Today the Supreme Court handed down an almost unanimous decision upholding the free speech rights of the Westboro Baptist Church:
The First Amendment protects hateful protests at military funerals, the Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday in an 8-to-1 decision.
“Speech is powerful,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote for the majority. “It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain.”
But under the First Amendment, he went on, “we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker.” Instead, the national commitment to free speech, he said, requires protection of “even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”
It sucks, but protecting freedom of speech means protecting grotesque speech, too.
Anyway, here is the funny part. Jack Stuef at Wonkette found Sarah Palin’s reaction to the ruling, on Twitter, which is one of the places where the Quitter works:
Uh, Sarah?
Log out of Facebook, sign out of Twitter, get up off your hind end and find a public square. There’s probably one close to where you used to work, before you quit because A. it was too hard and B. reality teevee was calling. Stand there and say “God” a bunch. Insert some word salad, dangling participles and dropped ‘G’s around it. Oh, look, you CAN do it!
Funny, though, that she seems to have a problem with this ruling which was supported by John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, the other Antonin Scalia and everybody else save for Sam Alito.
Westboro IS saying god in public squares! WTF
Your headline suggests that Sarah Palin thinks. You KNOW that can’t be right.
If there were an organized charity for The Stupid, she could be their poster child.
But hate speech is illegal? WB != Hate?
Well the Phelps klan certainly isn’t saying “BOB hates fags.” What the hell does she think the case at hand did??
Good point Emily. I’m surprised she knew to put the apostrophe *after* the s in soldiers — Kristol must have corrected it for her. (Notice how mother Sarah (mis)spelled her daughter’s name. :)
“It sucks, but protecting freedom of speech means protecting grotesque speech, too.”
EXACTLY. This is the gist of freedom of expression. So many just don’t have what it takes to grasp this concept, just as they cannot grasp the concept that majorities cannot vote to oppress minorities.
Sarah Palin is an idiot. That is just a given.
The Democrats are not lucky enough to see her nominated as the Republican nominee. If she is then it pretty much proves there is a god and he or see is a democrat.
I get the point about the freedom of speech protecting grostesque speech also, but, why this fetish about the freedom of speech?
In countries that are better than this one (Canada, much of the EU), basic freedom of speech is allowed, but, certain things are beyond the line, such as holocost denial, pro nazi statements, and crap such as this “church” spouts. We don’t allow people to scream “FIRE” in a crowded theater (unless there is one). It is not at all hard to limit inappropriate free speech. The trick is making sure that only conservatives and psychos like these people have their speech limited.
If other (and better) nations can do it, so can we.
In time.
There are yet twain Antonins A lighter one and a darker one. As in today’s society, this distinction makes no difference.
Much like many parts of this country: There are lighter and darker people. WTF should I or any one else care.