Why are hate groups speech protected?

They hide behind the 1st amendment. In the pursuit of protecting their rights, we stomp on the rights of others. We must tell a father he must endure the hate and attacks by WBC because they have that right; but you do not have the right to bury your child in peace. Highly contradictory. The line has been drawn, the hateful minorities have more rights than the majority who just wants peace.

Don’t worry, when Fred Phelps dies we are going to set up a carnival across the street from his funeral. I am going to work the tilt-a-whirl and hand out cotton candy. I bet his family yells that I am disrespectful and interrupting their private moment. Irony. Hey, I am just using my 1st amendment right.

You're free to look the other way. It's this line of thinking that is causing the demise of the American society. If we stopped everyone from saying anything that offended or might offend SOMEONE, then that would be censorship. People need to stop and realize that they have a right to get upset over someone else's opinions, but they have the right to their opinions as well. So the easiest way to solve that problem is either don't get offended so easily and grow a spine, say something to them, or don't look. Nobody is forcing you to read their signs, are they? I'm not defending them, but I will defend the Constitution to the death, and I will use my Constitutional rights to do it if necessary. I have no problem offending someone if it's necessary to get a point across, and I have no problem if someone says something that offends me if it gets their point across and that's what they had to do. I was raised "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me", so they don't. Also, if you are this bothered by it, then they accomplished what they intended, they made you remember what they had to say.

Whether or not I agree or like what they say (and I don't), their 1st Amendment rights allow them to do this. This protects you so that no group or person can claim that you are using hate speech and try to silence you. The best way to deal with them is to ignore them. The more you scream or yell about their actions, they more they like it.

This happens on both sides of the fence. Remember when left wing groups were calling for the assassination of President Bush and hanging him in effigy out front of the White House? His response was to ignore them.

"Interestingly, the idea that the Jews killed Jesus is also found in Jewish religious literature"

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/beliefs/Issues/Jew...

technically it is even in the Talmud... so i dont really have a problem with them saying that... what i have a problem with is the "Thank god for IED's" signs that they have. if they want to thank god for that, then ill be more than happy to place a few in their driveway... that bein said, still cant limit free speech, but harrassment on private property, public noise ordinances, and disruption of a lawful practice(a funeral cant really proceed over shouting from WBC f*ckers) those all should be enforced in these cases...

It's a result of courts stretching the interpretation of the First Amendment far beyond what it actually means.

Hate to tell you, but Jews did kill Jesus. With the Roman's help.

Because that is the nature of free speech. It has its ups and its downs, they are one of the downs. I know it pisses you off, it pisses me off too (USMC vet here). If you want to help, donate to Albert Snyder to help his law suit against them.

because it is the cornerstone of a free society.

warning: you might see something you dont like.

sadly, they have free speach. like i can say any thing i want on here like niger. look it up in the dictionary. it means lazy bum.