Earlier this week, I participated in a discussion about the First Amendment to the Constitution with a group of international students. Most of these students were from China; a few hailed from Korea and Malaysia. Things like speech and the press are regulated very differently in these countries, compared to in the United States, and it was refreshing to examine the First Amendment from the perspectives of other cultures.

The part of the discussion that struck me the most was a conversation about the recent Snyder v. Phelps U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which upholds the controversial Westboro Baptist Church‘s right to picket at military funerals. The ruling held, in an 8-1 decision, that “The First Amendment protects those who stage a peaceful protest on a matter of public concern near the funeral of a military service member from tort liability,” according to the SCOTUSblog. In other words, content outweighs context. The fact that the group protests near funerals is overshadowed by the fact that the content of its speech and signs relates to public issues.

After learning about the 71-member group headed by Fred Phelps, especially its beliefs that “God hates fags,” that “Barack Obama is the Antichrist” and that “America deserved 9/11,” several students asked why the U.S. doesn’t implement laws to prevent the Westboro Baptist Church from broadcasting its outrageously offensive views.

One student asked if Americans feel like the government isn’t doing enough, by not stopping Westboro Baptist in its tracks.

My answer? The government is behaving exactly as it should.

Make no mistake, I am thoroughly disgusted by the Westboro Baptist Church, and if I found out tomorrow that they would never again inflict their hateful views on a family in mourning, I would celebrate.

But it’s not the U.S. government’s power to stop them.

If we draw a line to stop the Westboro Baptist Church from exercising its First Amendment rights simply because its doing so offends most sensible Americans, then what’s to stop us from shifting that line in the future when we decide that, for instance, the Tea Party’s behavior is offensive to the majority? What if it’s determined that LGBT organizations, and not Westboro Baptist types, are offensive?

These rights must exist for even the most offensive and outrageous people, so they may remain protected for ordinary folks like you and me.

And because these rights are granted to U.S. citizens, we have tools to aid us in limiting the power of outspoken groups like the Phelps family.

If you disagree with their behavior, speak out against it. It’s your right.

If you disagree with this editorial — published thanks to freedom of the press — write a letter to the editor. It’s your right.

If you disagree with their views about God, choose not to subscribe to their religion. It’s your right.

If you disagree with their protests, gather with others and outnumber them with a peaceful protest. It’s your right.

And if your government fails to uphold its end of the deal, petition it for a redress of grievances. It’s your right.

Thursday, April 7, is First Amendment Day at Iowa State and throughout the entire state of Iowa. Please, join us on Central Campus between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. for the Feast on the First, or throughout the day and evening for any of the lectures and activities we have planned.

Take, at the very least, a moment to reflect on what the First Amendment means in your life.

And please, take a moment to remember that, in order to celebrate your own freedoms, you must protect, in the words of Larry Flynt, “freedom for the thought you hate the most.”

Jessica Opoien

Editor in Chief, Iowa State Daily