Is it their right to protest, or is it an invasion of privacy?

cinredzfan47

It may be covered under freedom of speech, but they are doing it at the wrong venue. It is disrespectful and tasteless. How do they know these fallen soldiers necessarilly agreed with what was going on in the Iraq War? These people have their rights, but they should not take it to a funeral. They are flat out horrible human beings, there is no other way of looking at it. I don't usually use that term loosely, but these are just horrible people. They need to learn when they've taken their fucking protest too far. Whether you agree with the war, those soldiers still put their asses on the line to protect the people who are protesting. These protesters absolutely disgust me. Hate the war, not the soldier.

morepeopleshouldsing

I hate to lie in the gutters to get to their level. But for indulgence sake, if I were to act as dispicably as those morons, I'd wish an anal raping on each of them.

fridgehopper

This is just sick. Absolutely disgusting. How can any christian bring themselves to desecrate a person's funeral like that? I really can't believe people believe something can actually believe something as twisted as god is punishing people for accepting gays by killing soldiers?? These people are going to hell, how can they even call themselves a christian? I wish these people would just keep their nose out, they can never just let and let live. In something quite separate but related, I heard on the news British government officails were meeting with the pope to discuss abortion regulations. What the fuck has it got to do with the pope??? Religion should never mix into law, think about the millions of non catholics out there that are potentially being alienated by the fact that our laws may be changed to suit a religion they do not follow? It really does take the bloody biscuit.

Coming back to life

They're just Sharia cunts without the headscarves and with foreskins. Burn 'em all.

soulsinging

i think these people are asking for a waco-style intervention.

know1

danny72688 wrote:

I wonder if anyone has beat their ass yet. I know I would.

The protest itself is fine (to each his own), but WHERE they are protesting is inappropriate and my God will probably send them to hell for this unbelievable bullshit. I never wish bad things on people... Well I do to these prejudice motherfuckers. I wish horrible things to happen to them. Karma is a bitch.

Violence is worse than protesting.

Coming back to life

know1 wrote:

Violence is worse than protesting.

Depends who gets the violence and what people are protesting for. Protesting leads to violence. What happened in Germany started off as a bit of protesting. Al-Qaeda started off as a bit of protesting. The Klu-Klux-Klan started off as a bit of protesting. There is no unconditional right to protest nor should there be.

know1

Coming back to life wrote:

Depends who gets the violence and what people are protesting for. Protesting leads to violence. What happened in Germany started off as a bit of protesting. Al-Qaeda started off as a bit of protesting. The Klu-Klux-Klan started off as a bit of protesting. There is no unconditional right to protest nor should there be.

No - it makes no difference what the protest is about. Violence is worse than protesting.

These people are obviously very sick and I could not possibly disagree with their motives anymore than I do, but I do not support taking away their right to protest.

Coming back to life

know1 wrote:

No - it makes no difference what the protest is about. Violence is worse than protesting.

These people are obviously very sick and I could not possibly disagree with their motives anymore than I do, but I do not support taking away their right to protest.

Then protesting is protesting, whether you're protesting for people to be killed for being gay, or protesting for people to be killed for glorifying homophobic killings.

soulsinging

know1 wrote:

No - it makes no difference what the protest is about. Violence is worse than protesting.

These people are obviously very sick and I could not possibly disagree with their motives anymore than I do, but I do not support taking away their right to protest.

the supreme court has upheld restrictions on various forms of protest based on their tendency to provoke or incite violence. it's called the "fighting words" doctrine. you can't yell fire in a movie theater. you have to maintain certain distances from abortion clinics. i think harassing a bereaved family who lost a loved one with signs saying "thank god for ied's" could pretty easily and comfortably fit under the fighting words and inciting violence response. they should be shut down or dispersed or learn to protest/demonstrate respectfully.

know1

Coming back to life wrote:

Then protesting is protesting, whether you're protesting for people to be killed for being gay, or protesting for people to be killed for glorifying homophobic killings.

I don't understand what you're trying to say. Perhaps we agree or perhaps we do not, but it's unclear to me.

know1

soulsinging wrote:

the supreme court has upheld restrictions on various forms of protest based on their tendency to provoke or incite violence. it's called the "fighting words" doctrine. you can't yell fire in a movie theater. you have to maintain certain distances from abortion clinics. i think harassing a bereaved family who lost a loved one with signs saying "thank god for ied's" could pretty easily and comfortably fit under the fighting words and inciting violence response. they should be shut down or dispersed or learn to protest/demonstrate respectfully.

I don't think I agree with the Supreme Court's opinion in this case.

soulsinging

know1 wrote:

I don't think I agree with the Supreme Court's opinion in this case.

i think there is a difference between protests intended to raise awareness and protests intended to provoke. the latter seem unacceptable to me. sure violence it worse, but that doesnt make this ok and their "protest" is glorifying and promoting violence.

floyd1975

soulsinging wrote:

i think there is a difference between protests intended to raise awareness and protests intended to provoke. the latter seem unacceptable to me. sure violence it worse, but that doesnt make this ok and their "protest" is glorifying and promoting violence.

Those World Bank protesters seem intent on provoking me when they block my way to work and shout obscenities at me. Along with the destruction they cause in my neighborhood every time there is a meeting, I would say they are just about as respectful as the wastes of breath mentioned in the original article. Would you take away their right to protest as well?

soulsinging

zstillings wrote:

Those World Bank protesters seem intent on provoking me when they block my way to work and shout obscenities at me. Along with the destruction they cause in my neighborhood every time there is a meeting, I would say they are just about as respectful as the wastes of breath mentioned in the original article. Would you take away their right to protest as well?

it would depend on what you mean by provoke. are they calling for your death? do you work in a world bank building? if you're just talking about jackass protesters causing traffic jams and being rude, then no, that does not equal provoking. if you work there and they are clearly targeting you and praising violence against you as these protesters are, then yes, they should not be able to protest.

know1

soulsinging wrote:

i think there is a difference between protests intended to raise awareness and protests intended to provoke. the latter seem unacceptable to me. sure violence it worse, but that doesnt make this ok and their "protest" is glorifying and promoting violence.

It's difficult to measure intent, though. Misused, that could become censorship of opposing views. I tend to think we should err on the side of free speech... even if, like in this case, it's deplorable.

floyd1975

soulsinging wrote:

it would depend on what you mean by provoke. are they calling for your death? do you work in a world bank building? if you're just talking about jackass protesters causing traffic jams and being rude, then no, that does not equal provoking. if you work there and they are clearly targeting you and praising violence against you as these protesters are, then yes, they should not be able to protest.

I'm talking about the jackasses who block the roads, overturn all newspaper vending machines and act in otherwise selfish and povocative way. I have seen them throwing and hurling threats at the busses carrying people in there.

In all honesty, I agree with their right to protest. It is a thin line between the World Bank children and these dumbasses.

prytocorduroy

know1 wrote:

Violence is worse than protesting.

Usually I'd agree with you, BUT... These whack offs need some sense knocked into them. How they justify deaths of our soldiers as punishment from their "god" for OTHER PEOPLE being gay/lesbian is way fucking beyond me. These guys are a fucking joke and I'd have no problem kicking their ass. Like I said earlier, this is a SPECIAL CASE.

OutOfBreath

I'd say they have every right to express their opinions. But I also think that the family of the diseased (sp?) should have every right to sue for harassment. And win. That the funeral was for a soldier is irrelevant. All people bron and raised in the west, and particularly supposed christians, would know how tasteless, wrong and basically immoral it would be to intervene in this manner at a funeral. Everyone knows one shall respect funerals, and that it is an important part of the grieving process for the relatives and friends.

Freedom of speech is well and good, but there is a line to what people can say and do where it stops being about free speech and expressing opinions, and enter the territory of harassment and libel. This group I'd say qualify for a lawsuit, and public condemnation.

There is no need to take actions to prevent these kinds of things, as laws already in place will cover it quite nicely. The family harassed would be in the right to sue, if they so wish.

Peace
Dan