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Could Fred Phelps' protests be illegal ("God hates fags")?

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bluestateguy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-07-05 12:51 AM
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Could Fred Phelps' protests be illegal ("God hates fags")?
Under the Supreme Court's Chaplinsky vs. New Hampshire ruling from 1942, one could argue that the "fighting words" doctrine is applicable.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_words_doctrine

http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?court=US&vol=315&invol=568
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Sgent Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Aug-07-05 01:12 AM
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1. The words
"God Hate's Fags" probably wouldn't be considered illegal because it doesn't refer to any one person. See Cohen v. California (1971), where "Fuck the Draft" written on a shirt was also allowed.

I don't particularly like him, but I would be troubled if his speech were to be suppressed -- let him make an idiot of himself.
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