This is absolutely outrageous.

In a decision likely to strike many observers as cruel, a federal appeals court ordered the father of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral drew protesters from a church notorious for such demonstrations to pay the church leader’s $16,510 in legal fees.

… Snyder won his case against Westboro in the lower court but that decision was overturned by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit in September.

Losers in such cases often are made to pay legal fees and the appeals court may have just been following that common practice.

Just because something is commonly done doesn’t mean it to be done every time. It’s bad enough the Fred Phelps and his band of lowlifes are emerging victorious in this. The judge apparently wants to rub salt into the hero’s father’s wound. I just cannot believe that a judge can be so heartless and cruel.

Well, I can, but it doesn’t make me any less angry.

The family is having trouble raising money to pay their legal fees already. This is certainly not going to help. They have set up a website in memoriam to their son here, and you can also make donations to them. I hope that they receive an overwhelming show of support. I hope the Snyders know that all decent Americans appreciate his son’s sacrifice and stand behind them, and not Fred Phelps.

I am just furious at the indignity of this. A fallen hero’s father is being forced to pay thousands of dollars to Fred Phelps. This is an outrage. It’s beyond an outrage.

UPDATE: Just saw that The American Legion is going to help the Snyders out. Way to go, guys. (However, please don’t let that keep you from helping the Snyders out if you can.)

Cross-posted at The Green Room.