I have a question for Mike Burlingame (1/19, Letters, “Protecting free speech”) who wrote in regard to Fred Phelps’ protests: “The ACLU is only ensuring that everyone gets their constitutional right of free speech.” If that is so, why are the Christian attorneys of Alliance Defense Fund and the Liberty Counsel having to fight all across the U.S. to protect free speech that the American Civil Liberties Union is trying to destroy?
Christian attorneys are winning the battle against the ACLU because the ACLU attorneys are using scare tactics to get public offices, schools, businesses and even homeowners organizations to get them to prevent Christians from using their right to free speech.
Are Christians the exception to the right to free speech? Not according to the many biographies I have read about our founding fathers who constructed the Constitution or influenced the writing of it.
Roland Sneed
Blue Springs
Certainly not original with ME: The First Amendment wasn't intended to protect POPULAR speech.
Posted by: Pub 17 | January 26, 2009 at 04:28 PM
"If the constitution doesn't protect scum like me, it doesn't protect anyone."
--Larry Flynt
That seems to be the belief the ACLU works from. The constitution protects everyone, including the dispicable, or it protects no one.
Posted by: jack | January 26, 2009 at 04:01 PM
G.P.-
To be very specific, the Founding Fathers specifically and explicitly set up a secular state. This seems to escape all those who point at one reference to God in the Constitution as a clear sign that they were setting up a theocracy.
Posted by: Pub 17 | January 26, 2009 at 03:20 PM
Before we mix up the constitution and religion, lets realize that the founding fathers has the same Bible we use today. They could have used it part or in whole as the supreme law of the land......they didn't. They drafted a new document. That tells you thier intent with repsect to religion mixed up in politics.
I dont believe Christian attorneys are fighting for my right to free speech as they crusade against pornography, adult entertainment, adult prostitution and everything else they deem immoral by THIER standards. I dont believe the ACLU is trying to destoy it either.
I do believe that th ACLU is misguided in its work and spends too much time protecting convicted sex offenders while leaving the majority of us without any help against a moral-based crusade lead by Christains.
No on is denying Christains anything. It is the Christians denying everyone else rights by imposing thier beliefs into the law.
Posted by: Stifled Freedom | January 26, 2009 at 02:59 PM
Kate,
I could not pass up a chance to let them know what I consider them, you know me.
One thing we all share here, even though it is expressed differently, is a great love for anyone who willingly serves this country.
Posted by: solomon | January 26, 2009 at 02:19 PM
Sol & Buddy, thank you for the kind words.
Sol, I think you’re wasting your time arguing with these people. The only way to deal with the disgusting actions of the Phelps family is to counter their message – as the Patriot Guard does, or by doing something good. Soldiers’ Angels was my choice today.
And newbies, next time you post, understand that you’ll be benefitting the Wounded Warriors Project.
Posted by: Kate | January 26, 2009 at 02:13 PM
Tina, I'm pretty sure they'd say that God hates it.
Posted by: Kate | January 26, 2009 at 01:24 PM
I sure hope the Phelps ladies don't just post in this thread. I'd kind of like to know what they thought of Aretha's hat.
Posted by: TinaMcG | January 26, 2009 at 01:11 PM
"Put away your idols, your false gods and your FILTHY manner of life and OBEY YOUR GOD! Otherwise, you will land in hell with your newly elected Antichrist - The Beast, Obama!! The time is short! "
"Jesus wept." John 11:35
Posted by: TinaMcG | January 26, 2009 at 01:07 PM
""Whackaroons" does not due them justice RC, but for that matter neither does "nutjob". One is hard pressed to come up with the right term here......"
My brother would call them "Booger Eaters". He lives in Utah. He has lots of encounters with Booger Eaters.
Posted by: TinaMcG | January 26, 2009 at 01:01 PM
If the Phelps family represents the "true word of God", I'll take the devil.
Posted by: jack | January 26, 2009 at 11:33 AM
Well, you Phelps girls may have your God, but I have EIGHT gold medals!
Posted by: Mikey Phelpy | January 26, 2009 at 10:24 AM
God Bless your son Kate. My thanks to you both for service to our great nation.
Posted by: mianotkia | January 26, 2009 at 10:04 AM
Dearest Kate,
Please tell him we all love him and hope for the best. he joined to stand side by side with the men and women these whackaroons hate.
As far as our newbies, there are not enough fleet products at your average CVS to help people like them.
Posted by: solomon | January 26, 2009 at 09:44 AM
In honor of our two newbies, I am making a donation to Soldiers Angels today. And I’ll call my son, who will be deployed in July, to tell him (again) how much I love him.
I think it would be fitting if today each of us found a way to honor those who served our nation.
Sort of a blogger’s cleansing ceremony.
Posted by: Kate | January 26, 2009 at 09:25 AM
Good morning Casady,
Anyone who believes protesting at a soldiers graveside is Gods mission is loco, and if it takes a crazy loco person to bring us together, so be it.
Posted by: solomon | January 26, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Shirley,
With all the respect you deserve, whacko, you and your (I'll assume father-in-law) are bigoted false religious people who are one step away from a Koresh type interpretation of Scripture. You are as much of a Christian as Bin Laden. Quote Luke all you want, your message is one of doom and conceit. Out of all of the Christians in the world, you few followers of a bigoted hatemonger are the only ones who have it right? Heaven will be a lonely place if only people who think the crud you practice is correct.
Any group who says love thy neighbors yet uses words like "faggot" are hypocrites.
So yes, you and your nutcase leader who thinks hate gets you to heaven and that you are the only ones who understand the true word of God are full fledged ignorant religious bigots and whackaroons.
Posted by: solomon | January 26, 2009 at 09:14 AM
Wow! Pub, Rougy and Sol have found common ground. That's awesome! Good for all of you!
Posted by: Casady | January 26, 2009 at 09:11 AM
*sigh* There goes the neighborhood.
Posted by: Kate | January 26, 2009 at 08:43 AM
OH PLEASE, SWEET AND SUFFERING JESUS, PLEASE PLEASE GRANT MY WISH THAT THE PHELPS CLAN STARTS POSTING HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS!
THESE ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE ON THE PLANET WHO PUT ANTI-GAY AND ANTI-MILITARY TOGETHER!
Seriously, did you ever think that there was any force in all the universe that would have hard-core biker military veterans and gay activists finding common cause?
Posted by: Pub 17 | January 26, 2009 at 08:42 AM