest of us know that we are all going to hell.
The problem is that the church leaders are knowledgeable about the law (some even have law degrees). They have been very careful about keeping their protests legal and avoiding criminal charges.
Another avenue of retribution against the WBC, however, may prove more successful. Albert Snyder of York, Penn., sued the WBC for unspecified damages after members of the church demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq. 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. In total, the church owes Snyder $10.9 million.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court. The net worth of the WBC is somewhere around $1 million.
The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.
So there has finally been definitive action taken against the WBC, and it follows a strategy that has generally worked when dealing with hate groups: Sue them until they are bankrupt and lose their ability to function.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
i love all of yawl
posted 11/06/07 @ 9:07 AM CST
It is a sad state of affairs that has lead to this "church's" ability to gain publicity for HATE SPEECH. That being said, I must say that new hate speech laws are in the process of being recognized as sorely needed. (Continued…)
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