Westboro Baptist Church - Petition

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

It's not a constitutional right to have a tax exemption, but rather that tax exemptions themselves do not violate the Constitution. The government has full power to end any tax exemptions it has previously granted. I don't see any constitutional issue here so long as the government goes through appropriate channels.

Walz specifically ruled that the tax exemption created a far more minimal and remote involvement between church and state than would be created by taxing the churches because it restricted the financial relationship between the two and reinforced their separation.

While the opinion expressed the thought that taxing would be a greater involvement than not taxing, it did not state that taxing religious property (provided that property held for non-profit purposes in general was being taxed) would be a breech of freedom of religion. Indeed, the idea that taxing would be more of an involvement than not-taxing is an obiter dictum since once the court determined that including religion within the broad scope of non-profit activities New York granted tax exemptions was appropriate and that New York could choose to offer non-profits tax exemptions, that was sufficient to decide the issue.  I find Brennan's concurrence and Harlan's separate opinion to both be better than the Berger's opinion of the court.  (Not surprising, since whenever I read opinions of that era, I more often than not find myself in agreement with Harlan.)  Douglas, as is usual, is a little wacky in his dissent.

[Link]

Y'all realize the government doesn't publish lists of hate groups, right?

Even if it did, I'm not sure I want the government to have the responsibility of determining what "hate" is.

Signing the petition is just exercising your first amendment right.  It will not result in the government labeling anyone.  So relax and sign.

And I certainly don't want them to have the power to do something to them. (Except when they violate the same laws that applies to everyone else.)

Signing won't give the government power to do anything.  So go ahead and sign.

Labeling them as a hate group? I think everyone knows they are a hateful group, so whats the point?

So what's the point of not signing?  Just sign and have your voice be heard.

[Donerail]

Y'all realize the government doesn't publish lists of hate groups, right?

Even if it did, I'm not sure I want the government to have the responsibility of determining what "hate" is.

Signing the petition is just exercising your first amendment right.  It will not result in the government labeling anyone.  So relax and sign.

And I certainly don't want them to have the power to do something to them. (Except when they violate the same laws that applies to everyone else.)

Signing won't give the government power to do anything.  So go ahead and sign.

Labeling them as a hate group? I think everyone knows they are a hateful group, so whats the point?

So what's the point of not signing?  Just sign and have your voice be heard.

Signing is saying you want the government to do that. That is the point of a petition.

[homelycooking]

Signing the petition is just exercising your first amendment right.  It will not result in the government labeling anyone.  So relax and sign.

So then what does the petition propose to accomplish, if not its stated intent?

[DC Al Fine]

Y'all realize the government doesn't publish lists of hate groups, right?

Even if it did, I'm not sure I want the government to have the responsibility of determining what "hate" is.

Signing the petition is just exercising your first amendment right.  It will not result in the government labeling anyone.  So relax and sign.

And I certainly don't want them to have the power to do something to them. (Except when they violate the same laws that applies to everyone else.)

Signing won't give the government power to do anything.  So go ahead and sign.

Labeling them as a hate group? I think everyone knows they are a hateful group, so whats the point?

So what's the point of not signing?  Just sign and have your voice be heard.

Signing is saying you want the government to do that. That is the point of a petition.

[Wyoming Conservative]

A petition which I will gladly sign.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Y'all realize the government doesn't publish lists of hate groups, right?

Even if it did, I'm not sure I want the government to have the responsibility of determining what "hate" is.

Signing the petition is just exercising your first amendment right.  It will not result in the government labeling anyone.  So relax and sign.

And I certainly don't want them to have the power to do something to them. (Except when they violate the same laws that applies to everyone else.)

Signing won't give the government power to do anything.  So go ahead and sign.

Labeling them as a hate group? I think everyone knows they are a hateful group, so whats the point?

So what's the point of not signing?  Just sign and have your voice be heard.

You end each sentence say "just sign it." Obviously, you are a secret government agent here to integrate into the forum and spy on us. Then, BAM! You nail us as a hate group and send us to one of Obama's concentration camps.

In all seriousness, the government does not, should not, and probably will not ever get the power to define hate. That is up to society as a whole. The WBC does not need official recognition for their actions.