Phelps vs Patriot Guard Rider vs Constitutional Freedoms

The Phelps family has long been protesting funerals of Soldiers because they believe that the Soldiers who are dying are fighting for a country that allows homosexuality and because homosexuality is against God, somehow all of the Soldiers are also against God. The flaw with this twisted logic is that the Phelps family is protesting the funerals using the rights granted by that same “godless” country – the United States of America. The Soldiers whose funerals they protest are the reason that they have the right to protest – almost a paradox. If the Phelps family believes so strongly that our country is so wrong, I’m thinking that by using its laws as a shield, they are also supporting it – and thereby are also the object of their own hate.
Then comes the real story of the “Patriot Guard Riders” who also go to these funerals to protest; but they protest FOR the Soldiers and FOR the country they died for. The sheer numbers of Riders – on their motorcycles – is overwhelming in comparison to the Phelps family they oppose. Their message is louder and stronger and their composure is remarkable. Even in the face of the unabashed hate of the Phelps’, the Riders have not resorted to the physical violence – which would seem to be a viable, if not legal, alternative to the peaceful protests that have thus far taken place. I don’t know if I could be so retrained.
But, another story emerging that could overshadow both the evil of the Phelps and the good of the Riders is the notion that some states are considering laws to make it illegal to protest a funeral. That would be the ultimate victory for the Phelps. By demonstrating that we can take away freedom of speech on account of some zealots only goes to further shame the Soldiers who died to give them that freedom – past, present and future. I hope that someone sees beyond the “feel-good” solution of restricting free speech in the name of decency and understands that in the Land of Free, we must allow everyone to be free, not just those we agree with. That has always been the rub with free speech, religion and everything else – its always good when we agree with it, but it becomes much harder to believe in when you must support the rights of those who hate you. But that’s where the true test of your convictions come into play. The hard right over the easy wrong.