Recently in Religion - General Category

At face value, defending the "God Hates Fags" people sounds like a good idea:

(Omaha, Nebraska) The daughter of homophobic preacher Fred Phelps has been formally charged with negligent child abuse, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, flag mutilation and disturbing the peace over an anti-gay protest at the funeral of a soldier last month.

The indictment was filed Thursday. Shirley Phelps-Roper, 49, was arrested last month in Bellevue, Nebraska, after her 10-year-old son stomped on an American flag during a protest at the funeral of a National Guardsman killed in Iraq. (story)

Phelps-Roper and about a dozen other members of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas carried signs denouncing homosexuality and stating that military deaths in Iraq were God's retribution for America being permissive of gays.

the notion of flag-stomping as free speech is right up the ACLU's alley, says this card-carrying member. However, there are complicaitons here. Unlike their defense of the Ku Klux Klan's right to assemble, this particular case involves contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, which may be the approach the organization can use to beg off.

Phelps-Roper was wearing an American flag around her waist, which isn't strictly illegal in Nebraska. She encouraged her minor child to stomp on the flag, and that's against the law there. Had one of the adults of the Phelps klan chosen to tackle the Nebraska law, I'd say let's test it in court. By encouraging the minor child, however, this woman is really no better than your average crack dealer who uses children on the street because, if they get caught, the minors won't suffer the same consequences for their actions.

For all that they're batshit insane, the Nazis at least were making an adult decision to parade in Skokie, IL, in 1977. The ACLU was right to stand up in support of them, lest someone take away the rights of anti-war, gay rights, or other demonstrators.

I don't see the need to defend someone who lacks the moral courage to personally exercise civil disobedience and makes their kid do it for them.