Rights vs. obligations

The First Amendment guarantees my freedom of speech. However, it does not impose an obligation on anyone to facilitate that speech, nor does it allow me to impose my opinions upon others if they don't want to hear it. In short, if I want to say something, I should get my own damn soap box, namely this blog, and I can't force you to read it.

The so-called Reverend Phelps and his odious Westboro Baptist Church have been pushing the boundaries of this division, and the argument can be made that they have crossed the line. A lawsuit is currently in progress to determine whether or not they have done so. In the meantime, a small town in Missouri have come up with their own solution to this problem.

Hundreds of residents in Weston, Mo. -- as well as people as far away as California and Australia -- rallied in support of Sgt. First Class C.J. Sadell, who died from injuries suffered during a surprise attack in Afghanistan.

The residents sought to block Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., and his followers from picketing Sadell’s funeral, according to the station

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And how did they accomplish it?

"We got everybody here early so we could take up all the parking spots," Rebecca Rooney of Weston, Mo., told Fox4kc.com. "We did that so Mr. Phelps wouldn't have a contingency that was really close."

"I'm glad they left, but I'm sad they came," she said.

Very clever, and quite legal. Nicely done.