“Speech is powerful,” Chief Justice John G. Roberts wrote for the majority. “It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and – as it did here – inflict great pain.”
Mr. Roberts went on to say freedom of speech requires protection of “even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”
The Westboro Baptist Church contends that “God hates fags” and the nation is being “punished for its acceptance of homosexuality.”
“I support the decision,” Jack Friedman, of San Francisco, told Politically Illustrated. “Where would the nation be without freedom of speech even for the most hateful things?”
“A less hateful nation? Nope. Hate is harbored in our souls, speech is only a reflection of that hate. It’s almost as if they’re burning. I think they’re burning inside for their actions, as they rake in millions.”
