Don't sign the petition

 In the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre and their threat to picket the funerals there's a petition on the White House site to have the Westboro Baptist Church "legally recognize[d] as a hate group". It already has over 158,000 signatures.

Tempting as it is, you shouldn't sign it.

 First off, there is no such "legal recognition as a hate group". It's a political label but it has no legal significance.

Second, and more importantly, this is a proposal to have the government single out one group for some kind of adverse treatment based on the religious or political views of that group. This is entirely antithetical to the First Amendment and the core values that underlie our system of government and way of life.

I take a back seat to nobody in my loathing of this organization. That is why they need and are entitled to the protection of the First Amendment.

There is no basis to claim that it isn't a bona fide church: plenty of church and religious groups espouse hateful ideas. Even churches that espouse hateful ideas are entitled to the protection of the First Amendment.

Granted, the Phelpses and their followers are undoubtedly among the vilest, most hateful people on the face of the earth.

On the other hand, so far as I know the Westboro Baptist Church has never done anything to actually hurt anybody.

They never killed anybody, burned down any buildings, or put a price on anyone's head for publishing a book or cartoon they didn't like.

 There's no sign that they ever harrassed or beat women and girls for wearing what they considered indecent clothing.

And there is certainly no evidence that they ever delivered thousands of children to the hands of child rapists, and then established religious edicts to prevent the exposure of the criminals. 

No, as far as I can see, the Westboro Baptist Church has done a lot less damage than almost any "mainstream" church.

Besides, it's not the popular ideas and groups who need the protection of the First Amendment.

So don't sign the petition. Hate the Westboros all you like, but don't ask the government to use the power of the state to silence them. 

If we start taking away rights from the Westboros because they express political views we don't like, where do we stop, and who will protect us when someone tries to silence us.

The wit and wisdom of Margie Phelps

Okay, I can't let go of this.

First off, as I pointed out the other day, the Westboro Baptist Church's case at the Supreme Court had to be a slam dunk if someone this stupid could win it.

She was on TV again yesterday and even Chris Wallace was incredulous at her theological position that Obama is the Beast of Revelation--yes, Mr. 666 himself.

Still, what I find interesting about her is her choice of language. For instance, if you listen to the tape from yesterday, you'll see that her way of expressing agreement with something Wallace said was "That's a big 10-4." And you may recall that her favorite locution when she talked about being confrontational, a phrase she used repeatedly when arguing at the Supreme Court, was "up in their grill." She really uses that exact phrase every time she talks about it.

What about you? Do you have a favorite Margie Phelps phrase I haven't mentioned yet?

What's good for the Westboro Baptist Church is good for . . .

You, me, and every other political dissident.

Let's be clear about this: Fred Phelps and his whole family are scum. They should get cancer and die.

The Westboro people brought their circus to Montpelier a couple of years ago and I think the people of my town, particularly the high school students, handled it very well. In other words, treating them with the ridicule they deserve.

Still, they were right in the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court was right in ruling in their favor.

You know the facts, so I won't spend a lot of time on them. To gain publicity for their vile ideas, these people go to events, like military funerals, and hold up their vicious signs, and they hope they will either get on TV or provoke some kind of reaction from the sane people in attendance, who are justifiably offended by their odious display. When they did it at the funeral of Matthew Snyder his family sued them and got a judgment for five million dollars.

Now the Supreme Court has overturned the judgment, holding that their actions are protected by the First Amendment. The legal questions in this case were so easy that even Scalia and Clarence Thomas got them right.

You don't have to like it, but here's the thing about the First Amendment: we don't need it to protect our right to say things that don't bother anybody. We don't need it except when we're pissing people off.

And if you're reading this, odds are that you find that you need to say things that piss people off.

What the Supreme Court said today is that you can piss people off and the government isn't allowed to stop you.

We all need that.