Regarding my last post

While I think Fred Phelps is a loathsome, hatefilled pimple on the face of humanity, I do support the Supreme Court’s decision.
•There’s no way ruling against Phelps would be anything but discriminating based on the content of free speech, since I’m quite certain a “We Salute Our Honored Dead” demonstration would get the same treatment.
•It’s true what he’s doing is horribly hurtful and offensive, but neither of these things is unconstitutional. And if the government can ban speech at funerals, how about hospitals where gay veterans are recovering? Or near military bases? The potential range of exclusions is vast.
•Judge Alito argued that there’s no need to protest at funerals because there are thousands of miles of public space where Westboro Baptist Church can picket just as effectively. This is the same kind of logic by which the Bush administration rationalized “free speech zones” that keep protesters concealed from anyone in authority: Oh, we’re not stopping the protests, we just won’t let them do it where they want.
This reflects my personal conviction that the First Amendment is an actual moral good: Being free to speak and worship as we choose is something that should be available to everyone. Shutting it down has never produced anything good, with a few exceptions (“Fred Smith of 81 Hanover Street is a homosexual, which means God will reward anyone who puts a bullet in his brain.” is the sort of thing that crosses the line).
Even when it’s shutting down a hatemongering pustule like Phelps.