Rev. Fred Phelps and his extended family who make up the Westboro Baptist Church are no strangers to controversy. In fact, whenever one of them speaks of their deeds, it's as if they revel in being abhorred by the general public. Perhaps most well-known for brandishing signs with phrases such as "God Hates Fags," "Thank God For 9/11," and "Thank God For Dead Soldiers" it is easy to see why this small organization of about seventy people has many raising the question of whether or not certain acts of public demonstration go too far. The actions that have earned them the most notoriety are picketing with said signs at the funerals of soldiers, homosexuals, and most recently the funeral of famous heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio, who passed away in May from stomach cancer.
The question of whether or not the organization has the right to picket funerals as family members grieve and say their last goodbyes to their loved ones is a deeply polarizing one. Some argue that the Westboro Baptist Church has the right to freedom of speech, as guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution, while others say that Phelps' actions infringe on the privacy of the families that his organization chooses to protest. Albert Snyder of Maryland is taking his quest to stop Phelps' protesting to the Supreme Court after the funeral of 20-year old Lance-Cpl. Matthew Snyder, the mans son, was picketed by members of the Westboro Baptist Church. After suing the organization, a Baltimore jury awarded Albert Snyder ten million dollars in damages. The ruling of the case was later reversed by a panel of judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals of Richmond, ruling that Phelps speech was protected under the Constitution.
As deplorable as the actions of the WBC members actions are, the implications of this case are troubling. It is easy to say that the courts should make exceptions for certain types of speech, particularly the kind of inflammatory speech that Phelps and his organization...