The Supreme Court ruled on the Westboro Baptist jackasses today, and ruled really the only way they could: that protesting at funerals was protected speech.
As the Fark.com headline accurately states it:
Sometimes, the Constitution protects people who really suck, and who are doing things that really, really suck. But the rights protected by the Constitution are there not to protect the popular, but the unpopular. So here in the US, we can not have cases like that of one John Galliano (who supposedly designs clothes, though from the photos of the man I can’t see why anyone would want to buy anythign from him) who is being sent up on criminal charges for saying anti-Semetic things. Here in the US, people can distance themselves from you, you can lose your job, and people will point and laugh if you say racist things or speak out against some religion or other; but you won’t go to prison for it. And while that allows jackasses to say some pretty horrid things at a loud volume, it also leads to a free debate and a better culture than those that censor unpopular views or enact anti-blasphemy laws.
Still… Westboro Baptist Church sucks.
5 Responses to “Damned if you do…”
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
John Galliano has got this whole weird Guy Fawkes mask look going with that beard and mustache… either that or a Captain Jack Sparrow look.
Okay, here we go:
http://frillr.com/files/images/John%20Galliano_1.jpg
Throw out your hands!!
Stick out your tush!!
Hands on your hips
Give them a push!!
You’ll be surprised
You’re doing the French Mistake!!
I’m not sure I have a problem with it. If insensitivity, arrogance, bad taste, and incivility were criminal, we’d have about 20% of America in jail.
Hmmm…..
Looks like Prince in a way,doesn’t he?
> http://frillr.com/files/images/John%20Galliano_1.jpg
Whenever I see someone like this in the news, my basic reaction is something like “Why in Odin’s name am I supposed to give a rat’s ass what this guys says, does or thinks?” Someone who *intentionally* looks like that is not looking for my respect.
Healthy freedom of speech means that we know where the crazy people are. Pushing them underground, like they do in Germany, is asking for trouble. That is right in some parts of Europe you can see jail time for making a racist comment.