A new low for anti-Iraq war activism:
 

A new low for anti-Iraq war activism:

Picketing the funeral of Matthew A. Snyder, a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq - by members of a certain church. Apparently, this is not the first time this group has demonstrated at the funeral of a fallen U.S. soldier.

According to the article, the church members believe that the deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan is punishment from God for tolerance of homosexuality in the U.S..

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,305279,00.html

I know a lot of you distrust Fox news, so here is another link to a web page set up by the family.

http://www.matthewsnyder.org

Frankly, I can't imagine how much pain such actions cause the family of the soldier, and the pain such actions cause on other armed services personnel.

Picketing the funeral of anyone is bad enough, picketing the funeral of an American Soldier killed in the line of duty is shocking and disgraceful.

Freedom of speech is not a defense when the rights of others are compromised.

Added in edit: URL for the church web site
http://www.godhatesfags.com/

shouldn't that be "a new low for wingnut Christian churches"? this is the organization in question:
the protests at soldier's funerals are appalling but they're not anti-war messages: the problem with Baptists is that they don't hold their heads underwater long enough.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westboro_Baptist_Church

That's old news; I think I heard of them a year or more ago - 'soldiers are dying because homosexuality in the U.S. pisses god off'. Weird and disgusting group of people.



But I thought this thread was about the immense improvements in the security situation over there and all the poor idiots who were always declaring defeat and squawking "unwinnable" all the time and are now pathetically silent. RIP you stupid losers.

whenever you care to define victory, feel free to declare it.

But he won't.
But he might correct your spelling.
It make him think he's clever.
Sad really.

mission accomplished !

Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest

BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A grieving father won a nearly $11 million verdict Wednesday against a fundamentalist Kansas church that pickets military funerals in the belief that the war in Iraq is a punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.
art.westboro.gi.jpg

A member of Westboro Baptist Church protests outside a veteran's hospital in Maywood, Illinois, in April 2006.

Albert Snyder of York, Pennsylvania, sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified damages after members demonstrated at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

The jury first awarded $2.9 million in compensatory damages. It returned later in the afternoon with its decision to award $6 million in punitive damages for invasion of privacy and $2 million for causing emotional distress.

U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the award for compensating damages "far exceeds the net worth of the defendants," according to financial statements filed with the court.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

A number of states have passed laws regarding funeral protests, and Congress has passed a law prohibiting such protests at federal cemeteries.

But the Maryland lawsuit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.

The church and three of its leaders -- the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 -- were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

Snyder claimed the protests intruded upon what should have been a private ceremony and sullied his memory of the event.

The church members testified they are following their religious beliefs by spreading the message that the deaths of soldiers are due to the nation's tolerance of homosexuality.

Their attorneys argued in closing statements Tuesday that the burial was a public event and that even abhorrent points of view are protected by the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of speech and religion.

The judge said the church's financial statements, sealed earlier, could be released to the plaintiffs.

Earlier, church members staged a demonstration outside the federal courthouse.

Church founder Fred Phelps held a sign reading "God is your enemy," while Shirley Phelps-Roper stood on an American flag and carried a sign that read "God hates fag enablers."

Members of the group sang "God Hates America" to the tune of "God Bless America."

Snyder sobbed when he heard the verdict, while members of the church greeted the news with tightlipped smiles.

CNN

Cheer up malva, lowlife scumbags with mod authority will secretly alter theirs or anyone elses posts to make themselves look less stupid whenever they feel like it.