Jonesboro Church at WSU

**Kell31** · November-18-10, 09:21 AM

http://www.macombdaily.com/articles/...ewmode=default

These idiots are here now protesting. I get free speech but hate speech is a bit much.

**econ expat** · November-18-10, 02:07 PM

Westboro protesters face jeers and slashed tires

Members of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., drive on two flat tires Saturday after protesting outside the funeral of Army Sgt. Jason James McCluskey in McAlester. CORY YOUNG / Tulsa World

By MANNY GAMALLO World Staff Writer
Published: 11/14/2010 2:30 AM
Last Modified: 11/14/2010 8:12 AM

Related Story: McAlester soldier mourned
McALESTER - Members of a Kansas church that protests at military funerals may have found themselves in the wrong town Saturday.

Shortly after finishing their protest at the funeral of Army Sgt. Jason James McCluskey of McAlester, a half-dozen protesters from Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., headed to their minivan, only to discover that its front and rear passenger-side tires had been slashed.

To make matters worse, as their minivan slowly hobbled away on two flat tires, with a McAlester police car following behind, the protesters were unable to find anyone in town who would repair their vehicle, according to police.

The minivan finally pulled over several blocks away in a shopping center parking lot, where AAA was called. A flatbed service truck arrived and loaded up the minivan. Assistant Police Chief Darrell Miller said the minivan was taken to Walmart for repairs.

Even before the protesters discovered their damaged tires, they faced off with a massive crowd of jeering and taunting counterprotesters at Third Street and Washington Avenue, two blocks from the First Baptist Church, where the soldier's funeral was held.

Miller estimated that crowd to number nearly 1,000 people, and they not only drowned out the
Westboro protesters with jeers, but with raucous chants of "USA, USA."

A few motorcyclists interspersed among the crowd also revved up their engines to muffle the protests.

More than two dozen law-enforcement officers - state troopers, sheriff's deputies and city police - formed a security cordon around the Westboro protesters.

"We're here to protect everyone," Miller said.

Westboro members picket military funerals across the country, spreading their message that "God hates America" because it tolerates homosexuality.

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/artic...2_CUTLIN105145

Idiots, indeed. And sick ones, to demonstrate at a time of grief for a family and community.

Check out another news story from the same funeral, hard to picture that boy seeing those protesters at his father's funeral. : http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/artic...1_ULNSaG512051

**belleislerunner** · November-18-10, 02:52 PM

Who then would determine what constitutes hate speech? Just because one doesn't agree with the views, or even finds them offensive, doesn't mean they should be banned. Hate speech should be protected, assuming it doesn't specifically incite physical violence, which is generally how the SCOTUS has ruled. Echoing the words of Voltaire: "I may not agree with what you say; but I will defend till my death your right to say it." Don't like what Phelps or anyone else says - don't listen and certainly don't give him media attention. If no outlets reported him, he'd quickly dissipate.

**Johnlodge** · November-18-10, 02:55 PM

Ignore these people. This is a scam, they phish for lawsuits. Yeah, slash their tires, or better yet, throw a punch. That's what they're looking for. Phelps is a disbarred attorney and has several attorneys in his clan. Those business that refused to fix their tire? Seems great, makes me laugh, but won't be surprised if they're sued too.

One of my friends was at the counter-protest at Wayne State. OK, they had fun, made funny, crazy signs, I guess that's fine, but it still gives them more attention than they deserve.

**econ expat** · November-18-10, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by Johnlodge

Ignore these people. This is a scam, they phish for lawsuits. Yeah, slash their tires, or better yet, throw a punch. That's what they're looking for. Phelps is a disbarred attorney and has several attorneys in his clan. Those business that refused to fix their tire? Seems great, makes me laugh, but won't be surprised if they're sued too.

One of my friends was at the counter-protest at Wayne State. OK, they had fun, made funny, crazy signs, I guess that's fine, but it still gives them more attention than they deserve.

It would be hard to ignore a protest like that, but what else can you do?
We used to point and laugh at the Nazis/skinheads protest gatherings, that's exactly what they deserved [[If they can spout off, we can certainly point and laugh in the name of free speech)

Alas, a funeral is no place to point and laugh, so ignoring em' is the next option.

**Jimaz** · November-18-10, 07:46 PM

Kan. Church Plans To Picket Child Funerals

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church said they want revenge after someone slashed the tires on their van during visit to protest a military funeral in McAlester. The group said it plans to now target funerals for Oklahoma children.

**shovelhead** · November-18-10, 08:08 PM

The have the right of protesting, but common decency should preclude their protests at a funeral.

Maybe they should take their protests and silly-assed demonstration to Washington D.C. on Memorial Day and start this at the Vietnam Memorial.

Just sayin'........

**1KielsonDrive** · November-18-10, 08:17 PM

Don't even bother with them other than to go and laugh at them. At the outset they were shocking, now they're just plain silly and pitiful. Nothing can be as stupid and funny, in a most pitiful way, as people this stupid and ignorant.

**Fnemecek** · November-18-10, 11:32 PM

They were also at the Islamic Center of America to protest Islam as a religion this morning. [[It's on the Dearborn side of the border, but right on the border with Detroit.)

I don't know about the WSU protest, but the Dearborn one had dramatically more counter-protesters than protesters.

Video from the Dearborn protest is @ http://warrendale.blogspot.com/2010/...-comes-to.html if you're interested.

**Gistok** · November-19-10, 12:23 AM

Michael Moore took his Sodom Mobile to the Westboro Baptist Church a few years ago...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra_fAYl4Th4

**justanotherboy** · November-19-10, 09:13 AM

The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic. [...] The question in every case is whether the words used are used in such circumstances and are of such a nature as to create a clear and present danger that they will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a right to prevent.

You can never prove that Westoboro's sincerely held religious beliefs are false, repugnant as they may be. Religous speech in and of itself will always be protected.

**Frumoasa** · November-23-10, 07:39 PM

I work at an organization affiliated with the ICA and many families bringing their kids to school [[there are 2 schools on Altar Rd) were appalled. The kids were asking their teachers why these people hate them and why they would say these things. It was utterly horrible because they were there at 8 am when the kids were coming to school. Freedom of speech is fine, but try explaining that to a 7 year old who wants to know why "God hates them."