A Nomination For Biggest Embarassment to America

Amazingly, my nominee for biggest embarrassment to America is not a politician. It is the Phelps family, whose protests at a gay soldier's funeral are the subject of an upcoming Supreme Court case testing the boundaries of free speech (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/30/AR2010093006323.html?sid=ST2010093006341). Something tells me the Phelpses do not fully appreciate that it was the sacrifices of their objects of scorn, both the soldier and his family, than enable them to spew their hateful and, yes, un-American, filth. Even in an election season dominated by apparent low-lifes like New York's Carl Paladino, their competition for worst people in America is pretty slim. Sadly, as gut-wrenchingly awful as their actions are, I am genuinely conflicted as to what the Supreme Court should do in this case.