Thank you God!

Finally someone has seen some sense!

As I said here, I don't agree with what they say but they have every right to say it. For them to have to pay money out to this man is unconstitutional especially since they followed every law to the letter. This whole thing is bull.

It's a civil lawsuit. That means it isn't about strictly following the law.

And that makes sense how? Why have laws in place if following them still won't protect you when your convictions are different from someone else's?

I agree with the points about civil liberties but still, God loves dead soldiers?!

Whatever your beliefs about God, religion or war surely the sentiments that these vile people express in such a bitter, vitriolic fashion are just plain wrong.

Totally wrong, destined to be pillars of salt all of them.

Partially true as your right to free speech does not permit you the right to defame or slander. Nor does the right to free speech allow you to say something that would cause a dangerous or harmful situation (that's why you can't scream "FIRE" in a movie theatre). This suit was fought on those grounds and won. The jury had to find they caused intentional harm to the grieving family and the reputation of the soldier, it may well hold up on appeal.

Do you really feel that you can't wrong someone else if you're following the law? Or do you think we should pass laws that you can't hurt other people's feelings? Or maybe, that you can't sue someone who wrongs you as long as they didn't break a law?

Sorry, I do get what you're saying, but this isn't anything new. Civil lawsuits aren't about changing the laws. They're about compensating someone if they're wronged. The outcome a legal trial has no impact on a civil suit. Just ask OJ.

Ah, but then why are there human rights charges over someone uttering the word 'n****r'? Why all the compensation to minorities who feel discriminated against?

It's a two-way street, and protecting one group can only go so far once that protection begins to infringe upon the rights and protection of others.

That's just your opinion (that I happen to strongly agree with).

They think we are wrong and vile and horrid with just as much conviction as we think the same of them. I will support their freedom to say such things (to a point), because that, free speech and freedom of religion and thought, is what I believe in.

They purposely went out of their way to protest at an event that is

A) Private (Yes even in a public place you can have private events)

B) Has nothing to do with the topic they are protesting (Gay rights) and

C) Are reasonably sure that they will be causing mental harm to those attending for legitimate reasons.

Sounds like a premeditated attack on the families of the dead regardless of the f*cked up "reasons" they claim they are there.

And YES you can cause mental stress and harm by doing this. When a family member dies, ESPECIALLY if it was a military related death, everyone involved is very fragile and on edge. Words spoken to them at that time will most certainly cause more harm than if they were spoken to them at other times.

Screw them and their idiocy.

Harrassment is illegal. Standing in a cemetary and shouting negative slogans at people in mourning is harrassment... Where is the confusion, Mers?

I think there are some pretty crazy misconceptions about what you are granted by "free speech."

Free speech, I feel, is like all good things in life. If you're going to abuse it to the point that Phelps has, you deserve to have it taken away. Or at the very least, you have to pay a Complete and Utter s**tstain Tax, which in this particular case is a nice healthy sum of 2.9 mill.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that this type of deed doesn't go unpunished. But you still need people to play devil's advocate to keep things in perspective.

My example is bullies, should people be fined for an offhand remark/insult? Like calling a stranger fat. I hate when people are d**ks like that, but I don't think they should be sued.

"You're fat!"

"HAHAHA LOOK AT YOUR DEAD SON! You're son is dead because he was a fag enabler, he enabled fags by not protesting homosexuality the way that we do, and we are glad that God has taken him. He took him because he hated him, and he hates you."

One of these merits a lawsuit, one of them does not.

These people aren't simply bullies, they are a public nuisance. They work hard to ensure they cause enough chaos to get the coverage they feel they deserve. They think their coverage is "witnessing." They think that this is sending out their "Christian message."

If someone's fat, they're fat. But to bark at someones funeral about how the world has turned to s**t, and so God takes people like this dead person here, that's something entirely different.

Well said!

Freedom of speech is one thing but when free speech takes away someones freedom to mourn their dead loved ones in peace then it stops being "free speech" and becomes harassment.

If I went to the funeral for a family member of one of the people on here that so strongly support free speech in all it's forms and started shouting for instance "Your mums was a whore" or "Your Dad was a fag", I'd love to see how quickly their views on "free speech" would change.

Again, just my opinion and I wouldn't dream of shouting it at people ;)

It's their right to believe whatever the hell they want I agree, just the same as I believe racist bigots have the right to their ignorant,narrow-minded views after all you can't take away someones right to believe and think for themselves BUT when someone starts shouting those beliefs in someones face especially at such a sensitive time as a funeral, then it really is bulls**t of the highest order.

How do either of these merit a lawsuit? If there's one thing I can't understand about North American (particularily American) culture it is the whole 'you hurt my feelings so give me money for it' attitude. Is a large sum of money really going to fix the emotional damage inflicted? If so, maybe the individuals propagating the lawsuit need to examine themselves and the materialistic nature of their actions.

I know I'd be happy to see a bylaw created that would prevent any protesting at cemetaries or churches or something along those lines. I can completely understand wanting to stop these guys, but demanding money because one's feelings were damaged by people exercising their right to free speech and expressing their opinions just does not make sense to me.