Marine?s Dad Sues Church For Cheering Son?s Death
New York Times
October 26, 2007
Marine's Father Sues Church For Cheering Son's Death
By Melody Simmons
BALTIMORE, Oct. 25 - Before the March 2006 funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, a marine who was killed in Iraq, protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church, a tiny fundamentalist splinter group, picketed the service with signs that read "God Hates You" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."
Albert Snyder, Corporal Snyder's father, sued the church in United States District Court here, claiming invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Westboro protesters, whose church is in Topeka, Kan., frequently picket the funerals of military officials and soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because church leaders assert that God is killing soldiers to punish America for condoning homosexuality. The lawsuit, which is being tried in Baltimore, is believed to be the first against the church by the family of a fallen serviceman.
Mr. Snyder, who said Westboro members turned his son's funeral in Westminster, Md., into a "media circus," is seeking unspecified damages in the jury trial, which is expected to end next week. In opening statements, his lawyer said church members had shown no regret for the protest, which he said had left Mr. Snyder with depression and health complications from diabetes.
"They wanted their message heard, and they didn't care who they stepped over," Mr. Snyder testified Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. "My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."
Experts say the case is a test of the limits of free speech.
Similar demonstrations by Westboro Baptist Church members have prompted several states, including Maryland, to establish limits on funeral protests.
Ronald K. L. Collins, a scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, said such restrictions pose certain dangers, however. "The dangerous principle here is runaway liability in a way that would put the First Amendment in serious jeopardy," Mr. Collins said. "I dread to think what it would do to political protests in this country if it were allowed the win."
Judge Richard D. Bennett, who is hearing the case, told the nine jurors that there are limits on free speech protection, listing categories that include vulgar, offensive and shocking statements, and instructed jurors to decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous, and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection," according to The A.P.
The church has about 60 members, most of them related to its founder, the Rev. Fred Phelps.
One of Mr. Phelps's 13 children, Shirley Phelps-Roper, a defendant in the case who was one of the protesters at Corporal Snyder's funeral, testified Thursday that she had never met Corporal Snyder and that she would not apologize for the demonstration.
"We preach to the living to connect the dots to the parents of the dead child," Ms. Phelps-Roper testified. "He's fighting for a nation who has made God a No. 1 enemy."
October 26, 2007
Marine's Father Sues Church For Cheering Son's Death
By Melody Simmons
BALTIMORE, Oct. 25 - Before the March 2006 funeral for Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder, a marine who was killed in Iraq, protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church, a tiny fundamentalist splinter group, picketed the service with signs that read "God Hates You" and "Thank God for Dead Soldiers."
Albert Snyder, Corporal Snyder's father, sued the church in United States District Court here, claiming invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The Westboro protesters, whose church is in Topeka, Kan., frequently picket the funerals of military officials and soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan because church leaders assert that God is killing soldiers to punish America for condoning homosexuality. The lawsuit, which is being tried in Baltimore, is believed to be the first against the church by the family of a fallen serviceman.
Mr. Snyder, who said Westboro members turned his son's funeral in Westminster, Md., into a "media circus," is seeking unspecified damages in the jury trial, which is expected to end next week. In opening statements, his lawyer said church members had shown no regret for the protest, which he said had left Mr. Snyder with depression and health complications from diabetes.
"They wanted their message heard, and they didn't care who they stepped over," Mr. Snyder testified Wednesday, according to The Associated Press. "My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."
Experts say the case is a test of the limits of free speech.
Similar demonstrations by Westboro Baptist Church members have prompted several states, including Maryland, to establish limits on funeral protests.
Ronald K. L. Collins, a scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, said such restrictions pose certain dangers, however. "The dangerous principle here is runaway liability in a way that would put the First Amendment in serious jeopardy," Mr. Collins said. "I dread to think what it would do to political protests in this country if it were allowed the win."
Judge Richard D. Bennett, who is hearing the case, told the nine jurors that there are limits on free speech protection, listing categories that include vulgar, offensive and shocking statements, and instructed jurors to decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous, and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection," according to The A.P.
The church has about 60 members, most of them related to its founder, the Rev. Fred Phelps.
One of Mr. Phelps's 13 children, Shirley Phelps-Roper, a defendant in the case who was one of the protesters at Corporal Snyder's funeral, testified Thursday that she had never met Corporal Snyder and that she would not apologize for the demonstration.
"We preach to the living to connect the dots to the parents of the dead child," Ms. Phelps-Roper testified. "He's fighting for a nation who has made God a No. 1 enemy."
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Wow, what a bunch of screwed up nutty bars. They call themselves Christians? God help them. 0 -
i would shoot everyone of them if it where my son, and have no problem doing it 0 -
That is probably one of the most disgusting things I have ever heard. 0 -
Westboro has been doing nutty things for a long time. I don't know what Bible they're reading to come up with such nonsense. They and groups like them are the reason the media puts Christians in the same pool with radical Muslims.
They just don't get the whole "love your neighbor" thing.0 -
This family/church has been pulling crap like this for about 15 years ... from what I remember they got started by protesting against gays that hung around a local park ... at night. From there it just escalated.
Several people tried to sue them but it never got anywhere ... eventually the police, city, county and state courts just turned a blind eye to them just to avoid giving them free publicity.
Since they are a family of lawyers they can keep courts tied up at virtually no expense ... plus if anyone attacks them they get sued which, from what I understand, funds their disgusting activities.
I'm really amazed that some gay person, or family member of a gay or soldier hasn't taken this family out ... perhaps it has something to do with the way they shield themselves with their children.
IMHO there really is no limit to how despicable they can be.0 -
I rode with the PGR at that funeral. 0 -
Yea, pretty bad deal. I ride when I can with the PGR and have seen a few of them (looney luns). Usually fly in and rent a van or 2. So far, at least the ones I've been to, they really haven't got close to the families. Indiana has a law on how close they can be to the cemetary. Remember, they want to be attacked so they can sue and they will, more likely than not, win. 0 -
If the family of that Marine needs a few bucks to go towards an attorney to sue these poor imitations of human beings... Yeah, count me in. 0 -
President Bush signed an act prohibiting demonstrations at military funerals and many States followed thru with similiar legislation. This fruit cake had it overturned by a State court and ruled unconstitutional last year.
He's by no means stupid. He knows how to manipulate courts.0 -
quote:Originally posted by SW 357Mag
Wow, what a bunch of screwed up nutty bars. They call themselves Christians? God help them.
They call themselves Baptists. From what I have seen it is questionable whether Baptists are anything but a cult.0 -
I hope he sues them into bankruptcy!![:(!]
That isn't my christianity. Bad apples...[V]0 -
quote:Originally posted by jpwolf
I hope he sues them into bankruptcy!![:(!]
That isn't my christianity. Bad apples...[V]
Your Christianity welcomes practicing fags?[;)]0 -
Ya know....I get full of rage everytime I read about these guys...Im seriously hoping they come here so I can make sure that in the future I can picket the funeral of one of their own... 0 -
quote:Ronald K. L. Collins, a scholar at the First Amendment Center in Washington, said such restrictions pose certain dangers, however. "The dangerous principle here is runaway liability in a way that would put the First Amendment in serious jeopardy,"
gee why dont they think of that when it is in reference to the second instead of just protecting their own nut cases?0
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