After members of Reverend Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated at the funeral of Lance Corporal Matthew Snyder his father was justifiably upset. But Albert Snyder didn’t just get mad - he got even:
A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.
Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania., sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.
The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.
U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages “far exceeds the net worth of the defendants,” according to financial statements filed with the court.
That’s a shame. A real shame. Couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of cretins.
More:
Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.
The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation’s tolerance of homosexuality.
Their attorneys argued in closing statements Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.
Earlier this year a young Marine who lived in the next town up the road from me was killed overseas and Phelps’ church was planning to bring their traveling show down to Texas to “protest” there. The next thing you know cars from Kansas were driving around town, scoping things out. Just as quickly the rumor mill in this little town was churning and axe handles were suddenly in short supply at the local feed store.
Luckily, they decided to call it off and vanished without a word. The boy’s funeral was held in peace and no blood was spilled.
Snyder’s victory, though perhaps temporary, is a win for common sense and decency. The question of free speech is an important one. Any legal experts out there care to weigh in on whether the verdict will be overturned?
As for the religious angle, all I can say is that Phelps doesn’t represent any branch of Christianity that I’m familiar with or willing to acknowledge as legitimate.
h/t memeorandum
[...] Lawsuit May Bankrupt Phelps’ “Church” [...]
This is the same “person” who regularly protests a college in his hometown because they admit gay students. I was on the Washburn U campus during one of his protests many years ago, he didn’t change anybody’s mind and he just made a fool of himself.
I’m glad the father won the suit, the right to free speech can and should be limited in time, place and manner.
The Phelps people still have the right to say whatever they want. They do not, however, have the right to say it whereever or whenever they want. Freedom of speech allows for reasonable regulation regarding the time, place, and manner of the speech. The only thing that cannot be regulated is content.
The outcome of this lawsuit would appear to be fully compatible with the First Amendment.
Seize the church and turn it into a gay outreach center. Fred Phelps is a pimple on the *ss of humanity.
Sadly this particular leprous boil on the ass of humanity (which really is far too kind a description) is in my neck of the woods, and I’ve been familiar with his presence for far too long, even had the extremely dubious honor of his presence. He and his hive-brood deserve pretty much anything that happens to them. I keep praying for lightning, but they don’t go out in bad weather. Wonder why?
Seize the church and turn it into a gay outreach center.
I really REALLY like that suggestion. Unfortunately it would encourage them. Then again, absolutely everything does, so why not?
Earlier this year a young Marine who lived in the next town up the road from me was killed overseas and Phelps’ church was planning to bring their traveling show down to Texas to “protest” there. The next thing you know cars from Kansas were driving around town, scoping things out. Just as quickly the rumor mill in this little town was churning and axe handles were suddenly in short supply at the local feed store.
Some of those cars from Kansas may not have been what you think. In the future, just call the Patriot Guard Riders, of which I am a proud member despite not having or riding a motorcycle. (You can be one too.) It is no coincidence at all that it was founded a few miles from where I live, here in close reach of the Westboro scum. With any advance notice at all and the invitation of the family, the PGR will turn out in force (non-violently) to keep scum like the Westboro brood from disrupting military funerals, by shielding the families so they can neither see nor here the [plural obsecenity deleted].
I have been on several missions with the PGR. If you ever have ANY doubt in your mind that Americans love and revere their men and women in uniform and honor their sacrifices, go on a PGR mission, and you will never doubt again.
Pardon me, a correction. The sentence “He and his hive-brood deserve pretty much anything that happens to them.” should read “He and his hive-brood deserve pretty much anything BAD that happens to them.”
Funny you should mention the Patriot Guard, Tully.
Outside the church in Bedias where Twitty was eulogized, the Patriot Guards stood in 93 degree heat mixed with humidity for two hours without wavering, symbolizing how Twitty stood up for his country–strong.
More:
Seems to me that’s the way to treat a man who died defending our country.
The first time I went out with the PGR, it was to a town of about 12000. I’m a fairly good crowd counter. On top of the PGR people, there were at least 5000 people making sure that the scumpuppies were never seen nor heard by the family. That’s a conservative count–it could easily have been 25-50% more and was certainly no less. They couldn’t get close. Around both the cemetery and the church, and along every inch of the route between, every time they tried to get visible, the crowd in front of them got radically more dense. The “weapon” of choice is the 4*6 American flag. GREAT screens.
This spring, at another service for a small-town soldier, so many people showed up from everywhere that the entire 20+ mile route between church and cemetery had people on it. The Westboro scum never showed up. There was nowhere left to park along that whole stretch anyway.
That massive public rejection of the scumpuppies humbles me every time.
As a gay man, I am glad when Westboro takes any humiliation, but I do wonder about this. I’d hate to see Iraq War protestors get hit with the same thing.
It’s not the speech we like that needs protecting…it’s the Phelps kind of speech that need protecting. No matter how vile and evil it may be.
On another note, I don’t know how old Phred is or what his health is like…but he’s going to have a funeral someday, too. Wouldn’t it be great if people from all over, in the hundreds showed up at his funeral and held signs that said “We forgive you, Fred”?
It would show what Christianity is all about.
Tim, well said in your last paragraph.
I would think that there are privacy issues that can be invoked for things like military funerals. As odious as the Westboro pimps are and factoring in their intellectually dubious connection of casualties to America’s sin, we can figure out that they only care about the publicity generated from their insensitivity to grieving families. That privacy should protect the families from war protesters as well. No good is served by exploiting some else’s grief to serve one’s own agenda. Military funerals should be as private or as public as the families desire and the rest of us, with whatever personal agendas we may have, should honer their loss and butt out.
As for Phelps; as a Christian I would love to be at the sheriff sale of his church and see it bought by a real Godly community that understands love and mercy as well as judgement.
Anti-gay protestors mess up a lot more than funerals. I remember going to an event in San Francisco with my youth ministry (I’m a youth pastor), and these guys camped out in front of AT&T Park with hateful anti-gay messages (or, at least, messages that I don’t think are in line with the teachings of Christ). Anyway, it was tough for me to keep my temper down because I was appalled at the shameless opportunism of this group, trying to taint what would have otherwise been considered a very positive event, encouraging kids to be agents of positive change in the world.
I wish I could completely agree with this statement, but I can’t: “Phelps doesn’t represent any branch of Christianity that I’m familiar with or willing to acknowledge as legitimate.”
Although I definitely DON’T consider any branch of Christianity that is seething with hate to be legitimate, I am unfortunately all too familiar with those kinds of people.
Man. I just wish Christians would try to act like Jesus. That’s all I’m trying to do.
thank God.
I am a fervernt supporter of our constitution and all it encompasses, what I don’t believe is phelps right to protest overrides the families right to their freedom of religious practice. Phelps seems to think that his rights are the only rights, happily , as we’ve seen today, he is wrong. Whether or not the award will stand is beside the point I think, keeping him in court defending is hateful rhetoric will hopefully keep him steppin’ and fetchin’ for years to com. What would be great would be for his church to be purchased by a group a gay/lesbian Jews!
I hope more folks like the PG will continue to protect those families who are trying to bury their dead, and our heros .
Ric
This Phelps guy needs to get a real job, the guy sounds like a megalomaniac to me. He is in it for his own self agrandissement. You wait, like many other pompous fools that pull the same kind of nonsense, he, himself is probably gayand/or uses male “escorts” and/or solicits prostitutes.
All of which is okay with me, cept when you rail against it as some kind of immorality.
[...] marc moore Made an interesting post today on mvdg.wordpress.comThe first paragraph is here: [...]
These religious freaks just need to be marginalized. They are so insincere with this “church” talk. What kind of church going person with a modicum of understanding of Jesus’ teachings would ever hold up a sign saying “God hates Fags”.. If there is a hell, these idiots will have a special place waiting. These people should just go and practice their bastard form of religion or whatever it is they do and just shut the hell up. Nobody wants to hear their nonsense. Hopefully this will put them out of business.
- Lake
usversusthem.wordpress.com
[...] Lawsuit May Bankrupt Phelps’ “Church” [image] After members of Reverend Fred Phelps’ Westboro Baptist Church demonstrated at the funeral of Lance […] [...]
[...] with the fact that Phelps and his church are awful people. But as is mentioned in the end of this post there are real free speech issues here. Abhorrent speech is often protected on the first amendment [...]
The Phelps clan can go drown in my crocodile tears. Thank you for this post.
[...] the fascist killer (same person) told me about the best story that has been in the news lately: Reverend Phelps’ ̵…. Interestingly, this is widely reported in international newspapers but not in the U.S. Does anyone [...]
[...] It would just break my tiny little heart if Fred Phelps had to take up an honest line of work like crash-test dummy, cosmetic testing rabbit, or Mike Tyson’s heavy bag because the father of a slain veteran finally beat him down in court. [...]
Bahahahaha, good one to the poster of #21 Crash test dummy, thats good!
Jesus christ I thought that this was a free country why do not you let Westbero baptist church have there freedom of speech I they are in the right some one has to preach the truth
@freedom - quoting Jason above: “The Phelps people still have the right to say whatever they want. They do not, however, have the right to say it whereever or whenever they want.”
Phelps’ freedom to speak doesn’t imply that listeners are obligated to accept his words as valid.
Most people, it seems, reject his pathology.
I am not typically a vengeful or angry human being, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t hope that Phelps dies penniless and alone of some very painful mutation of a tropical disease.
Really good and really interesting post. I expect (and other readers maybe :)) new useful posts from you!
Good luck and successes in blogging!