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Snyder V. Phelps

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Chapter 6
Legal Environment
Veronica Munoz
October 4, 2013
MACU
Stanley Balch

Page 174
Case 6.1 Snyder v. Phelps 1. The Court holds that the picketing pertained to a matter of “Public concern” because members of the Westboro church basically attacked this funeral. Family members were grieving the loss of their son, their soldier that was killed in Iraq, giving his own life for his country. And the members of this church were throwing verbal attacks, not counting with all the signs they took showing how they hate soldiers because of the homosexuality existing in the service, not having idea that it was the case for this deceased soldier. The fact here is that this was a public matter, because it interrupted the community peace and those are subjects that society (public) are concern in every day basis. 2. A captive audience is a group of people who listen or to watch someone or something because they cannot leave. 3. Because he could not agree with the Court and what the Court rely on. Westboro Church caused this father great pain and the Court denies him for what he suffered. Westboro Church was addressing public issues, but that is different than attacking a person when they are in pain for the loss of a son. He was a victim of their attack.

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Case 6.2 Brown v. Entertainment merchants Association 1. The issue before the Court was the sale of certain violent video games to children without parent’s permission. These video games have violence; killing, and pornography, enemies with weapons, using explosives to destroy structures, dangerous races with cars becoming influential in kids and their behavior. Parents want a control in the sale of these video games. 2. The hold for the Court was the video games did not constitute obscenity under the first amendment, that the state did not have a compelling interest in preventing neurological harm to kids caused by video games. They protected the sale of video games with the First Amendment. 3. Free Speech is protected by the First Amendment; it can be practice in public areas, but not directed to any specific group with the intention of harming others or affecting them in any way. When that happens, that becomes harassment. I believe everybody has the right to exercise their opinions, but when people start insulting others, giving opinions or enforcing their ideas on others, that is different and should be punished.

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