Like it or not, the Constitution does not differentiate between speech we like and speech we despise. Trying to make such determinations is exactly what the First Amendment sought to avoid.

Take, for example, Westboro Baptist Church, which has made a name for itself protesting at the funerals of soldiers who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, oft-described as anti-LGBT and God-fearing. During protests, church members carry signs saying “Thank God for dead soldiers” and “God hates fags” even though the soldiers being buried are not gay. Rather, they believe “that God punishes soldiers because of America’s tolerance of gays.”

Following one such protest in 2006, at the Maryland funeral of Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, Snyder’s family sued the church, and alleged intentional infliction of emotional distress, invasion of privacy and civil conspiracy. While the family initially won a multimillion-dollar settlement, a federal appeals court later reversed the ruling. According to the court, the Westboro Baptist Church’s First Amendment rights were infringed by the earlier ruling.

About the decision, Chief Justice John Roberts wrote: “Westboro believes that America is morally flawed; many Americans might feel the same about Westboro. Westboro’s funeral picketing is certainly hurtful and its contribution to public discourse may be negligible. … (However,) as a nation we have chosen a different course — to protect even hurtful speech on public issues to ensure that we do not stifle public debate.”

While we may hate the efforts of the Westboro Baptist Church, and despise the message its members tout (not to mention the method), we have to agree with the court in this case.

But, as they say, one good turn deserves another. That’s why we can appreciate the following creative means opponents of the church chose to exercise their own rights to free speech.

Dateline: College Station, Texas. Earlier this month, after hearing that representatives of the church may show up at an alumnus’ funeral, hundreds of Texas A&M students gathered to form a human wall around the funeral service.

Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, according to KBTX.com, “died on June 28 during a safety briefing at Fort Bragg, N.C. Tisdale was killed by another soldier who then fatally shot himself. Tisdale had served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.”

Former Texas A&M student Ryan Slezia wrote on his Facebook page that, “In response to their signs of hate, we will wear maroon. In response to their mob anger, we will form a line, arm in arm. This is a silent vigil. A manifestation of our solidarity.”

It seemed to work. The protesters never showed up and Tisdale’s body was peacefully laid to rest.

Dateline: Seattle. Members of the church showed up to picket at Joint Base Lewis- McChord, but when they arrived they were confronted by, as ABC News put it, “an unusual counter-protest.”

Dozens of people had dressed up as zombies.

The counter-protest was launched by a Spanaway, Wash., resident, who also used the power of Facebook to promote her event.

“We wanted to turn something negative around, into something people could laugh at and poke fun at,” Melissa Neace told The News Tribune. “It was the easiest way to divert attention from something so hateful.”

As much as we may want to forcefully silence the Westboro Baptist Church followers, they have the right to do what they’re doing. However, what message is sent when you stoop lower to make your own point?

So, a tip of the hat to all of these creative people, who could have let hate get the better of them, but instead decided to be the bigger people and use peaceful methods to offset the hate on display.

— The Brattleboro (Vt.) Reformer