Omaha suburb pays Westboro member

[frogmarch]

Bellevue Pays Westboro Member

BELLEVUE, Neb. -- An Omaha suburb has paid a member of a Kansas church that protests at soldiers' funerals $17,000.

In exchange, Shirley Phelps-Roper has dropped her lawsuit against Bellevue.

The settlement with Westboro Baptist Church, which says troop deaths are punishment for the nation's tolerance of homosexuality, was signed last week.

The church said it shows that responding to public anger by taking action against it costs taxpayers.

City attorney Michael Polk didn't respond to a message seeking comment.

Phelps-Roper was arrested during a 2007 protest in Bellevue after she and her son allegedly mutilated the U.S. flag.

The settlement was signed the same day a federal judge, with agreement from Attorney General Jon Bruning, permanently stopped the flag-mutilation law from being enforced. They said it's unconstitutional.

http://www.ketv.com/news/24414583/detail.html

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I can't believe this! What an outrage.

[NC_Nurse]

1. Great. More funds for these nutjobs to keep it up. Yuck.

[Axle_techie]

2. Mutilating the U.S. flag is not a crime

but what if I go out in public and burn a rainbow flag? or a Mexico flag? How about I burn an effigy of Jesus on the front lawn of their so-called church?

[arbusto_baboso]

7. Why not trample a crucifix, or urinate on it?

[Axle_techie]

8. My point is that

some group somewhere would take offense with what I did and call it a hate crime, drag me to court, and probably win...

[Hawkeye-X]

3. Dumbest move that the city ever made.

Now Shirley Fucker-Roofie can use it to sue more people.

They should have not bowed down to these fuckers. EVER.

Hawkeye-X

[Orsino]

6. Not the bravest, but possibly the smartest.

The courts can be an important forum, one I'd like to see the Westies in as little as possible.

Unless we're talking criminal court, of course.

[Orsino]

4. I hope the bills are marked.

I can imagine other nasty places they could end up.

[lbrtbell]

5. I met a Guardsman the other day

We talked about this, and he had some choice words as to what he'd like to do to these whackjobs who protest at soldiers' funerals.
It would make a great pay-per-view event. :evilgrin:

[blogslut]

9. That's the Phelps family business model

They fund their hate machine by suing people, venues and cities that "infringe" on their "right to free speech".

[IADEMO2004]

10. Exactly what local police told me

WBC loons were in Red Oak this weekend. Local Government has to protect them and provide space or off to court they go. Red Oak was prepared and only cost was police overtime.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Woohoo! And it's on to the NEXT funeral!

Hey, protesting debauchery and moral degradation ain't CHEAP, you know. Why, cans of GOOD fluorescent paint are over $15 now.

How's our store of American flags holding out? WHAT? Only 3 left? Call that company in China, they're cheaper.

ON TO Scottsboro!