Final answer:
While the actions of the Westboro Baptist Church may be hurtful, their legal expression should remain protected under the First Amendment, with existing limits on the nature, place, and timing of protests safeguarding public order.
Step-by-step explanation:
In my opinion, it should remain legal for the Westboro Baptist Church to publicly display their beliefs and protest soldiers' funerals, despite the hurtful nature of their messages. The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Snyder v. Phelps explicitly protected such actions, emphasizing the significance of free expression under the First Amendment, even for abhorrent viewpoints.
Limits do exist concerning the nature, place, and timing of protests to ensure public order; however, these limits do not extend to the substantive content of the speech. This is in line with cases like Brandenburg v. Ohio, which upheld only the prohibition of speech that incites imminent lawless action. Principles of democratic society command a high tolerance for offensive speech to preserve the marketplace of ideas, crucial for a robust public discourse.