Church ordered to pay $10.9 million for funeral protest. I am from Kansas, and all I can say is this. It is about damn time. I am all for free speech. But even free speech has its limits. When that speech directly harms someone, than it has gone too far. Protesting at a fallen soldier’s funeral, praising his/her death as a message to God, is way too far.

The church and three of its leaders — the Rev. Fred Phelps and his two daughters, Shirley Phelps-Roper and Rebecca Phelps-Davis, 46 — were found liable for invasion of privacy and intent to inflict emotional distress.

Church members routinely picket funerals of military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, carrying signs such as “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates fags.”

I remember one time when Phelps ran for public office. Someone said they were scared of him and that he was running for office. My response was that I was not as nearly as afraid of Phelps as I was of those who voted for him.

And we can throw verbal stones at President Bush all we want. That is our right as citizens. But, our soldiers deserve our utmost respect. I just hope we might see an end to the protest at the funerals of those fallen soldiers.