Marine’s Father Sues Funeral Protesters

Posted on June 5, 2006

The father of a Marine whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters from a fundamentalist Kansas church filed an invasion-of-privacy suit against the demonstrators Monday.

It is believed to be the first lawsuit brought by a soldier’s family against Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kan., whose members routinely demonstrate at military funerals around the country.

Albert Snyder of York, Pa., the father of Lance Cpl. Matthew A. Snyder (pictured at right), is seeking unspecified damages. The younger Snyder, 20, died March 3 after an accident in the Al Anbar province of Iraq. He was buried in Westminster, Md.

“We think it’s a case we can win because anyone’s funeral is private,” Snyder lawyer Sean Summers said. “You don’t have a right to interrupt someone’s private funeral.”

Members of Westboro say the military deaths in Iraq are God’s punishment for America’s tolerance of gays. They typically carry signs with slogans such as “God Hates Fags” and “Thank God for IEDs,” a reference to the roadside bombs used by insurgents.

The church has inspired dozens of state laws banning funeral protests, including a Maryland law that did not go into effect until after Snyder’s memorial.

Shirley Phelps-Roper, a spokeswoman for the small congregation, said it is the first time Westboro has been sued by a soldier’s family. “We were exercising our First Amendment rights,” she said.

Hat tip: Barking Moonbat who has much more.

» Filed Under 1st Amendment, News, War On Terror

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3 Responses to “Marine’s Father Sues Funeral Protesters”

guitarplayr on June 5th, 2006 5:03 pm

good. I hope he takes phelps to the cleaners.

But phelps will defend his actions with free assemlby/speech protections, and likely get lots of support.
John on June 5th, 2006 6:30 pm

In any other context I think the left would be all over Phelps for this type of crap. But hey…anti-war protests are the in thing!
kerwin_brown on June 5th, 2006 8:37 pm

The law is supposed to be clear and understandable. I will have to see what law the lawsuit is brought under and what it describes privacy as. The protestors are rude but rudeness seems to be a lousy justification for a lawsuit.

So far this case looks like a case where liberals are manipulating conservatives in order to make precedents that they can use to advance their cause later. I can not believe how gullible conservatives have proven to be.