Westboro Baptist Church

Improved Essays
The Westboro Baptist Church is arguably a radical hate group who vehemently protests gay rights. Their presence disrupts the peace by inciting riots and violence, their protests can be seen as bullying or harassment, they are discourteous to the sanctity of a funeral and indifferent to the suffering of others. Therefore, this church and its followers should not be able to protest at service members’ funerals. This group is well known for its peaceful picketing of funerals that seem to respect the boundaries set up by law enforcements. However, they are not completely peaceful as their barrage of demeaning, threatening, and treasonous words creates a stir in the public that can be categorized as starting a fight or riot. In 2003, a man holding …show more content…
The behavior is repeated...over time,” (Bullying). Types of bullying include embarrassing someone in public, taunting, teasing, and name calling. Over a matter of years the Westboro Baptist Church has bullied gays, lesbians, soldiers, the US, and other countries. Through bullying and verbal abuse this group has emotionally distressed and hurt others purposefully in ways that should not be tolerable to the law. Many people think that words can’t harm others. They are right in thinking that they can’t hurt physically, but the marks left mentally lead to even worse outcomes. Humans feel the need to release their thoughts or whatever may be plaguing their minds. Those who can’t find that release become unstable and are more likely to harm either themselves or others. In an article by Daily Mail, Brittany Murphy’s death brought on member of the church to question their morale. The woman later read an article about a famine in Africa and starving children and cried over it. Later she saw a post on Twitter saying, “Thank God for famine in East Africa! God is longsuffering and patient, but he repays the wicked!” (Ollie). Eventually, she couldn’t handle it anymore and left the church. Due to their repeated and targeted acts of unwanted verbal abuse, bullying, and public embarrassment to funeral goers, the church could be charged with criminal harassment. “Criminal …show more content…
Phelps the supreme court discussed whether or not the Westboro Baptist Church had the right to protest at funerals or not. They decided in an 8-1 vote, “that the First Amendment shields those who stage a protest at the funeral of a military service member from liability,” (Snyder). It’s right that these church members should be able to exercise their right in protesting whatever they please. However, these protests can be taken as harassment, violent, and public embarrassment. Soldiers died for their right to use their first amendment right and they don’t have the decency to let their family members mourn in peace. They say it is for a better cause and that they are only looking out for everyone. Why is it that everyone around them is crying and yelling back at them? They do this as it is a part of their religion and they see that funerals are wrong and that God is paying the human race back for tolerance of gays. That is fine as it’s a part of their opinion. It’s not acceptable to throw the deaths of loved ones and those who fight to protect America in the faces of their family and taunt them with praises for their death. Those people are mourning in that very moment, they are depressed, weakened, and emotionally hurt. It is the government’s job to protect people who are hurting; they should feel obligated to help fallen soldiers instead of those who are screaming profanity and insult at anyone who doesn’t agree with their ideas. The honor and

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The first amendment of the Bill of Rights states that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. " This entire amendment can be seen changed in the story, but the freedom of speech is something that has been taken away. People were not able to speak their mind since the majority of citizens have a hard time even keeping a thought due to implants in their ears.. The one time freedom of speech was shown in this story, the person who spoke up was shot and killed to maintain peace and…

    • 514 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    However, the Supreme Court thought differently. In the case Snyder v. Phelps, the Supreme court ruled 8-1, in favor of Westboro Baptists. Hate speech is protected under the first amendment. Even after the ruling, Albert Snyder believes “everyone deserves to be buried in peace”. I agree with Snyder.…

    • 419 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Occupy Denver Eric Brandt is a white male in his late forties. He is 5’8” and 200 pounds, dressed in black shorts and a yellow shirt, with black font on it that reads “Fuck Bad Cops.” He is single and homeless. Eric is a former U.S Navy nuclear engineer. He has been to many countries and speaks four languages.…

    • 1132 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Lgbtq Persuasive Speech

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages

    On October 7, 1998, Matthew Shepard, a gay 21-year-old college student, was abducted by two men who took him to a remote area, tied him to a fence, severely beat him with the butt of a pistol, and left him to die in the cold of the night. Matthew Shepard’s death became one of the most notorious anti-gay hate crimes in America, and 18 years later, it wasn’t the last. June 12, 2016 brought upon a new era of anti-gay hate crimes when 49 people were killed and 53 were injured in the Orlando night club shooting. Following the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held in Salt Lake City to mourn the tragic loss of lives. At the vigil, Republican Utah Lt. Governor Spencer Cox delivered a speech addressing his personal thoughts on the act of hate that…

    • 1354 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Phelps, members of the Westboro Baptist Church picketed near the church of a deceased solider. The father of the deceased solider sued the members of the Westboro Baptist Church for IIED and other torts. The picketer’s signs were making statements like “Thank God for Dead Soldiers”, “God Hate Fags” and “You’re Going to Hell” (pg.319). Snyder, the dead solider, believed that the picket signs was made towards his son. The Westboro Baptist Church picket signs was protected by the first amendment.…

    • 401 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Todd Beer states that 50.9% of Caucasian citizens have been killed by law enforcement, and 26.5% of African Americans have been also killed by law enforcement, in the year of 2015-2016 in America. Fellow Americans, many of us think about the protests around America with the subject of “Black Lives Matter”, citizens started these protests for the fact of showing that police violence needed to stop against unarmed African Americans. With the protest and the investigations on the violence between law enforcement and the African American citizens many are saying that Caucasian police officers shoot African Americans more than any race, but it has been proven that African American police officers have been known to shoot at African Americans as…

    • 1038 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Trayvon Martin was a 17-year-old boy who was walking back to his father’s house when he was gunned down by George Zimmerman, who thought the Martin looked “suspicious.” Zimmerman wasn’t charged for his actions. This is said to be what sparked the movement, Black Lives Matter. Black Lives Matter is about fighting for the lives of African-Americans, and getting justice for those they have lost.…

    • 265 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    The first article talks about the Muslim Protest in Phoenix. Jon Ritzheimer wanted to make a rally and protest for an event that happened. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi were to shoot a guard in a muslim rally. Jon says people can bring flags for the rally and apply their second amendment to be safe. And they cannot build mosques in America.…

    • 350 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The United States is trying to make it so that burning the flag is criminal behavior, to the point where you can be punished, but what they need to understand is speech Limiting the freedoms of the bill of right does not make us more patriotic, but threatens our core belief system. Limiting the freedoms of the bill of right does not make us more patriotic, but threatens our core belief system, and lastly Our democracy is strong because we tolerate all peaceful forms of expression, no matter how uncomfortable they make us feel or how much we disagree. Initially, people dislike the idea of others disrespecting the nation when they do these acts, but contrary to that belief they are not disrespecting the nation at all. Instead they are respecting…

    • 1176 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    What Are Offensive Signs?

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages

    1. On June 23, 2015 five appellants in Kansas City, Missouri were arrested for peacefully exercising their freedom of speech by holding informational signs about the war in Afghanistan. They were abiding by all state and local statues including the city’s loitering ordinance that states it is “unlawful for any person to . . . stand . . . either alone or in concert with others in a public place in such a manner so as to obstruct any public street, public highway . . .…

    • 775 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Supreme Court's ruling in Snyder v. Phelps was fair because they are protected by freedom of speech, it was a peaceful protest, and because they weren't right next to the funeral. One reason why this ruling was fair was because the protesters were protected by freedom of speech. In the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution, it states that people have the right to express their thoughts freely. No matter what pain or grief they were causing towards Snyder, they were still under the protection of the freedom of speech. Another reason why this ruling was fair was because it was a peaceful protest.…

    • 258 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    1. Briefly summarize the content of the lecture and the highlights of the Q&A session (if any) Pastor Russ Robinson and a member of his congregation, Dr. Eula Monroe gave a lecture about the foundation, practices and defining characteristics of the Southern Baptist church. Pastor Robinson used many scripture references from the New Testament to support his statements while Dr. Monroe shared personal experiences and testimony of her faith. They largely emphasized eight specific features of the Baptist church.…

    • 672 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    day February 3, 2017, twenty-seven year old Alton Edmond; who handles misdemeanor division cases for the agency showed support for a Black Lives Matter Tie. For this cause, he was escorted from his job by two armed investigators. For complaining online about what he believes is an overtly political atmosphere at the Brevard County public defender’s office. This controversial organization is a loosely organized grassroots effort that highlights systemic disenfranchisement and shooting is involved by the police. Alton was supporting as an attorney who represents poor clients.…

    • 191 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Tileak Spears Case 2 The KKK should not be allowed to burn a cross in a public park in a black neighborhood So i think it is not right to burn a cross in a public park in a black neighborhood because yeah…

    • 383 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Hundreds of Christians in Belle Plaine, Minnesota gathered for a prayer rally on July 15 to protest against a Satanic monument that has been approved for installation at the Veterans Memorial Park’s “Free Speech Zone.” For the representatives of the Left Hand Path, a group in Minnesota which includes Satanists, the upcoming Satanic monument symbolizes their freedom. Group member Koren Walsh said Belle Plaine will now have space for all kinds of faith, CBS Local relays.…

    • 383 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays