Westboro Baptist Church Plans To Picket Leonard Nimoy's Funeral

[Vox Populi]

If you do a quick Google Search. There is a few stories about Westboro Baptist plans on picketing Leonard Nimoy's funeral.

I really want some views on this? Is this "okay" because it's free speech? Is it morally horrible? Or any other comments on it.

Sound off. I really want to hear what you have to say.

[abaris]

It's in bad taste like every picketing the Westboros do. I really wished, someone had revenge picketed Phelps' funeral.

[Homeless Nutter]

Let them picket. Free speech has side-effects, one of which is that we have to sometimes endure people we don't like expressing opinions we disagree with, in a manner that offends us.

[TubbyTubby]

I just had a quick look and quite frankly, if they intend to demonstrate at a funeral then that's a morally disgusting abuse of free speech.

[Norman Humann]

It won't be the first or the last funeral they've picketed. I just don't understand the point behind it, save for mindless hate. It's utterly disrespectful to the family, too.

I feel genuinely sorry for members of WBC, though. It must physically hurt to be in that mindset. It looks to me like their thoughts in their entirety have been replaced with mindless hateful slogans, like the ones on their signs. The children indoctrinated into it are my biggest concern.

[abaris]

I just don't understand the point behind it, save for mindless hate.

That's the whole point of the organisation. Just read what Nate Phelps says about his upbringing.

[Norman Humann]

That's the whole point of the organisation. Just read what Nate Phelps says about his upbringing.

So this is an organisation that is entirely dedicated to hate. How is it legal?

They're clearly crossing the line between free speech and hate crime. The point of their existence is to offend people.

[abaris]

So this is an organisation that is entirely dedicated to hate. How is it legal?

They are considered a hate group by many. But look at the KKK, they're not about peace, love and happiness either. Yet they're also protected by free speech.

Even as a European, where the hate speech laws are much stricter than in America, I can say that hate groups always find a way to organise legally. They just have to refrain from openly using certain keywords and symbols.

[Norman Humann]

Even as a European, where the hate speech laws are much stricter than in America, I can say that hate groups always find a way to organise legally. They just have to refrain from openly using certain keywords and symbols.

That's probably why I don't understand it. I'm Polish and here any ideology even remotely resembling fascism is illegal. I find it hard to believe that people like WBC and KKK can continue what they do and still be protected by the law.

[abaris]

That's probably why I don't understand it. I'm Polish and here any ideology even remotely resembling fascism is illegal.

And still you have Neo Nazis and skinheads, which I find particularly ironic given your history. Same goes for Russia and Greece by the way, where Neo Nazis seem to be pretty strong.

The whole secret lies in not flying a Swastica and not openly calling for genocide or the killing of individuals.