Snyder v Phelps | Existential Ennui

Tags

1st Amendment, Constitution, feminism, Humor, John Boehner, right-wing crazies, SCOTUS, Snyder v Phelps, women, Women's issues

I’ve come to believe that there are things that humans shouldn’t do. And if they do, well, what happens to them is pretty much their own fault, and I figure the gene pool is thus protected from self-destructive influences.

In other words, I don’t mourn idiots. The photo at right illustrates my point perfectly. This intellectually challenged individual is wrong on two counts. He (or she, but really most women are too smart for this) is climbing vertically which means falling will almost certainly cause serious injury or death.

That’s bad enough, but this, if I only had a brain! excuse for humanity, is climbing on ice, which is cold and can cause injury and death, seriously!

Mountains should be climbed if at all only when they have proven to contain precious metals or live-saving medicinal plants, and on no account should they have inclines of more than 20°. Otherwise one gets winded, and being winded leads to be tired, and being tired leads to making mistakes, and making mistakes leads to serious injury and death.

Am I making this clear? Suffice it to say that I watch Extreme Sports and cheer for the sport.

In case you aren’t happy enough yet, then go over to Vodka and Ground Beef and see about her fun quickie date at the Border’s Bookstore. I’m sure some of you could relate. Though not me. I’m not that kinda girl. I was, but if you tell anyone I’ll deny it. Just between us two, you understand.

And if that’s not enough, well, The Borowitz Report, has some significant info about the shakeup at the White House. Not to give it away, but it involves the White House, Afghanistan, and the Minnesota Vikings. Yes, with a little effort, you can see the relationship surely.

And if that is not enough, well, I suggest you contact your therapist, because you are wayyyy to depressed.

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John (I bathe in Cheetos) Boehner, is all poised to become the new Speaker. In fact it’s pretty clear from listening to him that it’s all he can do to keep his Depends® changed regularly, he gets so excited.

Bob Herbert has a very good report on all things Boehner. He frankly defines the word sleaze. Beholden forever to special interests, he just wallows in the good life supplied to him by all those lovely tobacco interests, et al.

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Frankly this is an interesting question. Why are so many of the uber crazies on the extreme right women? AlterNet picks up a post at Bitch Magazine which helps to give an answer. Worse, these women are attempting to redefine feminism. The connection may be the religious right, where many of these women got their training. In any case, this article is well-worth it and links to another carried at Slate.

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And now for a personal opinion. Yes, all the other stuff is pure fact! I do not lie!

The SCOTUS took up the volatile case known as the first amendment funeral case, otherwise known as Snyder v Phelps. This is the type of case that tries the souls of liberals, because every fiber of my being suggests that Mr. Phelps and his sick family (the only real “members” of his “church”) should have their mouths duct taped. There behavior and rhetoric is reprehensible, period.

However, if the 1st Amendment means anything, it means that we allow speech to occur which we find obnoxious, even blasphemous, even cruel and inhuman. That’s the nature of the beast. To do otherwise allows for the other side to have purchase to a doctrine that would allow them to silence simple opposition.

There are only two real bases for disallowing speech–speech that endangers life and limb, and speech which promotes immediate violence. Those are pretty thin parameters and indeed they need be. The typical scenarios are shouting “fire” in a crowded theatre, and inciting others to riot in a crowd, somewhere.

I think that Mr. Phelps and his motley crew of ugly might well satisfy the later. The Contrarian supplied the important ingredient here–namely that a funeral creates a place that cannot be “moved.” In other words, those attending must attend at the location of funerals–cemeteries. Thus one cannot “avoid” the hate-spewers.

The haters are inciteful–they carry signs applauding the death of the subject of the funeral. They are inviting as it were reactions of the most explosive kind. The Contrarian pointed out that many of these military funerals now are attended by bikers whose sole purpose is to protect families from the tiny regiment of vile sign carriers.

Bikers, it seems to me, are rather well-known for their fight first mentality, and if the situation becomes unruly, then I would suggest, real violence can and is likely to ensue.

I’d like the SCOTUS to declare Phelps and company to cease and desist. But, I’d also like the Justices to declare that this case pretty much is limited to its very special facts and falls wholly within the parameters of one of two existing bases for limiting free speech.

At least that’s the way I see it.