Grieving Dad Of Dead Marine Sues Church

Fundamentalist Church Picketed Funeral For Young Leatherneck Killed In Iraq

(AP)  The father of a Marine killed in Iraq took the stand in his invasion of privacy suit against a fundamentalist church that pickets soldiers' funerals, saying protesters carrying signs at his son's burial made him sick to his stomach.

Albert Snyder said he had hoped for a private funeral for his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder.

"They turned this funeral into a media circus and they wanted to hurt my family," Snyder testified Wednesday. "They wanted their message heard and they didn't care who they stepped over. My son should have been buried with dignity, not with a bunch of clowns outside."

Snyder is suing the Westboro Baptist church, whose members have picketed the funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, claiming the deaths are punishment for the country's tolerance of homosexuality.

The York, Pa., resident is seeking unspecified monetary damages in the case for invasion of privacy and intent to inflect emotional distress as a result of the Topeka, Kan., church's protest at his son's funeral in Westminster in March 2006.

The church's protests have inspired several state laws and a federal law about funeral protests, but the Maryland suit is believed to be the first filed by the family of a fallen serviceman.

Asked Wednesday about a sign that read "Thank God for dead soldiers," Snyder said he thinks about it daily.

"I see that sign when I lay in bed," Snyder said.

Asked about statements issued by the group that his son was raised to support the "Roman Catholic monstrosity" and then sent to fight for the "United States of Sodomy," Snyder said "they have no right to do this to people they didn't know."

During cross-examination, defense attorney Jonathan Katz focused on obituaries and death notices and questioned Snyder on whether they said the funeral services were private. Snyder replied that the notices said friends and family were welcome, but admitted that he did not know all of the 500 or so people who attended.

The case tests the limits of the First Amendment right to free speech.

U.S. District Richard Bennett instructed jurors at the start of testimony Tuesday that the First Amendment protection of free speech has limits, including vulgar, offensive and shocking statements. Bennett said the jurors must decide "whether the defendant's actions would be highly offensive to a reasonable person, whether they were extreme and outrageous, and whether these actions were so offensive and shocking as to not be entitled to First Amendment protection."

Church members said they are motivated by the fear of God and their need to warn America about its moral decay, rather than a desire to hurt anyone.

Katz told jurors Tuesday the protests took place 1,000 feet away from St. John Catholic Church, where the funeral was held, down a hill and out of sight and hearing from participants.

Snyder said American military personnel are in Iraq fighting for freedom of speech "they're not fighting for hate speech." One photo showing a child holding a sign at the funeral protest was particularly disturbing, the father said.

"I pray for their children. Their children need help. To be brought up with that kind of hatred," Snyder said.

"My God is loving God," Snyder said, adding later "I don't look for hatred in the Bible."

The church's founder and pastor, Fred Phelps, took the stand after Snyder and prompted a strong admonition from Bennett when the pastor said he had not considered whether children would see a sign carried by protesters with the words "Semper Fi Fags" and two stick figures that appear to be engaged in sodomy.

"No, it's an irrelevancy," Phelps said.

Bennett then interjected sharply.

"Just answer the question, sir. Don't determine what's relevant or not relevant. You just answer the question," Bennett said.

Phelps said he chose to use the term "fag" in the group's signs because it comes from scripture but could also have used Sodomite or dog. When asked by Katz why the group made a "Semper Fi Fags" sign, Phelps said it was in response to the need for a warning to the country "that your wicked ways are going to be your doom shortly."

Under cross-examination by the plaintiffs, Phelps agreed he did not believe his presence was wanted at the funeral and could just as easily have protested somewhere else.

[michellem99-2009]

Shut them down as they may have to freedom to have their say BUT they crossed the line with Hate..I read one page they have on the net..I am pissrd..Who the hell do they think they are..That bloody ex lawyer should know better..He has the gall to write trash..There was a reason the framers of the constution went for sep of church and state...It is the churches that cause for hate and pain and suffering..How yer forgot the dang which hunts..They were not whiches but ladies and gents that had epilipsy...Yep.. medical..Had I lived then my handicaps would have cost me my life..They are still so dang close minded today..Yer don''t know the Allmighty''s wishes as that Books were writ by men centuries later by blind minded hate lovers..Are we not seeing a form of which hunt toay...Think about it..

[michellem99-2009]

Gramma and crzmeat..I did not see the site as I seen protest on every thing..Them protesters agaist this/that shut Seattle to a crawl..Yer don''t pull that shiit when person raised his/her paw for God and Nation..Yer just don''t..That man earnt to be layed to rest..With Honour..They are very fools who learnt nothing but HATE..Hate cause we don''t fit in their little world..I don''t as a I am legally blind..So what..I will tell them my mind..Yer wonder why I feel this way..Yer blood actions.Jesus would give that man an honourabe layed to rest..and not judge his lifestyle. It ain''t yers to judge nor mine..Did any of them azzes been in service to Nation by joining the military..Are they too good..No they are not.. Thank you vets..

[Krazcarl]

These people are a scourge. my friends no matter their political view find them disgusting, I was floored that they demonstrated in my town. Lock them up or they will will suppress our freedom of expression. There evil and are waiting to make cash for assaults to benefit there beliefs. that''s what it is all about led by a disbarred lawyer and are waiting for decent americans to attack so they can sue and have a payday and play the pervirbal victim. I say a federal law needs to be passed that protesting a military funeral is a federal crime. This is sick and a scam.

[grammawhamma]

Posters: These Westboro Baptists protest any military funeral...regardless if the person was gay or straight. They protested at the funerals of the Va. tech victims. If you google westboro baptists their site will sicken you. They are hateful and disgusting. They say that "any and all" deaths that happen in this country are because God is punishing the USA for acceptance of homosexuality. They say Thank God for killing all those people in Hurricaine Katrina. They praise God for the deaths that occured due to the California fires and go on to say more people should have been killed. This is not a church but a cult!! It was the most sickening site I have ever looked at. They need to be stopped.

[michellem99-2009]

Let me make this clear..My father is a vet..He had to have his parents sign to raise his paw so that he could join the armed forces..He did his part. The Army..The honourable thing to do is if they died and is a vet..Yer serve God and Nation then yer given a proper send off in death as yer earnt it. It mean with honour..

[hippychicky-2009]

sunsetbillyb

We have been plagued by fundemental christians, overzealous ministers, and zealous right wing radicals..
You people wake up...and learn some tolerance..

[hippychicky-2009]

we been plagued by immorality child molesters criminals,homosexuality is rampant,gay parades!!you people wake up..clean up your house before you send your kids off to war...
Posted by sunsetbillyb

Ok..so your a member of that church huh? I can see you with your little sign now, you should be thanking every vet you see for your ability to live in a free nation. Doesn''t matter if he was gay or not, or cares..point was he faught and died for his country...

[hippychicky-2009]

I will tell you one thing that worked. They would hang around outside of gay clubs, or any gay events with their cute signs, so the gay community started selling squares in these grids, sort of like the office grids during the world series. You pay a dollar a square for a score and win if that score hits. Well, the *** would sell squares with different lengths of time in them, like 10 hours, 2 days, six hours, a week, etc., guessing how long the Phelps would stay at any give protest. They they would take the money and give it to AIDs research. Worked like a charm. The nuts quit going to those events.
Posted by kansas1946


Wow!! Our creativity never ceases to amaze me...thats just greatness...thanks for sharin kansas1946

[michellem99-2009]

Tool dear, God is not in the church not today..In America the church is a business...corp,...I love Mother Teresa.I love the sisters...We would not tax God Allmighty..Did it ever Dawn on ye Christian things are taxed they are paid for..The body of Christ is us the people not a building..Peace of Christ be with ye and yer family..He is in the heart.

[hippychicky-2009]

who sent this kids off to WAR? us lunatics? the Christians? nope not me it was you morons now deal with your loses the best way you can!!while we christians turn to JESUS!!!!
Posted by sunsetbillyb

Our wonderful leader sent the kids off to war..your statement is rude and thoughtless, even though I don''t agree with the war...I still am thankful for the men and women who fight for our country...
It doesn''t matter if they are LGBT yellow, black, blue, red...they deserve honor and respect for having faught...

[michellem99-2009]

Yer want to know who sent our loved ones in to combat GWB..Not me..I saw a family member of mine on the news and having never seem him I knew he is family..I hate wars..To protest is not alway the best thing to do as the time and place is not the right thing to do..I was pissed when I read the way this boy was treated and he died for this Nation..I don''t care if he was g@y when he was killed..The honourable thing to given him a proper service as he earnt that..He raised his right paw,did ye..I did not as I am legally blind..I don''t attend church as they base their life on one book that was writ ages after Jesus.Sep of church and state..Go for it for yer son now dead.They more than disgraced him and others..Thank you Vets....

[toolmangler-2009]

Do we really need organized religion? What good does it do? Anyone know?

Please enlighten me.

Posted by Keithle1 at 07:39 AM : Oct 27, 2007



"Organized" religion does as much good as it does harm. Check out missionaries, AKA Mother Teresa, Salvation Army and others too numerous to mention. The Big problem is that Power brokers also use O.R. for their own ends. My view is,
(1) GOD created us.
(2) Religion is the worship of GOD
(3) Man created "Organized Religion"
(4) You should notice that religion was alright until man started running it instead of doing it the way GOD wants.

[toolmangler-2009]

I FEEL THE CHURCHES SHOULD PAY THEIR TAXES ON THE LAND AND BUILDINDS THEY OWN..I don''''t attend them..why they all teach something different..Dad of yer son hope yer win...Thank you vets..

Posted by MichelleM99 at 12:39 AM : Oct 27, 2007


Most people would not go for that. It is the same thing as ''Taxing'' GOD.

[badmoonryzn]

Well''
My first thought is go as a family and pound the *** out of those maggots, but why lower yourself to their level. Show the world just what judgmental hypocrites they really are. One screwed up pastor getting his sheep to do his bidding. No behavior like that is tolerated in any legitimate church. Target their members; show up at their weddings, funerals, church festivities and church. Make noise politely. Don''t forget the video cameras, as the video will be worth a thousand words. I don%u2019t advocate violence, but if someone showed up at my son%u2019s funeral like that I would bust him right in the kisser, take their signs and throw them in the trash. It crosses the line of simple respect. It is amazing the strength the family showed at the funeral. Morons like that make good honest Christians look like complete boneheads. It%u2019s sad as in every other group of people how a few idiots mess it up for the masses. The only way to get it to stop is to give them some of their own medicine. God bless that poor family who was laying their son and one of our countries heroes to rest. That honorable young man gave his all for God and country and anyone who would use his passing for political gain is not affiliated with any God, or honest organization our county believes in or values. This is a perfect example of what this young man and all our fallen heroes stand for: Freedom for All, even the creepy cults who hide behind legitimate organizations! SEMPER FI

Denn

[rerrorislam3]

it is fascist nazi terrorislam stupid,,,

non muslims of the world unite,,, fight against the tyranny of the fascist nazi terrorslam imperialist empire of the darkside,,,

I was a fanatic...I know their thinking, says former radical Islamist
By blaming the Government for our actions, those who pushed this "Blair''s bombs" line did our propaganda work for us.
More important, they also helped to draw away any critical examination from the real engine of our violence: Islamic theology.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=465570&in_page_id=1770

Bless the Beasts and Children
Fascist nazi terrorslam kills every man woman and child in the village again%u2026 typical mo for terrorslam%u2026
http://www.michaelyon-online.com/wp/bless-the-beasts-and-children.htm

Our Prophet commanded us to fight the kaafirs when we are able and to attack them in their homelands and to give them three choices before we enter their lands: either they become Muslim and be like us, sharing our rights and duties; or they pay the jizyah (poll tax) and feel themselves subdued; or they fight, in which case their wealth, women, children and homes become permissible as booty for the Muslims.
http://islamqa.com/index.php?ref=13759&ln=eng&txt=before%20islam%20arabia%20pagan

the truth about fascist nazi terrorislam...
http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

[keithle1]

You don''t see Buddhists doing this kind of insane, hurtful, stupid stuff.

And then these fierce fundies have the audacity to come up with this nonsense:

"Church members said they are motivated by the fear of God and their need to warn America about its moral decay, rather than a desire to hurt anyone."

"Fear of God"? Gimme a break. Come on now. We''re not living in Old Testament times. Grow up, people. Get your head out of your butt. They have a "need to warn America." Excuse me while I puke. I have a need to get you to dry up & blow away.

We''ll see what these picketers do if one of their sons joins the military & gets killed in Iraq. Stand outside his funeral & do the same thing to them. See how they''ll take it. Hold a sign saying, "It''s God''s will that your son died before his 22nd birthday."

[xeniani]

Would these people picket Jesus''s funeral? After all he accepted outcasts.

[hippychicky-2009]

There ya go, thats what is wrong with organized religion..over zealous people who feel the need to impose their beliefs on humanity...so sad for this family. I hope the dad bleeds the church dry..

[bb19631]

Those communist insurgents that hide behind the bible and disgrace our American heroes need to be put in front of a block wall, in front of a firing squad and shot for high treason. This is the word from my husband the grunt soldier. A-men brother!!

[bb19631]

My heart goes out to this, dad. Unbelievable, you were trying to lay your son to rest after he gave his all for his country and these wack jobs show up at the funeral. I would have flipped out, thank goodness he kept his cool. The church needs to know their place. Being at a funeral demonstrating, is not acceptable. I hope your lawsuit goes all the way.