Say Whatever You Want

Grief strikes the families at military funerals everywhere, but who would have though that hateful homosexuality protests would be allowed to strike as well? On Wednesday, March 2, 2011, The Supreme Court ruled that it was more important to protect the First Amendment than to protect the mourning people at military funerals. As many people may know, there have been hateful protests executed at military funerals because the people of Westboro Baptist Church believe that God is punishing America for its stance on homosexuality.

While I believe these protests to be WILDLY inappropriate, I believe that the Supreme Court did the right thing.

The protests at funerals are not only a disrespect paid to the memory of someone who gave their life for their country, but it is also very inconsiderate to those who are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Westboro Baptist's protests are a terrible display of the love that Christians should be showing and they give Christians a bad reputation. I do not support what they are doing in any way.

That being said, I do however believe that the Supreme Court has done the right thing in allowing it because it corresponds with everything that the First Amendment, the freedom of speech, stands for. People should be able to express themselves in whatever way they chose. I would want the courtesy extended to me to protest what I believe in, so they should be given theirs. It is not fair for the government to say that one protest is any more protected by the First Amendment than another.

While I am glad that the Supreme court has allowed us this freedom of speech in whatever the circumstances, I wish the people of Westboro Baptist Church would be reprimanded for being anti-American.

Shonette Reed, from my Foundations of Journalism of class, agrees. Reed believes that while she believes that it is the freedom of speech, they should be stopped by violating some other sort of law, though she is not really sure of which one they would be violating. Either way, Reed says that freedom of speech is right, Westboro Baptist is wrong, and the way in which this situation has been handled is very contradictory regarding the Christian faith.