8-1

Today the Supreme Court issued an 8-1 ruling that the 1st Amendment protected the Westboro Baptists Church's right to picket outside of military funerals.  This overturned a decision by a lower court that had awarded $5 Million to the family of Lance Corporal Mathew Snyder, after his father took the church to court after protesting at his sons funeral. 

I'm very split on this.  Objectively, as a person with libertarian leanings, I agree with the courts decision.  The WBC was clever enough to follow all the rules set up to allow for peaceable protest...they did not leave any opening for either law enforcement, or a private citizen to win a case against them. 

As a human being, I find what they are doing quite deplorable.  Not only is their 'America is being punished for accepting homosexuality' stance just plain warped, but using soldiers funeral as a setting for a protest amd publicity is wrong.  Flat out wrong...without resorting to profanity I am not sure I can express my opinion any more clearly.

Finally, as a gun owner....I am quite upset at the idea that the 1st Amendment protects these horrible heinous people from ruining a family's opportunity to say goodbye to their fallen son, but the 2nd Amendment might not protect my ability to have magazines that contain greater than 10 rounds.