Why can't we stop the Westboro Baptist Church?

I live about 30 miles from Joplin, Mo. If you haven't heard, Joplin was just devestated by an EF-5 tornado last sunday. Anyway, the Westboro Baptist Church is coming to town tomorrow to protest and I don't understand how they can get away with this. Here is my reasoning...

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion...

...or the right of the people PEACEABLY to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." ---The first amendment to the Constitution.

PEACEABLE; –adjective

1. inclined or disposed to avoid strife or dissension; not argumentative or hostile: a peaceable person; a peaceable disposition.

CONCLUSION: The protests by Westboro Baptist Church are unconstitutional. Why Can't we stop them from doing what they are doing?

What are your thoughs about this issue?

You can stop them. Just do not get caught or tell anyone what you are going to do.

ignore them

It's the best thing anyone can do.

Because they haven't done anything legally wrong. Theokhoth

[QUOTE="Theokhoth"]Because they haven't done anything legally wrong. BigSexy63

[QUOTE="Theokhoth"]Because they haven't done anything legally wrong. BigSexy63

[QUOTE="BigSexy63"][QUOTE="Theokhoth"]Because they haven't done anything legally wrong. chrisrooR

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snyder_v._Phelps

I'll just leave it at that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snyder_v._Phelps

I'll just leave it at that.

DroidPhysX

What are they protesting exactly? Tornadoes?

I Hope you do the protest against them,

there's supposed to be a rally against WBC church.

truthfully thats the only way to stop them, I wish you and the town of joplin all the best

I Hope you do the protest against them,

there's supposed to be a rally against WBC church.

truthfully thats the only way to stop them, I wish you and the town of joplin all the best

zoraluv

[QUOTE="zoraluv"]

I Hope you do the protest against them,

there's supposed to be a rally against WBC church.

truthfully thats the only way to stop them, I wish you and the town of joplin all the best

BigSexy63

thats amazing, if I were anywhere near there I would go, But I'm clear across the states :(

3,000 wow,

[QUOTE="BigSexy63"][QUOTE="zoraluv"]

I Hope you do the protest against them,

there's supposed to be a rally against WBC church.

truthfully thats the only way to stop them, I wish you and the town of joplin all the best

zoraluv

thats amazing, if I were anywhere near there I would go, But I'm clear across the states :(

3,000 wow,

Here's a link.

I actually dont want them to be stopped.

Let them lead the example of how "ugly" homophobia and religious extremism can be.

I actually dont want them to be stopped.

Let them lead the example of how "ugly" homophobia and religious extremism can be.

Teenaged

I actually dont want them to be stopped.

Let them lead the example of how "ugly" homophobia and religious extremism can be.

Teenaged

That is a good point, a lot of fundie religious groups have similiar values to those guys but are just not vocal about it.

when Fred Phelps dies can I go protest at his funeral with a sign saying, "Thank God for the death of Fred Phelps!"

I actually dont want them to be stopped.

Let them lead the example of how "ugly" homophobia and religious extremism can be.

Teenaged

And they can be just as damaging as the original cause of the generalization.

But no, I'm not advocating that they should be stopped. I'm a firm believer in free speech.

Seeing this thread made me think about this video and the top comment for it.

Seriously, there's not much you can do. Best thing to do is ignore them because they're so into their beliefs that nothing you can legally do or say to them will make a difference. Too bad people like them make all religions have a bad name, especially with the people who try to act like they represent ALL Christians.

[QUOTE="BigSexy63"]Yeah, there are plas to stop them, but why can't Law enforcement do it? P.S. How do I make the text white?Theokhoth

[QUOTE="Teenaged"]

I actually dont want them to be stopped.

Let them lead the example of how "ugly" homophobia and religious extremism can be.

mattbbpl

And they can be just as damaging as the original cause of the generalization.

But no, I'm not advocating that they should be stopped. I'm a firm believer in free speech.

I Hope you do the protest against them,

there's supposed to be a rally against WBC church.

truthfully thats the only way to stop them, I wish you and the town of joplin all the best

zoraluv

Counter protesting them doesn't stop them. It's giving them what they want, which is attention. The WBC doesn't protest to look for acceptance from people, they do it for attention. Even acknowledging them is what they want.

most of them are lawyers just a little warning...

ignore them. if there's a chance that giving them attention gives them satisfaction, don't risk feeding their egos.

it is a hard path to tolerate speech and expressions that we don't like and find objectionable. but I think it's the right path.

"if you were to break down every law in England to catch the devil, what would you turn to, to protect yourself, when the devil came after you?": paraphrased from a source I'm too lazy to look up right now.

dont worry people like that always get whats coming to them one day some crazy is going to shoot them all dead probably cant see anyone missing them and even tho the guy would spend the rest of his life in jail he would likely be viewed as a hero by most .snakes_codec

They spout hate, the incite trouble, they hate everyone, they go to funerals and laugh at the people.

But america supports that. Go America.

At least in the Uk there is a law to supress lunatics like this.

They spout hate, the incite trouble, they hate everyone, they go to funerals and laugh at the people.

But america supports that. Go America.

At least in the Uk there is a law to supress lunatics like this.

tenaka2