[N0help4u]

Phony rip off liar getting what he deserves!!

Poetic Justice!

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A federal jury on Wednesday awarded the father of a fallen Marine $2.9 million in compensatory damages after finding a fundamentalist Kansas church and three of its leaders liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress for picketing the Marine's funeral in 2006.

The jury was to begin deliberating the size of punitive damages after receiving further instructions, although U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the compensatory award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendents," according to financial statements filed with the court.

Albert Snyder of York, Pa. sued the Westboro Baptist Church for unspecified monetary damages after members staged a demonstration at the March 2006 funeral of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who was killed in Iraq.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as "Thank God for dead soldiers" and "God hates fags."

[NeedKarma]

Thank you Flying Spagetti Monster! These people deserve what they get. They are an abomination.

Here's the link to CNN: Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest - CNN.com

[tomder55]

Unfortunately it will most likely be overturned by appeal . Freedom of speech is a stated guarantee while freedom of privacy is what many call an "implied right."

But we can celebrate one of those rare common sense rulings while we can. Fred Phelps is an AH and deserves to lose this case .He at very least should reexamine what it means to be Christian and ask himself if his group is really acting in a Christian manner.

[ETWolverine]

U.S. District Judge Richard Bennett noted the size of the compensatory award "far exceeds the net worth of the defendents," according to financial statements filed with the court.

So what? If you can't pay the price, don't do the crime.

Good for the judge. Good for the jury. Good for the fallen Marine. This was the correct decision.

What kind of scumbag protests funerals od fallen soldiers?

[Emland]

Do these Westboro people really think they are going to convert people to their cause by doing this kind of thing?

I saw one of their signs today on the news. It read "thank God for IEDs." Are any of these people sane? I can't see how they can be. Our local radio station interviewed one of their spokespeople a year ago and the woman was a raving lunatic.

[N0help4u]

The only reason they protest is so THEY can find some reason to sue.
They hope that they will be denied a permit so they can sue for being denied free rights.
They hope that during the protest they are harassed to the point they can sue.
It is a racket 100%!

[labman]

All real Christian are praying for them to stop protesting funerals.

[speechlesstx]

Did you see what the jerks had to say in response?

“Don’t you understand this was an act in futility?”

Probably so, but as the KC Star put it - at least for a moment - "Maryland jurors smote the Westboro Baptist Church and its leaders."

Can I get an amen to that?

[kindj]

I had the "opportunity" to interact with Phelps and his minions when they came to protest a couple of things in my town.

Among other things, they were "protesting" (harassing) a local church here that caters to homosexuals of faith. Whether you agree that a homosexual can be a Christian or not has nothing to do with the fact that they are totally free to worship as they see fit, and do so free of harassment and interference. So a bunch of us guys from church go over there to form a sort of shield or barrier between these scumbags and the congregants of this church.

Trust me, these people just ain't right. And this was BEFORE they turned their attention to military funerals.

[ETWolverine]

These are the same guys who in times past would gladly burn women to death as "witches" if those women dared to have an opinion other than the "orthodox faith" (defined liberally by them as anything they disagree with).

Sick.

Elliot

[kindj]

They'd planned to protest here and for some reason they changed their minds :):)


Yeah, I know. Some guys and I were planning a little road trip for that, and didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed when we found out they weren't coming.

[speechlesstx]

They'd planned to protest here and for some reason they changed their minds :):)


Yeah, I know. Some guys and I were planning a little road trip for that, and didn't know whether to be happy or disappointed when we found out they weren't coming.

That's just it buddy, they heard you were coming. :)

[parttime]

What ever happened to tort reform?

[kindj]

what ever happened to tort reform??

Whatever happened to public decency and respect for the dead and their family?

[speechlesstx]

Whatever happened to public decency and respect for the dead and their family?

I can answer that Dennis...

Letter: The kind young gentlemen of CHS

My grandfather passed away Oct. 3, and his funeral was held on Oct. 6. As we were leaving the church for the graveside service, we passed through the intersection of 34th Avenue and Osage Street.

At this intersection were many Caprock High School football players, collecting money for their team. These students went to one knee as we approached. They stopped their collections and showed respect to my family and my grandfather.

My family was very impressed to see such kindness from these young students. Their parents and the school should be very proud of how respectful these athletes were that day.

I still get tears in my eyes thinking of how this expression of kindness touched my heart.

I want to thank them again for being so considerate that day.

Marci Barnhart

On Behalf of the Gene Melton Family

Canyon

There's more...

Caprock students set example for all

On Aug. 25, I was in a long funeral procession driving past Caprock High School.

A sight that quickly caught my eye was the vast number of students scattered over the campus who turned to face our procession and stood in quiet respect.

In fact, to the best of my knowledge, only one student kept walking.

He was going toward the school and wasn't aware we were passing.

We older people would do well to think on things like that the next time we get disgusted with a young person for whatever reason.

That was truly a sight to behold.

Thank you, parents and Caprock High School, for teaching us a great lesson.

Molly McKnight

Amarillo

Not done yet...

Letters: Caprock boys show respect

Between 10:30 and 11 a.m. Sept. 6, a funeral procession passed in front of Caprock High School. At this same time, one of Caprock's boys physical education teams was outside running.

Although there was not a coach in sight to tell them what to do, without exception, every one of those boys stopped, hands behind their backs, some with heads bowed and waited until the entire procession passed. They stood in pairs, alone, in groups of three - they were impressive. They did not know the man whose procession was passing.

Family members and friends noticed and commented on the respect shown by these young men. How much better our city would be if these random acts of kindness were at the forefront of the media rather than the random acts of violence we hear so much about.

Caprock High School and Amarillo should be proud of each of these boys. I want to commend these young men to their parents, their school and to Amarillo. We should all be very proud to have young men like these in our community.

BLANCHE CROSS
Amarillo

Try this...

CHS students warm bereaved hearts

Oct. 3 was the day of my "second dad's" funeral. After the services, our funeral procession proceeded down 34th Avenue past Caprock High School.

As the procession passed, the CHS football team removed their helmets and took a knee; baseball players removed their caps and placed them over their hearts; and what appeared to be the girls' soccer team stood at attention with their arms behind their backs. Other students were standing beside their cars as we passed.

The students stood this way while the entire procession passed. We traveled on to Groom, and these students were still being talked about at the cemetery.

My family and I were in awe to see such respect from young men and women. Today, we still are smiling, thinking of the respect these students and faculty showed my "dad" and family. We would like to thank them for making our hearts feel good during this sorrowful time and showing such respect.

My family and I believe the citizens of Amarillo should be proud to have these students as Amarillo citizens.

Michelle Reed

Amarillo

Students show proper respect

During a funeral process on Oct. 4, we passed Caprock High School, where many students were practicing their athletics.

As we drove by we noticed that every student stopped to show respect. Some put their hands over their hearts and others stood at attention. They all showed respect until the entire procession had passed.

The youth are criticized for so much. Don't you think it is time they are recognized for something positive?

These students not only have been taught respect, but they also practice it. It is greatly appreciated.

Phyllis Hubbard

Amarillo

Caprock, which seems to get little respect around here otherwise, is my alma mater. Things like this make proud. But how about one more?

Amarilloans pay proper respect to passing funeral processions

There were two letters in the Oct. 11 Globe-News concerning the respect that the students and student athletes at Caprock High School paid to a funeral procession that passed by the high school.

I am from Amarillo originally. My mother passed away in July 2002. Her funeral was in Panhandle.

During the funeral procession toward Amarillo on Highway 60, we noticed 18-wheelers stop on the other side of the highway. The drivers would get out of their trucks, place their hats over their hearts and stand at attention until the procession passed.

There was a train stopped on the tracks, and those men stood off the train, took off their hats and placed their right hands over their hearts.

The people of Amarillo are the most respectful people I have ever known, and I am proud that I am from there.

I hope to get back to Amarillo before I die, the big reason being that I would consider it an honor to be host of a funeral procession in Amarillo.

Raymond Koenig

Fort Worth

Proper respect is still out there. You show it yourself, Dennis.

[kindj]

Proper respect is still out there.

Oh, yeah, I know.

I was responding to the "whatever happened to tort reform" remark. Tort reform seems like a rather small matter compared to the atrocities attempted upon grieving families by Phelps and his minions.

Maybe the poster meant something different and I read it wrong, but the impression I got was that he/she was more concerned about the judgment against Phelps than the travesties committed against the families.

[speechlesstx]

Oh, yeah, I know.

I was responding to the "whatever happened to tort reform" remark. Tort reform seems like a rather small matter compared to the atrocities attempted upon grieving families by Phelps and his minions.

Absolutely.