The New York Times
Wed, March 02, 2011 -- 11:12 AM ET
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Protests at Military Funerals Are Protected Speech, Justices Rule
The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that protests and
picketing at military funerals are protected by the First
Amendment's free-speech guarantee, taking precedence over the
mourners' right to privacy.
The court decided 8-1 to uphold a lower court decision in
favor of members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka,
Kan., who frequently stage protests at private military
funerals to promote the church's claim that God is angry at
America for its tolerance of homosexuality, with signs
bearing messages like "Thank God for Dead Soldiers," "You're
Going to Hell" and "God Hates the USA."
The ruling was a defeat for Albert Snyder, the father of a
Marine killed in Iraq in 2006, whose funeral at a Catholic
church in Westminster, Md., was picketed by the Westboro
group.
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