Pitts on the Westboro Baptist Church court decision

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A court ruling about a protest that will turn your stomach, by Leonard Pitts, Jr.

You will be furious when you finish this column. Fair warning.

In March 2006, a 20-year-old Marine, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Iraq. His family probably thought that the most painful blow imaginable. Truth is, their pain was only beginning.

Cpl. Snyder’s death, you see, came to the attention of Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan. Westboro, for those who do not know, is no more a church than is your average gas station toilet.

[snipped]

I admit to being conflicted. I am a strong believer in the First Amendment and in the principle that freedom of speech means nothing unless it is protected for the vilest among us: even the flag burner, even the anti-Semite, even, as in this case, the intellectually incontinent.

[snipped]

I am consumed with a “human” question: How addled by hatred do you have to be, how niggardly of spirit, shriveled of soul and just plain “crazy,” to do what these people have done? To use one of my mother’s favorite expressions, these “Christians” are going to knock the bottom out of hell.

[snipped]

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Now we come to the commenters..... sigh..... not much difference between the ones on The News Tribune than on the Olympian, viz:

tree_guy wrote on 04/04/2010 08:39:15 AM:

When Westboro Baptist complains about homosexuality that's a bad thing.

When Leonard Pitts complains about caucasians that's a good thing.

Followed by:

TMell wrote on 04/04/2010 08:46:08 AM:

He was so close to writing a race-bating free article, then he has to absurdly stick a hyphenated version of the "N" word in there just because he is Leonard......I read this article and was so amazed by the clarity of thought, and rationale used. It is a hard situation.

And...

geeterpontiac wrote on 04/04/2010 05:41:19 PM:

Yes, almost a great piece and one must really wonder about the state of the judiciary that ruled on this case. And, as TMell mentioned, he was oh so close to avoiding any racial dialogue at all. Just couldn't pass it by. Oh well. [snipped]

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OK, WTH are they talking about? Did I somehow miss a version of the “n” word? Surely they don't think "niggardly" or "anti-Semite" are racist?