X-Message-Number: 19567
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 2002 04:19:21 -0700
From: James Swayze <>
Subject: URL for slander slinging Daily Times Ottawa
References: <>
>
> Message #19564
> Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2002 22:15:34 -0500
> Subject: Moronic Editorial
> From: Joesph A Zarka <>
>
> Hello All!
>
> After I learned about the Ted Williams story and all the media
> attention that cryonics was receiving I
> contacted our local paper and informed them that I was into cryonics and
> would be willing to talk to
> them about cryonics. I told them there was a lot of misinformation being
> reported. They never responded.
>
> There you have it, not only are we immoral we are straight up stupid
> and gullible. I would like to see
> this editor match wits with the likes of Max More or James Halperin. The
> part that bothers me most is that
> the paper never talked to me to get a cryonicist point of view. I would
> have been happy to discuss any
> of the points the editor asked in his editorial. I would like to
> encourage cryonet readers to write letters
> to this editor. Let him know that the next time he writes about
> something, he should look at both
> sides of the story instead of writing a one sided editorial.
>
> Voice Of The People
> The Daily Times
> 110W Jefferson St
> Ottawa, IL 61350
>
> Long life
> Joseph
>
Here's the URL fr your paper Joseph. I will be firing off a letter or email,
whichever it takes or both, later today. http://www.ottawadailytimes.com/
What this moron wrote borders on libel. There comes a point when the "it's
simply an opinion" excuse no longer applies especially if damage can be shown
and even to a group not just an individual.
Main Entry: 1li bel
Pronunciation: 'lI-b&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, written
declaration, from Middle French, from
Latin libellus, diminutive of liber book
Date: 14th century
1 a : a written statement in which a
plaintiff in certain courts sets forth the
cause of action or the relief sought b
archaic : a handbill especially attacking
or defaming someone
2 a : a written or oral defamatory
statement or representation that conveys
an unjustly unfavorable impression b (1)
: a statement or representation published
without just cause and tending to expose
another to public contempt (2) :
defamation of a person by written or
representational means (3) : the
publication of blasphemous, treasonable,
seditious, or obscene writings or pictures
(4) : the act, tort, or crime of publishing
such a libel
Here is a book discibing in depth what libel and slan=der are and how to
litigate both for and against.
http://www.digibuy.com/cgi-bin/order.html?dancing
www.dancingwithlawyers.com
Telephone: (775)833-5440.
Defamation is written or spoken injury to a person or organization's
reputation. Libel is the written act of defamation, vs. slander, the
oral act of defamation.
You often hear "Truth is the perfect defense against libel." A curious
notion, not entirely supported by what goes on in the courts. Truth
is a very good defense. It may prove an unshakable defense if you
have $50,000 for lawyers to defend it. If you don't feel like being on
the frontier of legal theory, you should build a somewhat better
defense. Add on these concepts:
Avoid the impression of malice.
State the facts, and then state your opinion separately. This
keeps things clear in your mind.
All wrong: "My neighbor John Smith is a stinking lush." This is
wildly defamatory: an unproven, malicious ("stinking" and "lush"
instead of "alcoholic") statement about a private individual.
Getting better: "Governor Smith consumed 14 glasses of whiskey
last night at The Watering Hole Bar. In my opinion he's an
alcoholic." The proof is a bit hazy -- getting drunk once does not
prove alcoholism -- but a governor is a public figure with less
protection than John Smith, you have clearly separated fact from
opinion, and there is no particular evidence of malice.
Pretty safe: "Governor Smith consumed 14 glasses of whiskey last
night at The Watering Hole Bar. I wouldn't be surprised to learn
he's an alcoholic." This is entirely fact, with no clear evidence of
malice, about a public figure.
What defamation is not.
Generally, a statement made about an undefinable group of people
or organizations cannot be defamation. Take, "Real estate agents are
crooks." It's defamatory enough, but there is no identifiable victim.
"Most of the agents at Smith Real Estate Company are crooks" is
getting dicier, but it is still hard to define the victim.
"Smith Real Estate Company is a crooked company." Wham! You
have a victim: Smith Real Estate Company.
For more information the place to start is Bruce Sanford's Synopsis
of Libel and Privacy. It's an inexpensive, understandable little book,
with checklists of words and people to be avoided. (This is actually
written for journalists trying to avoid defamation. But it's also an
excellent, readable book for deciding whether you've been defamed.)
Sanford's book is a little gem, but we have given up on finding a
reliable source. We've tried linking to Amazon, used booksellers,
even the publisher, but no luck. So thanks to reader
feedback we asked the author of Dancing With Lawyers to write
up a plain-English book, dealing with defamation in the
workplace, from former bosses, ex-spouses, and other situations
found in daily life, which we are now offering here as a
downloadable report.
_________________________________________
Price
$22.00 (A lot of research has gone into this report. It would cost you
several thousand dollars to reproduce it.)
Our Guarantee
If you are not satisfied with the report, you may return it for a full
refund, no questions asked. We only ask that you delete all copies
from your hard drive(s) and throw out any printed copies.
Order Fighting Slander Online 193 kb PDF file (a 49 page
report)
DigiBuy Download now
The download URL will be emailed to the address you specify on the
order form. Please allow 10-15 minutes for the email to arrive.
_________________________________________
Fighting Slander Table of Contents
Introduction 4
How To Use This Report 5
Disclaimer 6
The Law In Brief 7
Definitions of Defamation of Character, Slander, and
Libel 7
Libel By the Press, and Libel By Individuals 7
Elements of Defamation of Character, including Slander
and Libel 8
Identifiable Victim 8
Falsehood 8
Malice 8
Emotional Distress 9
Good Defenses 9
Truth 9
Privilege 10
Public Figure 10
Satire 10
The Comments Were Invited by the Plaintiff 11
Opinion 11
Libel-proof 11
He s Dead! 11
Words Spoken In the Heat of Anger 11
Worthless Defenses 11
The Right to Privacy 12
What Is a Public Figure, Anyway? 13
Statutes of Limitations 14
Internet Libel 15
Sizing Up Your Situation 16
People Who Just Don t Get It 16
The Middle Ground 17
Major-League Kooks 17
Special Situations 17
Workplace Defamation 17
Lawsuits and Criminal Charges 18
Internet Libel 19
Libel By the Mainstream Press 21
Blackmail 22
Small Towns 22
Sociopaths 23
Privilege ( absolute or qualified ) 24
Attitude 25
Before You Call a Lawyer 26
Getting the Facts 27
Private Investigators 27
Doing It Yourself 27
Keeping A Log 27
Nailing Down Your Legal Situation 29
Learning Your State s Laws 29
Research the Laws Yourself 29
Precedents 30
A Warning About Precedents 30
How To Research Jury Verdicts Without Spending a
Fortune 31
Do It Yourself In a Legal Library 31
Telephone Lawyers 31
Paralegals 31
Jury Verdict Research 32
Actually Hiring a Lawyer 33
Finding a Slander Lawyer 33
Start With the Cheapest Solutions 33
Nastygrams 33
Discovery 33
Things You Should NOT Do 35
Backlash and Common Sense 36
Last Resorts 37
Resources 38
Jury Verdict Research Using The Internet 38
Jury Verdict Companies 38
Other Information About Research Jury Verdicts on the
Internet 39
Using Search Engines to Find Jury Verdicts 40
Jury Verdict Data from St. Louis, Missouri, and surrounding
counties 40
Previous Employer Research Companies 45
Books 45
Appendix 47
Hot Button Words 47
Glossary 49
Please pardon the length of this post.
James
--
MY WEBSITE: http://www.geocities.com/~davidpascal/swayze/
A COLLECTION of photos of me and some of my artwork:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4292752723&code=2039335&mode=invite
A RADIO INTERVIEW on Dr. J's ChangeSurfer Radio program with me and the father
of cryonics Prof.
Robert Ettinger, author of "The Prospect of Immortality":
http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=3728
A RELIGION I actually recommend:
http://uk.geocities.com/venturist2001/index.html
A FAVORITE quote: Last lines of the first Star Trek the Next Generation movie.
Capt. Picard: "What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived,
after all Number One, we're
only mortal."
Will Ryker: "Speak for yourself captain, I intend to live forever!"
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