I think Phelps and his breed deserve a punch in the mouth but I'm not sure if their stupid protests at funerals of soldiers shouldn't be allowed. Of course the actual question before the court is really whether a father of a Marine who was killed in Iraq can sue the Phelps clan for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Calling someone names at a relative's funeral would seem to meet that criteria as far as I'm concerned.
But if this private lawsuit award stands does that mean that calling someone names over the net should also be grounds for a suit?? And it's not just speech it's also protest. Sticky issue. I have to agree, Lilo, as much as the primitive part of me would like to take an axe to Phelps genitals.
As far as the actual funeral, I can only speak from over 20 years experience in the funeral industry. Quite often, we'd get a volatile family who would tell us that "such and such" a person is
NOT ALLOWED at the viewing, wake, funeral, temple, church or what have you. They'd go so far as to bring us pictures of the "undesirables." And all we could tell them was this: We'll do our best to dissuade any altercations, but by law we can't just bar someone from a PUBLIC PLACE because you have "bad blood" between you.
All that said, hopefully Phelps will just drop fucking dead and make it all moot. And I'm not kidding
.
