Straight Guy,
Here's an entertaining spin on a sickening story:
I couldn't tell you if I've ever listened to an Ozzy Osbourne song. Today, I'm a fan.
Ozzy's crazy mad that the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church hijacked the lyrics to his song "Crazy Train" during their protests at the Supreme Court this week. If you aren't aware of the case before the Court, get reading.
Let me try to sum it up in a paragraph, members of the Kansas church . . . I use the word through clenched teeth--churches are supposed to be about love and the church is made of pretty much one family--are anti-gay as a general principle; their web address is godhatesfags.com for Christ's sake. In some crazy logic, they habitually protest the private funerals of service men and women. It has nothing to do with soldiers' sexuality. Per Westboro, their deaths are God's punishment of the United States for its tolerance of homosexuality.
Insert ironic paragraph about the over-abundance of gay tolerance in this country.
"I am sickened and disgusted by the use of 'Crazy Train' to promote messages of hate and evil by a 'church,'" Ozzy said in a statement.
I don't have words for how nuts the Phelps family makes me.
The case is complicated. I'm all about freedom of speech but isn't the protection of expression about the public arena, not about inflicting personal distress?
--Gay Guy
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13 comments:
More disgust: FOX News is always on the TV at my gym - if I weren't a Luddite I'd enquire how to change the channel - and had Bill O'Reilly and Glen Beck debating this case. They both agreed Westboro is vile, but Becky insists that if the court decides against the church it will be the end of freedom of speech. (ok, my paraphrase) Oh wait, that might impact..um...talk show hosts and..um..hold them responsible for their words. We can't have that!!
Same as it ever was. From Voltaire:
I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it.
To hold a pen is to be at war.
Is this the same Phelps family that had Fred Phelps in it, the man who was basically opposed and involved in the aftermath of Matthew Shepard's death - which is a hate crime, despite people saying contrary - in Wyoming?
Good for Ozzy to speak up.
I never thought I'd say this, but Ozzy is awesome for speaking up against that...I'm so disappointed that there are people out there that will never know people like you GG, just because they don't accept who you love!
I'll stop now before I begin to rant.
Oz and Fred have much in common: two incoherent old dudes with bizarre lifestyles who have a lot of family to support. But at least Oz is self-aware - ok, when he's not in a coma.
Unfortunately, I lived in Topeka, KS and saw Phelps & family/church members on a weekly if not daily basis.
Having lived through the ugly, I hope that the Supreme Court will put some sort of definable limit on what is and what's isn't Free in Free Speech.
Kick ass for Ozzy. I've been a Sabbath fan for years.
The Phelps brood needs to be eliminated...oops, I mean obliterated...oops, I mean educated, among a long list of things, about copyright law. I hope Ozzy sues their collective asses.
the article in TIME was pretty good at summing up the situation about this dirt bag Phelps and his Westboro church...I have been thinking of posting on it myself, it is so horrible...I cannot believe the ACLU is taking the side of this bigot/demon -- he and Beck and O'Reilly and their ilk make me want to puke. Voltaire my ass. Just hiding behind the 1st amendment and gearing up more hate-mongering...
Unfortunately, they do have the right to do this under the 1st Amendment. However, Ozzy has every right to sue these morons into oblivion for copyright infringement, amongst other things. Hopefully he'll pound them so far into the ground they won't have the money to continue to act this way.
They're not a Christian church as far as I'm concerned, because Christ didn't teach anyone to act that way. They obviously haven't read their Bibles lately, if ever.
Bill O'Reilly actually sided with the family, as did the lower court, based on this point: intentional infliction of pain and suffering. The "church" advertised beforehand, with photos of the deceased soldier, that they would be at this funeral. Within free speech, does anyone/ any group have the right to intentionally cause pain and suffering? Not just offend or annoy, but engage in emotional warfare? Limiting the First Amendment is a "slippery slope", but so is not limiting it.
I'm with Upstate on this. I'm a free-speech advocate, but also a privacy advocate. It seems a reasonable expectation that grieving families can do so on their own terms... their kids were public servants, not public figures.
The real trouble with the tactics of the Phelps clan is that the families have no means to combat the noise without further ruining a purposely somber moment.
If you want to throw away your own freedom of speech, go ahead and limit the Phelps. That's how it is always done, show the worst possible example, and all "reasonable" people will quickly vote for censorship. Glad the ACLU sees a bigger picture.
If more people turn vigilante as I am tempted to by the Westboro idiots, there will be fewer and fewer of them to stick their holy-roller noses where they do not belong. I suggest that if their actions continue that their church be burned down as an open warning across their bow. Well placed shotguns nearby will send them a clear message as well. Lets take back our country from "Hate-In-The-Name-Of-Christ" groups like them.
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