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Did anti-gay church have rights violated? [ACLU Goes to Bat For Phelps]
Chicago Sun Times ^ | Oct. 6, 2006 | Dave McKinney

Posted on 10/06/2006 8:43:09 AM PDT by Alouette

SPRINGFIELD -- It's not a threat to sue. Yet. The American Civil Liberties Union has launched a broad inquiry into how Illinois is enforcing a new state law designed to keep picketers affiliated with a radical Kansas church from disrupting military funerals.

The ACLU has sent Freedom of Information Act requests to the offices of Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn and several suburban and Downstate mayors and police chiefs to see how members of Westboro Baptist Church were dealt with and whether their free-speech rights were infringed upon.

In Illinois in the last five months, church members have shown up at seven funerals for soldiers killed in the line of duty, carrying signs that said, "Thank God for dead soldiers," and, "God hates fags."

(Excerpt) Read more at suntimes.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Extended News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Kansas
KEYWORDS: aclu; antichristian; antiiraqwar; antisemites; barkingmoonbats; fredphelps; homosexualagenda; militaryfunerals; notapeacemovement; phelps; veterans; westborobaptist
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To: cripplecreek

We are handling them, though, don't you think? They are shunned at funerals. Very special people have made sure few know they are there despite media coverage (which is another topic). I have seen no thread, regarding the radio hour. As I said people are "getting it" The government is on to them and their 15 minutes is winding up. I have faith that God has a plan.


41 posted on 10/06/2006 9:12:36 AM PDT by CindyDawg
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To: cripplecreek

Same here, and what I like to do on his grave won't pass for flowers.


42 posted on 10/06/2006 9:13:44 AM PDT by stbdside
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To: Alouette

Has anyone else gotten the feeling that this "church" is completely fake? That is, a sort of leftist "street theater" that is designed to look like the left's idea of fanatic religous zealots? I saw two of it's female members last night on O'Reilly and they looked for all the world like aging "hippie chicks", now of Kansas, formerly of Haight-Ashbury. Either Bill or Mike Gallagher mentioned that both were lawyers and knew exactly what they could get away with legally. There was also something about their delivery that came across as completely canned, thoroughly rehearsed. They spoke of early death saving the little Amish girls from hell, with smiles on their faces that indicated to me no sincere joy whatsoever for that supposed act of mercy, but that they were simply enjoying the knowledge that they were angering so many people.


43 posted on 10/06/2006 9:13:50 AM PDT by syncked
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To: Alouette; sportutegrl
He noted that they are extremely well funded and wondered where their money was coming from.
My guess is that they suckle at the teat of Soros


Good points Sportutegrl, and Alouette, don't you find it curious that it was right during the news cycle of the Foley Follies that Soros made the announcement that he was "getting out of politics" or some tripe like that?

Makes you wonder if things were getting too warm for him, eh?
44 posted on 10/06/2006 9:16:05 AM PDT by mkjessup (The Shah doesn't look so bad now, eh? But nooo, Jimmah said the Ayatollah was a 'godly' man.)
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To: syncked
"smiles on their faces that indicated to me no sincere joy whatsoever for that supposed act of mercy, but that they were simply enjoying the knowledge that they were angering so many people."

The words that came to mind when I watched those two losers was "fire for effect", and they took pleasure in knowing they would irritate ANYONE who had any sense of decency or compassion, which left out the entire wingnuts and leftist loonies, so they felt "proud" to be in a venue that would reach millions.

If they aren't wearing asbestous underwear, they're in for a treat......

45 posted on 10/06/2006 9:18:45 AM PDT by traditional1
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To: Alouette

"Yet. The American Civil Liberties Union has launched a broad inquiry into how".....Columbia didn't allow the Minute Men to speak.........sarc off


46 posted on 10/06/2006 9:19:15 AM PDT by Jeffrey_D.
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To: cripplecreek

Oh my gosh, now there's a thought. Protest his funeral or celebrate it. And maybe get that guy from Lord of the Dance to do his bit over his grave too.


47 posted on 10/06/2006 9:22:01 AM PDT by dragonblustar
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To: mkjessup
Soros made the announcement that he was "getting out of politics"

When was Soros ever "in politics"? He never ran for office. That is being "in politics." What Soros does, apart from his day job of manipulating currencies, is use his vast fortune to manipulate political outcomes without participating in the democratic process.

He could buy himself a dozen banana republics to be king of, but he is such a greedy megalomaniac that he doesn't want just any banana republic, he wants to control the entire United States of America without having to be actually elected to any office.

48 posted on 10/06/2006 9:22:37 AM PDT by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 72-76)
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To: syncked
Has anyone else gotten the feeling that this "church" is completely fake? That is, a sort of leftist "street theater" that is designed to look like the left's idea of fanatic religous zealots?

Bingo. These guys have all the ecceliastical authenticity of a troll on Free Republic trying to pretend to be his bizarre idea of a conservative.

And the ACLU's rush to defend them kind of tips their hand: The Westboro nutcakes aren't really anti-homosexual, and the ACLU does not really care about minority rights, but they do both want the same thing--the destabilization of normative American society and values, to be replaced by their own.

49 posted on 10/06/2006 9:27:51 AM PDT by Dunstan McShane
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To: Dunstan McShane
ecceliastical authenticity

That should be "ecclesiastical authenticity." Sorry--interior spell-check went on the blink/

50 posted on 10/06/2006 9:30:10 AM PDT by Dunstan McShane
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To: Alouette

GOD HATES PHELPS!


51 posted on 10/06/2006 9:30:40 AM PDT by Niteranger68 (I gigged your peace frog.)
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To: Alouette

Phelps and his group are going to protest at the funeral of a soldier in Beaumont, TX on Saturday. The meaning of "Don't Mess With Texas" goes beyond throwing trash out the window in Southeast Texas. The church and the street in front of the church will be lined with people to keep these freaks away.


52 posted on 10/06/2006 9:31:16 AM PDT by Kibbylou
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To: CindyDawg

WBCult


53 posted on 10/06/2006 9:34:29 AM PDT by pandoraou812 ( barbaric with zero tolerance and dilligaf?)
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To: Alouette

While I understand your point that this speech is extremely unpleasant, it does not fit within the "fighting words" category of unprotected speech.

And, although hate speech is extremely unpleasant as well, it is not outside the protections of the First Amendment.

The statute at issue here was just poorly written. There are ways to protect the privacy and dignity of funerals without violating the Constitution, but this law isn't one of them.


54 posted on 10/06/2006 9:42:58 AM PDT by Professor Kill
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To: Professor Kill
although hate speech is extremely unpleasant as well, it is not outside the protections of the First Amendment.

If "hate speech" is not outside the protection of the First Amendment, why are so many conservatives being prosecuted for "hate speech" crimes?

55 posted on 10/06/2006 9:44:34 AM PDT by Alouette (Psalms of the Day: 72-76)
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To: Alouette

"The ACLU is the Spawn of Satan" bump.


56 posted on 10/06/2006 9:45:08 AM PDT by talleyman (Kerry & the Surrender-Donkey Treasoncrats - trashing the troops for 40 years.)
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To: Alouette

Could you provide an example of someone being prosecuted for engaging in hate speech?


57 posted on 10/06/2006 9:50:29 AM PDT by Professor Kill
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To: Kaslin

At first I thought Mike's offer might be a bad one even though it was an honorable thing to do. Hindsighting, it was the ONLY thing to do if one has a level of empathy above that of, say, Josef Stalin. Quite obviously the "guests" don't. It might have a silver lining if word gets out and more people on the fence listen in. Might just come back to bite these leftist, completely non-Christian things.


58 posted on 10/06/2006 9:52:33 AM PDT by syncked
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To: Alouette

Having seen them (WBC) up close and personal (twice), I think a little audit of ACLU finances may be in order here.


59 posted on 10/06/2006 9:57:10 AM PDT by sauropod ("Work as if you were to live 100 Years, Pray as if you were to die To-morrow." - Ben Franklin)
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To: massgopguy
Isn't disrupting a religious service a felony?

No. And the ACLU likes it that way.

60 posted on 10/06/2006 10:27:11 AM PDT by Prime Choice (True Conservatives don't vote for Liberals just because they have an 'R' by their name.)
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