Deathly Serious

I used to go to church all the time. I was there a few times a week.

I never went with anyone in my church to protest an event, even though some did do things like attend anti-abortion rallies. I just stuck with the nice stuff. I especially never did anything or said a word about members of the Armed Services or their funerals.

The Westboro Baptist Church apparently can interpret the Bible to be whatever they want and need it to be. Sounds more like a cult than a place to build people up.

Unfortunately, the Supreme Court stands behind their outlandish behavior and ruled that a grieving father’s pain over protests at his Marine son’s funeral must yield to First Amendment protections of free speech.

The 8-1 decision in favor of the Westboro Baptist Church sealed the way for the church to do as they please, when they please.

I am all for free speech. I do not want people to be stifled and shut down by the government. I do not think the government should be able to tell me what to do or what to say. But, there are parameters to that. There are restrictions. I cannot yell “fire” in a crowded building if there is not one.

To me, these funeral protests are in the same vein. If you yell something that incites a riot or widespread panic, it should not be allowed.

I guess you cannot make a law requiring people to have thoughtfulness or couth. The government can not require people to act like decent human beings.

I wish it could.

People who join the Armed Forces have a duty to protect our freedom and part of that freedom is free speech. However, in a society where everything goes, there are no rules to keep people in line. The result is discontent citizens who feel like they have to revolt in order to find protection, because the government is not doing its job.

The Westboro church people have showed up at many funerals holding signs that say, “Thank God for dead soldiers,” and “God hates the USA.”

If the families and friends of the dead soldiers feel assaulted by this, unprotected by the government their loved one died defending, then how long is it going to take for the silent few to stand up and overthrow injustice.

An overthrow is not what we need, either. We need people who have a moral compass and who can distinguish that doing this sort of thing at a funeral is not free speech, it’s inciting violence.

If one of their own congregation gets cancer, will members protest that funeral saying that person deserves it because of sin in their lives? Probably not.

Staci Dennis lives in Norfolk, VA, is married to Eric, who is awesome, and has a fat cat and two cute Puggles. She has been published in various newspapers and magazines across the nation, and worked as a reporter for 12 years. She is a contributor for Nexxt, realestatejobsite.com and educationjobsiteblogs.com.