Westboro Baptist Church: Does their free speech end where someones privacy begins?

[..PAUL4PRES..]

I had someone bring this up in political discussion and was stumped?

Is there a right to privacy?

[nate895]

There is a "right to privacy" on your own property. You can enforce that right by kicking people off your property.

[foofighter20x]

from government? sure.

from private citizens on a public right-of-way? nope.

[tremendoustie]

Yes, it's about private property rights. Anyone has a right to kick Westboro off their property.

[..PAUL4PRES..]

Thinking about it a little more....................

If someone claims they the right to privacy. Could that not be exploited to the limits of censorship?

[nate895]

Thinking about it a little more....................

If someone claims they the right to privacy. Could that not be exploited to the limits of censorship?

You can censor things on your own property. You don't have to let naked men run through your lawn. You don't have to let them speak on your lawn either. Now, if it's their lawn....

[..PAUL4PRES..]

You can censor things on your own property. You don't have to let naked men run through your lawn. You don't have to let them speak on your lawn either. Now, if it's their lawn....

So if i get you. I dont want to put words in you mouth....but WBC's speech is protected as long as it public property. Roads, sidewalks, etc.......even if its really close to the cemetery..

[nate895]

So if i get you. I dont want to put words in you mouth....but WBC's speech is protected as long as it public property. Roads, sidewalks, etc.......even if its really close to the cemetery..

Yes, assuming it is common area or their own property. And please, anarchists and other hardcore private property guys, even in a society where private property is king and there is no government, there will still be a common area where anybody can go.

[Kilrain]

Free speech, of course. But say there's a person standing next to your property with a bullhorn 24/7. Then you must have some recourse.

[nate895]

Free speech, of course. But say there's a person standing next to your property with a bullhorn 24/7. Then you must have some recourse.

That's noise pollution, not "free speech." I don't understand why some libertarians have to have strict boundaries on some of this stuff. You have to take a lot of it on a case by case basis. Sometimes it's OK to play your stereo on blaring noises. Sometimes it isn't.

[tremendoustie]

Yes, assuming it is common area or their own property. And please, anarchists and other hardcore private property guys, even in a society where private property is king and there is no government, there will still be a common area where anybody can go.

I'm sure such common areas will exist -- but they'll still be owned. Anyone can go to the mall, but if the owner of the mall wants to kick you out, he/she still can.

[Fox McCloud]

Yes, assuming it is common area or their own property. And please, anarchists and other hardcore private property guys, even in a society where private property is king and there is no government, there will still be a common area where anybody can go.

even with the lack of "common areas", there will be completely 100% private property areas where the property owner won't "give a rat's behind" about who does what on the property so long as they don't interfere with their customers, etc..

so, what the group does is, IMHO protected under free speech laws.

[nobody's_hero]

Maybe the city could vote to sell the sidewalk to the funeral home/cemetery.

[noxagol]

You don't have a right to privacy, but you do have a right to take measures to make things private, as long as you don't do anything to someone else against their will. Merely looking about isn't a violation of rights, unless of course the looker is tresspassing. But walking down the street and you happen to look into an open window and see something that was not meant to be seen can hardly be construed as a violation of rights.

People can say whatever they want, unless whomever's property they are on say otherwise. Then they must leave or be quiet.

And yes, there will be a common area everyone can go most likely, but there will still be someone you can contact with issues and they will most likely address them.

[MelissaWV]

So if i get you. I dont want to put words in you mouth....but WBC's speech is protected as long as it public property. Roads, sidewalks, etc.......even if its really close to the cemetery..

Their speech is protected, and speech of people who decide to shout down the WBC would also be protected, so long as it doesn't interfere with others' enjoyment of their own adjacent property unreasonably. By this I mean that, for instance, if WBC wanted to dump a steaming pile of manure in the middle of the sidewalk as part of their "speech," they'd be causing a stink to neighbors, and they'd likewise be polluting and creating an unsanitary condition in the public area. This is why ultimately someone needs to be in charge of the "public" area, even in an entirely Governmentless society. It might be a community group, or a private property owner, or some other entity, but there is always going to be someone whose decision it is.

If there is a question on the matter, as Nate said it can be decided on a case-by-case basis.

[Bruno]

They were just in Des Moines this past weekend protesting same sex marriage.

http://iowaindependent.com/31813/theres-no-hate-in-iowa-scenes-from-westboros-des-moines-visit