have stood in the face of danger for all Americans . The legal maneuvers that brought Albert Snyder and his family to this point are enough to make any American shake his or her head in disgust . After Snyder lost his life in 2006 , Fred Phelps and his followers showed up at his funeral to spread their message of hate . Mind you , they did n't know Matthew , and thus had no understanding of the enormous sense of loss his family was feeling ; they simply decided that the Snyder family 's vulnerability presented an easy platform for their own agenda . To his credit , Albert Snyder sued the group and won an $ 11 million judgment against them . However , that award was reduced to $ 5 million on one appeal and overturned altogether this week by the appeals court . In fact , not only did the court overturn the original ruling , but it decided to add to the pain and suffering of the Snyder family by imposing more than $ 16,000 of court fees . Perhaps the judges had forgotten that without the sacrifices of brave soldiers and their families
-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The recent ruling of a federal appeals court requiring the family of fallen hero Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder to pay the legal expenses of Fred Phelps and his misguided followers at Westboro Baptist Church is unconscionable . Like Matthew 's father , Albert , I am all too familiar with the hardships associated with losing a son in combat , having lost my son Justin in 2004 . It is a tragedy that the thanks given the Snyder family in return for the life of their son is a court order to repay the legal expenses of the hate group that protested at his funeral with signs such as `` thank God for dead soldiers . '' Beyond simply insulting though , this decision by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is a slap in the face for every Gold Star family that has lost a loved one in combat . It also represents an egregious misuse of the judicial system ; one that sets a dangerous precedent for how the memory of our fallen heroes will be treated . The Supreme Court should immediately move forward with this case and stand up for those who