The Phelpses: the Partridge Family of insultainment.

Let's get this straight right up front: the existence of Fred Phelps, and the whole Phelps family — the one-hit wonders who brought you "God Hates Fags" — is a genuine abomination.  Phelps's clan, through sheer persistence, has become the Partridge Family of insultainment.  With no sensible argument, and no pretense of participating in a productive public discourse, Phelps has become a household name.  

If the scourge of the Phelpses were not so deftly pernicious, outrageously striking at decent people in their most vulnerable hour, their carnival of hate would be merely ridiculous, fodder for the Jon Stewarts and Stephen Colberts of the world.  Unfortunately, while the logic of their diabolical  "protests" is tenuous, the intention — which is simply, blatantly, and unapologetically to inflict pain on the suffering — is truly and simply evil.  Not to mention the impact.

Well, now it looks like the Phelpses will finally have their chance to insult us all, wrapped in the protections of the legal system of the nation they dispise.  I'm sure you've already read about this:

Albert Snyder, whose son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, was killed in Iraq, learned Friday that a federal appeals court is requiring him to pay more than $16,000 in legal fees to the Westboro Baptist Church, a Christian fundamentalist group that demonstrates during military funerals to gain attention for its antigovernment, antihomosexual message. The group rallied at Matthew Snyder’s funeral in March 2006 in Westminster, Md., chanting antigay slogans and carrying signs such as “Thank God for dead soldiers."

Snyder had won a $5 million suit against the Phelpses for emotional distress, which was reversed on appeal.  That's when he was ordered to pay their legal fees.  Now the Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case, which, to be clear, is not about criminalization but civil liability for hate speech. 

There would be pros and cons to upholding the original verdict.  It would bankrupt Phelps, but it would also make the rest of us vulnerable to civil suits for going around rejoicing in other people's children's murders.  I can't speak for anyone else, but I know that would sure cramp my style. 

Obviously, it's a predicament.  Ruling in Snyder's favor, though just, clearly opens a pandora's box.  I mean, what's hate speech to you and me might be the height of intellectual discourse to, say, your typical Tea Bagger.  

It's hard for decent people to stomach this sort of spectacle, but, hey, that's insultainment!