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Man fires pepper spray on protesters outside Marine's funeral - CNN.com

They were out protesting at another soldier's funeral, and a guy in truck blasted them with pepper spray as he drove by. He missed them - and got charged with over 16 counts of assault.

It Was Going to Happen Eventually - Westboro Baptists Drive-by Pepper Spray Targe

What the hell are these protestors thinking?!

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Much as I despise the WBC scum, that guy was massively out of line and could have really hurt people if he'd actually, y'know hit someone with the spray, to say nothing of his truck (since I assume that he must have been driving pretty darn close).

It Was Going to Happen Eventually - Westboro Baptists Drive-by Pepper Spray Targe

At least his act had some rational logic to it.

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Silver Jelly said:

What the hell are these protestors thinking?!

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"How can we piss people off, antagonize a fight, and then sue them for a lot of money once they attack us?"

The answer: "Pretend to be Bible based christians hellbent [sic] on re-establishing 'God's Kingdom' here on earth in the good old US of A, including using fire and brimstone tactics from the 1930s"

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I hate it when people use the first Amendment as a way to push their agenda of hate, masked behind social/political/religious froufala. It's the same as someone skirting the absolute edge of the requirements of a statute, or when dirties know JUUUUUUST how far they can push things before they get themselves into felony territory.

Voltaire may have put it best with "I may not agree with what you're saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," but I seriously doubt he had this in mind when he penned that. *headwheel*

That said, yeah, the guy was out of line, and he walked right into the trap that the hellbitch Phelps-Roper lays for people.

Roll on, Patriot Guardsmen, for staying out of the fray, and turning their backs to the filth.

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The guy was out of line. It's probably what affected his aim. Think about the people he could have hurt? Think about the families who have to deal with Reverend Fuckhead and his merry band of douchebags while they are burying their loved one who served this country so they can "protest". Too bad you can't get a scope on a can of mace.

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I know the guy. He's weird.

This doesn't surprise me in the least.

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Amorous Eyes;432630][QUOTE=Officer_Charon said:

Voltaire may have put it best with "I may not agree with what you're saying, but I will defend to the death your right to say it," but I seriously doubt he had this in mind when he penned that.

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Wrongly attributed to Voltaire, he never said that. It was Evelyn Hall (Evelyn Beatrice Hall - Wikipedia) though she was describing him when she wrote that.[/QUOTE]

I stand educated! *smiles* Thanks for clarifying!

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All things considered I am glad no one was hurt. Those Westboros just seem to me like they are begging to have one of their number become a martyr. That is the last thing we need backing up religious clad hate-speech.

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He should have thrown banana cream pies.

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North_Ranger said:

He should have thrown banana cream pies.

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A much better solution.

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You know, I'm all about the right to protest and all that (part of our first amendment right) but at a funeral? I mean that is pretty low. WBC are pretty crazy folks IMO and they can do what they believe in, but I think there should be a law that you can't protest at someone's funeral.

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Would it be assault if a dozen cross-dressing males junped out of a van and sprayed them all with silly string?

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The WBC people were complaining that the Omaha police didn't do enough to protect them. So what this dumbass did was to give them an excuse to sue the city, him and probably the makers of the industrial strength mace.

This is why you don't do anything against them.

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Chibibar said:

You know, I'm all about the right to protest and all that (part of our first amendment right) but at a funeral? I mean that is pretty low. WBC are pretty crazy folks IMO and they can do what they believe in, but I think there should be a law that you can't protest at someone's funeral.

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It's difficult, because cemeteries are usually publicly-owned, and people can get pretty loud before they actually violate public nuisance/noise laws. I imagine that the WBCers make a point of going to funerals that are on public land in jurisdictions where they can make the biggest spectacles of themselves because of the layout without getting in trouble.

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Dave said:

The WBC people were complaining that the Omaha police didn't do enough to protect them. So what this dumbass did was to give them an excuse to sue the city, him and probably the makers of the industrial strength mace.

This is why you don't do anything against them.

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I find it insulting that they will go to a funeral like this with the express intent to harass and upset those involved... and then have the gall to say the police didn't do enough to protect them. Seriously, I hope that giant fissure opens up in the earth and swallows the entire Westboro Church compound whole taking all of it's filth, hate and intolerance with it.

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Every time I hear about these people, I wish someone would actually refer them to the Bible they so claim to represent.

John 3:17 - "God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world."

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Azurephoenix;432736][QUOTE=Dave said:

The WBC people were complaining that the Omaha police didn't do enough to protect them. So what this dumbass did was to give them an excuse to sue the city, him and probably the makers of the industrial strength mace.

This is why you don't do anything against them.

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I find it insulting that they will go to a funeral like this with the express intent to harass and upset those involved... and then have the gall to say the police didn't do enough to protect them. Seriously, I hope that giant fissure opens up in the earth and swallows the entire Westboro Church compound whole taking all of it's filth, hate and intolerance with it.[/QUOTE]
heh.. they might try to sue God

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Amorous Eyes;432738][QUOTE=Piotyr said:

Every time I hear about these people, I wish someone would actually refer them to the Bible they so claim to represent.

John 3:17 - "God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world."

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This is what they think saving means. "Embrace Jesus or you're worthless scum."[/QUOTE]

True Pharisees of the modern world. Get so caught up in enforcing and belittling others on strict interpretation of specific passages in the Bible that they miss the big picture and make the entire religion look bad.

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Replace "pepper spraying" with "shooting" and "failed" with "succeeded" and "threaten to sue" with "they can't sue because they're all dead," then it would be a great article.

Or if WBC would just stfu and go away, that would work, too.

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Ross said:

Replace "pepper spraying" with "shooting" and "failed" with "succeeded" and "threaten to sue" with "they can't sue because they're all dead," then it would be a great article.

Or if WBC would just stfu and go away, that would work, too.

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They have every right to protest and say any damned fool thing they want without fear of reprisal. I so very, very much disagree with you on this. They are reprehensible but that doesn't mean they should die.

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Dave;432750][QUOTE=Ross said:

Replace "pepper spraying" with "shooting" and "failed" with "succeeded" and "threaten to sue" with "they can't sue because they're all dead," then it would be a great article.

Or if WBC would just stfu and go away, that would work, too.

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They have every right to protest and say any damned fool thing they want without fear of reprisal. I so very, very much disagree with you on this. They are reprehensible but that doesn't mean they should die.[/QUOTE]
I didn't say that they SHOULD die, just that it was one possible solution. I also offer up an alternative solution.

They're assholes in my book. BIG assholes. Like, goatse. The world would be better off without them, IMO. Here's my gripe: It's not about their freedom of speech, it's about being kind to others. Does a family mourning over an innocent person's death deserve the ridicule of a crowd of people? (that's a rhetorical question)

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I don't see why they should be able to sue. It isn't the police's job to bodyguard. They investigate crimes ex post facto. The police don't stop you from robbing a bank, they catch the robbers AFTER the robbery.

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You know, every time I hear about the WBC I feel like forming some chaser group, where all we do is find out where the WBC is going to head next, bring a bunch of stock "silly" signs, and then just kind of weasel into the protest holding up the signs to block the view of the WBC. We would always place ourselves between the WBC and the people they are protesting, and throw up music depending on the situation to drown out the hate speech.

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ScytheRexx said:

You know, every time I hear about the WBC I feel like forming some chaser group, where all we do is find out where the WBC is going to head next, bring a bunch of stock "silly" signs, and then just kind of weasel into the protest holding up the signs to block the view of the WBC. We would always place ourselves between the WBC and the people they are protesting, and throw up music depending on the situation to drown out the hate speech.

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The Patriot Guards do just that (Home)

edit: OC corrected. I mean the Patriot Guards protect the family and act as a shield but don't mess with WBC

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The Patriot Guard stands vigil, silently, carrying flags and shielding the family's view of these reprobates. They don't shout, play music, or disrupt. They stand respectful. It's what is required at a funeral. My mother is a very active member in north Alabama, and now that my father's back home, I see him taking an active part, too. Had I my bike, I would be doing it here, too.

Like Dave said, they lie waiting, like a spider or an anglerfish, waiting for someone to fall into their trap and strike out at them, because they abuse the protections of the law and skirt legality. Most cemetaries are not considered public property, but private with a grant given to the public to visit (It's the same thing as a city park, which is why the municipality can set visiting hours, or ban someone from it.) Many times, the WBC will not actually enter the cemetary, or be anything other than a nagging visual canker sore, right at the edge of 500 feet, or whatever the local boundary required is (In Georgia, we have a state code preventing disruptive behavior at a funeral, within 500 feet of proceedings.)

They are disgusting, abhorrent abominations, but they have the right to voice their opinion. I just wish that they wouldn't do it where one of my brothers or sisters is being mourned by a loving family.

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Officer_Charon said:

They are disgusting, abhorrent abominations, but they have the right to voice their opinion. I just wish that they wouldn't do it where one of my brothers or sisters is being mourned by a loving family.

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I agree. What hurts my head sometimes that I don't agree with WBC methods, but to me, these scums are protesting the very people who are willing to give up their lives and DID to protect the rights of every citizen of the U.S. The WBC should at LEAST give these men and women respect they deserve for their service, but I guess intelligence has left their genes.

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Honestly, it gets them publicity. That's the main reason why they protest at military funerals, IMO. And if you think about it, since they are getting news coverage and making tongues wag over their methods, they might be pretty intelligent after all.

I'd still like to set them all on fire though.

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Wasabi Poptart said:

I'd still like to set them all on fire though.

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They're on the list, I'm just waiting for the right offer...

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Shegokigo;432969][QUOTE=Wasabi Poptart said:

I'd still like to set them all on fire though.

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They're on the list, I'm just waiting for the right offer...[/QUOTE]

So the pepper spray was just pre-seasoning?

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For flavor, obviously.

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I don't know, Shegs. I still think even with all that flavoring that they would leave a pretty nasty aftertaste. And just think of all that gas afterwards, ugh!

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If setting something on fire doesn't solve the problem you are not using enough fire.

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Oh ugh no, I wouldn't eat them. I'd feed them to the KKK.

FnordBear said:

If setting something on fire doesn't solve the problem you are not using enough fire.

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I like this bear. Have I mentioned that? This bear is alright by me.

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Why did a cold wash of fear and dread suddenly go all the way to my bear-bits?

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I don't understand how American society tolerates people disturbing the peace that way. You have to be quite the douche to go out in cemeteries and harass people mourning like that. Americans seem to be so far up their collective asses with their god-given rights that everything is a mish-mash of a reaction of a reaction with people unable to cope with the repercussion of their sheer original idiocy on something they fully didn't understand or fully appreciate. Honestly, these stories are pretty pathetic to read. Not saying Canada can be better, especially after the retardation that happened at the last summit but somewhere people don't seem to understand that they caused this reaction. Where does it state they can harass other people in their lives like that? Common sense would be to lock them up.

It Was Going to Happen Eventually - Westboro Baptists Drive-by Pepper Spray Targe

I don't understand how American society tolerates people disturbing the peace that way. You have to be quite the douche to go out in cemeteries and harass people mourning like that. Americans seem to be so far up their collective asses with their god-given rights that everything is a mish-mash of a reaction of a reaction with people unable to cope with the repercussion of their sheer original idiocy on something they fully didn't understand or fully appreciate. Honestly, these stories are pretty pathetic to read. Not saying Canada can be better, especially after the retardation that happened at the last summit but somewhere people don't seem to understand that they caused this reaction. Where does it state they can harass other people in their lives like that? Common sense would be to lock them up.

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Just speaking my own point of view, its a twisted sort of patriotism mixed with nationalism. As ignorant as we are as a country we have it hammered in to us at an early age in school we have far more rights and freedoms than many other places in the world. That has lead to a society that tolerates abuse of those rights because it is one of our sacred cows to not revoke them.

Well that's my opinion at least.

Now does that mean I condone what these asshats do? Not one bit. Do I accept it's their right to do it? Yes. But it is also my right to verbally condem their actions and mock them mercilessly.

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The first amendment gives one the right to peacefully assemble. As disgusting and distasteful as the WBC is, until they call for violence or engage in violent acts they have every right to do what they do.

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Does "peacefully assemble" also include shouting obsenities to other people and have signs created for the purpose of causing conflict?

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You know what would be cool? Opening a gay bar right outside where the WBC people live

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Jay said:

Does "peacefully assemble" also include shouting obsenities to other people and have signs created for the purpose of causing conflict?

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Different local jurisdictions have different levels of "acceptable" when it comes to obscenities, but generally speaking fighting words need to be in close (500 feet away doesn't really count), and "causing conflict" is not enough, it has to be deliberately inciting imminent violence or danger.

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Jay said:

Does "peacefully assemble" also include shouting obsenities to other people and have signs created for the purpose of causing conflict?

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No, it doesn't. Assault can be considered provoked verbally.

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Has Southpark gone after them yet? Would be a good show. Also, I think 4-chan needs someone new to go after.

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I have a feeling Comedy Central is afraid of being sued for defamation.

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escushion said:

I have a feeling Comedy Central is afraid of being sued for defamation.

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Certainly didn't stop them from doing it to Scientologists. Or everyone else, for that matter.

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AshburnerX;433592][QUOTE=escushion said:

I have a feeling Comedy Central is afraid of being sued for defamation.

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Certainly didn't stop them from doing it to Scientologists. Or everyone else, for that matter.[/QUOTE]

And then they pulled the Scientology episode from syndication.