Did you hear about the ACLU?

Question

That they are defending a church who chant "god hate's fag" at the funeral of our American soilders. I think that they have taken it to far when they don't even show respect towards our fallen heroes. Who thinks that it is wrong? They no longer have any respect from me.

http://www.edgeboston.com/index.php?ci=108&ch=news&sc=glbt&sc2=news&sc3=&id=13790

Answer 1

I think the ACLU means well but this is a complicated situation. I believe firmly in freedom of speech even if that speech may offend some people, but this group is guilty of hate crimes. I would defend their right to speak their minds in public, no matter how strongly I disagree with them, but not at a funeral where their presence amounts to trespassing. I think there should be a law against this kind of harassment, but maybe the proposed one needs to be rewritten to keep it non-discriminatory. It's hard to say for certain without seeing the actual wording of the bill.

The bottom line is that the ACLU prootects the Constitutional rights of minorities without passing judgement on those minorities' ideals, which is a good thing even though it may not always seem that way. If a law is passed to protect the sanctity of funerals, I think it's for the best if an organization like the ACLU is there to make sure it's fair to everyone and doesn't discriminate against anyone.

Answer 2

I guess you're one of those fools who thinks that only the speech you agree with is protected by the Bill of Rights. I hate to break it to you, but even people as despicable and ignorant as the "funeral crashers" are entitled to speak freely. (Think of it this way: allowing idiots to say idiotic things allows the rest of us to identify them as idiots, so we can steer clear of them, et cetera.) The ACLU is as right to take up this cause as they are when they protect the rights of street-preachers, anti-war protestors, and the KKK -- and it doesn't matter at all how you or I feel about any of those groups. ACLU lawsuits on cases like those have won important victories that protect the free speech rights, etc., of all of us, you and I in this forum included.

That being said, the ACLU will probably lose this case, so you needn't become a full-time fan of government censorship over this one issue. The laws in question simply state that funerals are not a public forum for speech. It doesn't make any distinction between the messages that protestors or potential protestors might have, which would be a violation of free speech rights. The laws bars protests of any sort, for or against any cause, at funerals. This sort of "content-neutral" legislation generally stands up pretty well, because it doesn't discriminate (as you apparently do) between the messages and because the world is full of other forums for those people to go and try to make themselves heard.

Speech that everyone agrees with doesn't need protection. The Bill of Rights exists for the sake of disagreeable ideas. Bad ideas should be defeated by argument, not by the brute force of law.

Answer 3

If anything they deserve a tremendous amount of respect for defending people who are committing such disgusting acts as this. Their job is to protect Americans civil liberties regardless of how much they disagree with there actions. The first amendment assures the people of the United States the freedom of speech and these people are exercising that right. Do I agree with their actions? Absolutely not, but I believe in their right to do it which is what the ACLU is defending. If they don't defend them and these protesters rights aren't protected who is to say the government cant start telling us what we are allowed to say?

Peace. Love. Unity. Tim D

Answer 4

My misguided friend, the ACLU is neither Liberal nor Conservative. And they are not Commies, America haters or anything that people want to call them.

They are made up of a group of attorneys who believe in basic human rights for all Americans.

This is why they have defended elements from both the right (KKK marchers and this Baptist church) and the left. They are defending rights granted to us by our own laws.

Answer 5

The ACLU does not condone bigotry, they work for everyone to coexsist, however they stick to their convictions, and unfortunately if you and i get free speech, racists do too. I agree the church they're defending sucks but they have their rights no matter how bigoted and predjudiced they are. I don't agree with a single thing this anti-gay church is saying, but everyone gets to speak their mind in this country not just the people who share similar or rational views with me or you.

Answer 6

The ACLU stands for the rights and freedom that are everything that is right in America.

I got an idea,lets go back to life before the aclu so hatemongers can beat people with impunity the way christian hypocrites want it.

NO ACLU=NO FREEDOM ONLY THEOCRATIC CRAP

Answer 7

http://civilliberty.about.com/b/a/257496.htm

It isn't right. It's wrong.
They shouldn't be allowed to harass people at a time of mourning like that. Not even if the deceased is an ordinary citizen.

These people are sick.

You should check out

www.patriotguard.org

the Patriot Guard does good things for fallen soldiers families.

Answer 8

indeed the whole freedom of speech thing can be carried to far by the ACLU. Hey what do you think about NAMBLA??

Answer 9

I pay no attention to those aclu idiots. They stand for everything that is wrong with this country!

Answer 10

that isnt a real church thats these inbreed people that made up a church with family members in key positions they are all psycho