After Matthew Snyder, a U.S. Marine, was killed in Anbar province in Iraq in 2006, some uninvited guests showed up at his funeral at St. John's Catholic Church in Westminster, Md. The Rev. Fred W. Phelps Sr. of the Westboro Baptist Church and several family members came from Kansas holding signs reading "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "God Hates Fags" and "You're Going to Hell."

There is no question it was hateful stuff. Phelps' self-styled church preaches that God is punishing America because of its tolerance for homosexuality, especially in the military. The Phelps family makes its point by holding protests at military funerals. The Phelpses also posted an "epic poem" online entitled "The Burden of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder," which, among other things, says to his parents, "you raised him for the devil." (See "Should Bigoted Speech Be Free? A Debate in Britain.")

Snyder's father, Albert Snyder, sued. He said that the protests, at the funeral of his only son, made him violently ill. He prevailed on his claims of invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress and won a large damage award, but that ruling was reversed on appeal.

Next week, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in the case. As the court begins its term - the traditional first Monday in October - the Phelps case is only one of several important ones on the docket. In Schwarzenegger v. Entertainment Merchants Association, the Justices will consider whether a California law banning the sale of violent video games to minors violates the First Amendment. In NASA v. Nelson, the court will weigh whether government workers have a constitutional right not to answer personal questions asked by their employers. There are also significant sex-discrimination and citizenship cases.


read more at : http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/08599202222000;_ylt=AhEZu9XBi77OfYGvazSsclNH2ocA;_ylu=X3oDMTJxNXQyczE5BGFzc2V0Ay9zL3RpbWUvMDg1OTkyMDIyMjIwMDAEY2NvZGUDcmFuZG9tBGNwb3MDNgRwb3MDNgRzZWMDeW5fdG9wX3N0b3JpZXMEc2xrA3BoZWxwc3ZzbnlkZQ--

How about a big fat No?

Once you start censoring, it never stops and labeling what is hate speech what isn't will not be but the lawyers and the governments' decision.

At the end of the day, saying things like "Obama is a marxist" or "Bush is a killer" will be labeled as "hate speech" and there you go, people going to jail for voicing their opinion.

I usually go like, whatever I don't like , I voice my counter opinion. It's up to the people to decide with their attention and favor what is right or wrong, not governments and lawyers.

Nope, much as I don't like Phelps and his views, I don't believe in censoring what he says.

Atlantis is right, who gets to decide what is and isn't okay to say.

I have MAJOR issues with banned books, especially in schools. Kids should be monitored by their parents, and the parents need to be involved with what they want their children to read. Don't take those books away from everyone just because someone has a problem with it.

freedom of speech is fine with me, but depending on what you say the results may very

NO!! Everybody is entitled tho their opinion. At the same time, you're entitled not to listen to it!

No censorship

I think preventing people from expressing their own opinion is wrong.Everyone has a right to their own opinion.Many people have often said it would be good to shut up the KKK because it is hate speech.If we started doing that the gay mafia would say the Christian churches are spewing hate towards the homosexuals and they would be banned.It turns into a slippery slope.Pretty soon everyone will be offended by someone or something and want it banned.


I thought that judges decision to let those Demons masquerading as a church to keep protesting military funerals was a horrible descision.They are harassing and intimidating a bunch of people in the worst possible way.You should have the right to free speech until you are causing someone emotional distress and grief which could lead to violence and death.

Protesting at funerals is very low class and disgusting to me but in order to censure them we would have to sign away quite a few of our own freedoms. So no.

well, i would say the marines family and friends should be free to go over and beat the hell out them too, then...
i know i woulda...free or not...

You cant just censor one or a few....it would have to be everybody.
You give the govt. any more authority, and they'll take much more than you're willing to give.

So no, dont give them anything.