Phelps Decked for $10.9 Million

Fred Phelps, disgraced former minister and leader of a radical group called the Westboro Baptist Church of Wichita, Kansas, lost a lawsuit brought by the father of a fallen soldier.  Phelps and his gang have been engaging in unfathomably disgraceful protests at military funerals for fallen troops, blaming homosexuals for their deaths.  A jury awarded this family $10.9 million in damages.

Their are boundaries for bad taste after all.

Losing a loved one under any circumstance is difficult.  Losing one due to George Bush's lies and war of choice is worse.  Having Fred Phelps and his band of protesters show up  at your funeral is now worth $10.9 million in damages.

The irony here is that Phelps and his crew have been living off legal proceeds for years, suing anyone who dared confront them and restrict their right to be extremely offensive and irrational.  These folks showed up at the Matthew Shepard funeral and other places over the years.  Now they're on the receiving end of litigation and, perhaps, this case will bankrupt them and end their misbegotten crusade.

This case was brought against them by Albert Snyder of York whose son Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder was killed in Iraq.  Phelps vows to appeal the court's ruling.

Comments

[DC 93]

Did anyone really expect ole Bung-for-brains Freddy and his tacky band of delusionals to really accept the court's ruling. Heck, I'd've expected him to go so far as to contempt the court for being a secular court and that only God's court would do for him. Hell, he likes to flaunt a lot of other things in a contemptable way, why not the judge's ruling, eh Freddy.

I mean if he's as devout as he claims to be and being the alleged mouthpiece for God on the issues of homosexuality and other things righteous and pious, then I suppose he should realize that such Old Testament and Gospel following would dictate an eye for an eye, in this case, he has sued and now he got sued and lost, so far.

Of course, as being God's self-appointed mouthpiece, I'm thinking he would probably argue that he should be immune from such secular things, but then why should he be allowed to collect any damages for the suits he's brought and won.

Freddy, face it, this is God's way of saying, knock it the hell off, but I doubt you'd agree, hence your ill-conceived appeal and probably more after this one fails to win reversal.

If what you and your group did was not so utterly tasteless, shameful, despicable, and utterly insensitve, bordering on sociopathic, I'd think it would be just really great, cheap, foolish fun to watch your band of fools in action. Alas, it just makes me want to stand with other groups like the Patriot Riders and be a wall against the stain of your protest of peoples' funerals and events that you have really no damn business being a part of, unless you are there to mourn and show the loving side of your Christian ways.

What really makes me laugh at these people though, is that even some of the most noted, rabid, and recognized gay bashing, homosexual, bisexual hating public or private figures want nothing to do with you and yours. What does that say about you Freddy...hmmm...I think it speaks volumes.

[t.g.]

Okay, Mr. Phelps is sick - very, terribly, extremely sick - but what about freedom of speech?

[John Morgan]

Freedom of speech has limits. For example you cannot yell 'fire' in a crowded theater. You cannot slander or defame someone, and you cannot intentionally inflict emotional distress on another person through patently offensive speech.

We all learn there are proper times and places for certain things. The funerals of dead soldiers are NOT appropriate times and places to spawn extreme, offensive, unchristian declarations of one's political beliefs.

If a group also selected these funerals to protest the war that would actually be more appropriate than what the Phelps' are doing yet similarly offensive because of the time and place.

One is responsible for the proper use of one's freedoms and when your freedoms begin infringing on someone else's freedoms that's when the courts enter the picture and determine whose freedom is more important. The court, in this case, decided it was more important that this family be able to grieve their loss than for Fred Phelps to be able to spew his hatred.

Appropriate ruling all the way.

[t.g.]

ok, I can handle that.