As a bit of a prologue, a few months ago, I donated some money to a gentleman named Al Snyder. His son was killed in Iraq in 2006, and at his funeral, Fred Phelps and his homies from the Westboro Baptist Church (of the "God Hates Fags" fame) of course chose to saddle up and picket the poor kid's funeral.
Mr. Snyder sued claiming intentional infliction of emotional distress and won $11 million. Phelps, naturally, appealed and ultimately got the verdict thrown out on 1st Amendment grounds. The Supreme court granted cert and will hear the case, Snyder v. Phelps, in the October term.
After the verdict was overturned, Mr. Snyder, who is neither a rich nor a powerful person, was required to pay $16,000 in legal fees to Fred Phelps.
Even though I don't support either the war in Afghanistan or Iraq, I donated to this guy because no one whose child dies should have to have Fred Phelps being such an asshole at the lowest point in their lives. From my donation, I get this weekly email newsletter.
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