Monday - June 05, 2006

Marine’s Father Sues Westboro Baptist Church

Hit them where it hurts - in the pocketbook. Sure, as the witch says in the quote below, they have freedom of speech. However, if that speech is abusive, harassing and/or demeaning, it will cost you. I would dearly love to be on the jury for this trial. I think damages in the $10 billion range is sufficient - and while we’re at it, when is someone going to investigate where Phelps and his crew get their money from?

How can they afford to travel all over the country harassing decent people unless there is some big money backing them. If anybody has any information on the source of their funding, I’d sure like to hear about it. In the meantime, I am requesting all members (and readers) here contact Mr. Snyder and give him your support in whatever way you can. It’s time to bring these spawn of Satan to account for their actions and words.

Marine’s Father Sues Funeral Protesters
_{June 5, 2006, 3:30 PM EDT}

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) - The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters from a fundamentalist Kansas church filed an invasion-of-privacy suit against the demonstrators Monday.

It is believed to be the first lawsuit brought by a soldier’s family against Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., whose members routinely demonstrate at military funerals around the country.

Albert Snyder of York, Pa., the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder (pictured at right), is seeking unspecified damages. The younger Snyder, 20, died March 3 after an accident in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He was buried in Westminster, Md.

“We think it’s a case we can win because anyone’s funeral is private,” Snyder lawyer Sean Summers said. “You don’t have a right to interrupt someone’s private funeral.”

Members of Westboro say the military deaths in Iraq are God’s punishment for America’s tolerance of gays. They typically carry signs with slogans such as “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for IEDs,” a reference to the roadside bombs used by insurgents.

The church has inspired dozens of state laws banning funeral protests, including a Maryland law that did not go into effect until after Snyder’s memorial.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for the small congregation, said it is the first time Westboro has been sued by a soldier’s family. “We were exercising our First Amendment rights,” she said.

- View a copy of the complaint (PDF) here ...

- Read about Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder here ...

- Visit the Snyder Family’s website here ...

- If you really insist, you can view Reverend Phelps hate-filled web site here ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 06/05/2006 at 04:03 PM   
Filed Under: • Judges-Courts-Lawyers • Military • Stoopid-People •  
• Comments (10) • Trackbacks(4)  Permalink •  

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It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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