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Jack Thompson Disbarred
Sockatume writes "The Florida Supreme Court has approved Judge Dava Tunis' recommendations for the permanent disbarment of John B. "Jack" Thompson, with no leave to reapply and $43,675.35 in disciplinary costs. The ruling is a step up from the enhanced disbarment that had been suggested by the prosecution, which would have forbidden him from reapplying for ten years. Thompson has 30 days to appeal the ruling before the disbarment is permanent. Thompson responds to the ruling."
It's about damn time this poor excuse for a human being was disbarred.
Maybe now we won't have to hear about him all the damn time.
~t
All it takes is pissing of the Bar and a few judges, and you've lost what you made with 12 years of college.
Why exactly DO we need professional associations that one is compelled to be in? The AMA shows their true colors every so often too...
Not that I see that as a bad thing...
this will give more time to sit around in front of the computer at home, playing video games
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
At first i was liek: ...
and then I LOL'd!
And then I realized I might miss his special brand of crazy...
and then I feared someone would take up his cause who may be articulate and not so full of crazy and we will end up in a much worse situation...
- "Scientia non habet inimicum nisp ignorantem"
I always assumed his first name was Jack and his middle name was Ass. At least, that's how the voice in my head always said it.
Dewey, what part of this looks like authorities should be involved?
I bet he could blow off some steam with a nice session of GTA4, plow into a crowd of pedestrians with a bus and pretend they're the bar.
Kwisatz Haderach
Sell the spice to CHOAM
This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
Now that Jack is defying the court order requiring him to have another member in good standing of the Florida bar to submit motions for him, what other sanctions can be placed upon him? Is there a more extreme penalty for him beyond permanent disbarrment?
Contempt of court, I guess...
Twelve years is a really long time to burn, eh? My biggest complaint is that I have to get a law degree to even sit for the bar. I suppose I have to grief over the ABA as well, now. They're the only ones I can think to blame for destroying the concept of "Reading the Law."
SIG: HUP
The Gamepolitics link is to the recommendation, not the approval. My bad. The correct link is this.
No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
1. Doesn't he mean "pwn" that Bar?
2. Thompson knew this was going to happen, so last week he file an action against the bar; now he claims his disbarment was retaliation. Nice pre-emptive strike last week, Jack -- too bad it's as transparent as day that it's unrelated to the numerous reasons the Florida Bar Association decided you're unfit to practice law.
"Trolls they were, but filled with the evil will of their master: a fell race..." -- J.R.R. Tolkien on Olog-hai
recommended tag: youfaila
GENERATION 24: The first time you see this, copy it into your sig on any forum and add 1 to the generation. Social exper
But now who will the teevee morons bring on to rant about how children who play videogames grow up to kill people? Well, maybe with the economy collapsing, they'll spend more time talking about stuff that matters...
Why didn't they just steal a car and run him over?
Won't someone please think of the children? -- Helen Lovejoy
...the system actually works on occasion.
the goodwill Are a pathetic users. Surprise outstrips Cond0cted at MIT is dying. Fact: it simple, we nned to address recent article put
Meh...All this means now is that he'll run for the senate. After all being a disbarred loon is a perfect qualification considering the company he'd be keeping.
It has seen the end of Jack Thompson,
It has seen the end of a RIAA lawsuit,
The end of copyright cops,
The end of Comcast's forging of RST packets,
It will soon see the end of the Empire itself!
Without his constant idiocy and paranoid delusions of grandeur?
Regards, Ian
Maybe you think everyone should be able to do whatever the hell they want whenever they want, and if people don't like it, they can piss off?
Actions have consequences. When you screw up, you have to pay the price. I know, making people pay for their mistakes is taking away their freedom to be douchebags. Obviously these professional associations, by holding their members to certain standards, must hate our freedoms.
- None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
I mean seriously - this is just too good to be true.
Jack Thompson disbarred. The RIAA loses its first court case on their "making available" theory.
I'm waiting for the OMG ponies to show up.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
So today we have stories in which the DOJ opposes becoming the Federal Copyright Cops, the RIAA loses a couple hundred thousand dollar lawsuit, and Jack Thompson gets disbarred. To quote Perfect Strangers: Now we are so happy, we do the Dance of Joy!
My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
Great. Now that he doesn't have all that lawyer stuff taking up his time he'll be able to save the children full-time by being a consultant or lobbyist or something.
Yes, I'm very happy at the news of Jack's disbarment, but at the same time, I fear he will find a new place to espouse his, err, "opinions" at fox news. They picked up Karl Rove, so Jackie boy seems like such a perfect fit.
.... Please give him a cup of hot coffee to calm him down?
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
I don't know about law, but in various health care professions (I keep my chiropractic license for pro bono patients) and licensed engineers (I know a few), one of the first questions they ask on any application for a license is something along the lines of
"Has your license to practice ever been suspended or revoked in this or any other jurisdiction, or has any [insert profession] board taken disciplinary action against you? If yes, please provide a detailed explaination."
That usually means that if you were booted in one jurisdiction, your chances of being licensed in another jurisdiction are sufficiently close to zero to be indistinguishable from zero for all practical purposes.
Oh, and if you are found out to have LIED on that question, your license is automatically revoked (at least in SC) and you're fined heavily. For some professions, that's even a felony and includes jail time.
OMG PONIES!!!!!11!!!11
Of course, no one would *ever* suggest that our national political environment is characterized by "constant idiocy and paranoid delusions of grandeur" - mainly because they'd be likely to wind up on the Terrorist Watch List if they did so. ;-)
"My strength is as the strength of ten men, for I am wired to the eyeballs on espresso."
and soon I won't be the only one who can say that.
Now that Jack is defying the court order requiring him to have another member in good standing of the Florida bar to submit motions for him,
From TFSCD, "The Court approves the corrected referee's report and John Bruce Thompson is permanently disbarred, effective thirty days from the date of this order so that respondent can close out his practice and protect the interests of existing clients. If respondent notifies the Court in writing that he is no longer practicing and does not need the thirty days to protect existing clients, this Court will enter an order making the permanent disbarment effective immediately. Respondent shall accept no new business from the date this order is filed."
It looks like he is disbarred 30 days from the date of notice, not immediately. They do graciously allow him to be disbarred sooner if he wishes.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
So a Rabbi and Priest and Jack Thompson walk into a bar.
The Rabbit goes, "oy what is this?"
The Priest Goes, "Ouch that hurt!"
Jack Thompson says, "I am going to sue the bar!"
Then he gets Disbarred.
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
The only way to win this game, Mr Thompson, is not to play. -W.H.O.P.P.E.R.
I believe I heard that Jack Thompson discovered that many of the judges in FL did not sign their oath of office.
Bringing liberty to the masses. - http://freetalklive.com/
He was the perfect straw man to attack, he had no brain, and was easy to attack.
He will be missed.
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
I am speaking from my understanding as a licensed chiropractor. (I don't practice any more except for pro bono cases. I much prefer my computer-related work now.)
The _theory_ behind a professional licensing board is that members of a profession that requires extensive and specialized education are the only ones qualified to make informed judgements regarding the practice of that profession. These judgements include, but are not limited to, appropriate standards of practice including what would be considered "unprofessional conduct".
This is intended to protect the public from unqualified and/or unscrupulous practitioners. Usually, this works well. However, it is possible for the boards to become "good ol' boys' clubs" in which they are more concerned for each other than the public. Fortunately, this is usually rare. Many licensing boards include a "member of the public" (that is, someone who is _not_ licensed in the professon) in order to help prevent such abuses.
Since the licensing board controls who is licensed and, thus, who is allowed to practice the profession, unless otherwise allowed by law the highest sanction that they can impose is to bar the offender from ever practicing that profession again. Lighter sanctions (again, unless also allowed monetary damanges by law) include temporary suspension of a license for various periods of time or other license-related sanctions. I have heard of chiropractors having their licenses revoked and being required to re-apply as if a new graduate, including needing to take all of the exams again. I have also heard of chiropractors being required to take and pass classes to demonstrate an understanding of the areas that resulted in the disciplinary actions. (Fortunately, I have never been subject to disciplinary action by any licensing board.)
So, the theory is that the licensing board can revoke a license in order to protect the public from someone who is deemed unfit to practice the profession. For lawyers, for historical reasons, that licensing board is usually called the "bar" or the "bar association".
And I would _hope_ they would do thorough background checks on school teachers.
Although Burger King may decide he's unqualified.
Have a Bar called "Jack's Bar" and as you walk in there is a white haired lawyer that the bouncer is int he process of throwing out.
Bouncer: Sir you are being a nuisance to the customers please leave.
Lawyer: But.... I am a prominent lawyer in the community, I was on nationwide TV for crying out loud!
Bouncer: Shutup and get out, NOW!!!
Bouncer then throws the lawyer out on his his ass, get it, "Dis-Bar-ed" LOLZ!
Tsukasa: All I really want, is to be left alone...
On a serious note. You're right. It is a good day! :-)
...so his plan all along was the same as that of most high-level Republicans?
This is like the third "suddenbreakoutofcommonsense" today. Is this a sign of things to come? Is the world actually getting better?
Even if we never hear from Jack Thompson again, it won't be long before there's another lawyer trying to make a name for himself by attacking video games. Unfortunately, it seems to be pretty easy for these types to get media attention. Let's hope that the next one in line makes as big an ass of himself as Jack did.
I doubt its over with him.
He will either become a lobbyist or a politician.
Jack Thompson wont give up that easy
Is it just me, or is this post completely disuncomprehensional? OK, I expect to come
across legal gobble-de-gook that I don't understand on Groklaw... but on slashdot?
So... who is John B. (Jack) Thompson? What does "disbarred" mean? (I know what "barred" means. It means "not allowed to". So "disbarred" means "_is_ allowed to"....???) And WTF does this have to do with the price of carrots? ... or .... ?
OK, on the BBC, they _keep_ on telling us what "credit crunch" means... and where the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is... and it can get a bit annoying that they keep on explaining the bleedin' obvious, but this post takes the biscuit.
As Magee would say. Sheesh. WTF?! Rant over.
return 0; }
Someone get this guy some mod points - that's funnier than my original post. =)
Hats off to you, sir. You actually got a real LOL out of me. And yeah, I'm at work.
Weaselmancer
rediculous.
Clearly the correct mod to use.... cuz I see at least twenty posts above his of people saying the same thing.
For Jack Thompson
Apropos of diddly-squat: My brain is almost always in Spoonerism Mode so I first read the judge's name as Tuna Davis and thought, "Somebody's parents HATED that poor kid!"
I'm only wearing black until they come out with something darker.
We haven't seen the last of him, not by a long shot.
...and strangely enough, this is actually a good thing. At this point, we actually want to see his antics, because he has been publicly discredited in a significant way. Anti-gaming groups will suffer his stigma by association.
If he wants to further his cause, he would just quietly retire. However, he will not do this. He will continue to thrash around helplessly for years damaging the reputation of the anti-gaming movement.
Thank you JT, you are doing far more to advance the cause of computer gaming than many of us could ever dream of.
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
The case disposition orders are available online [PDF format]:
SC07-80 The Florida Bar v. John Bruce Thompson
and
SC07-354 The Florida Bar v. John Bruce Thompson
Drinks are on me!!!!
Every time you call tech support, a little kitten dies.
So does that mean someone can disbar the RIAA now?
Are we talking about Thompson, or the RIAA? ;) They sound hauntingly familiar.
Ding dong the witch is dead.
From his 'response':
With enemies this foolish, Thompson needs only the loyal friends he has.
I have some bad news for you, Jack: Your Mom and Dad don't count as 'friends'... and they can't stand you anymore either.
I felt earlier. It felt as if millions of Internet users suddenly laughed out loud at once. I doubt Jack will be content to leave it at this, though...
I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?
...and there was much rejoicing! *yay*
This space for rent...
Obligatory link to a certain slashdot comment today
Copyright infringement is "piracy" in the same way DRM is "consumer rape"
Jack Thompson disbarred. On my birthday.
Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me...
Check out my sci-fi book "Lacuna" at http://goo.gl/MVxX8
How hard is it to get disbarred? John Yoo, the lawyer who wrote the opinion saying it was fine [to] torture people, *he* hasn't been disbarred
Methinks your example proves only that the system is broken.
I'd personally prefer to keep the sleazy underhanded self-righteous crusaders against entertainment, and disbar the sleazy underhanded crusaders against the Constitution.
Those who can't, sue.
Those who still can't, and lack common sense, decency, and sound judgment, sue anyway.
What's sobering is that Thompson knows enough about criminal law to skirt it and continue to harass the court system with his antics. I hope he has the arrogance and cojones to defy every order placed on him by judges from here on out, so he is put away for a long time on consecutive contempt charges.
What is also sobering is the fact that he didn't get nearly as much visibility as he wanted; this way, the entire nation would have known that a prominent voice in the anti-game violence camp has been thoroughly discredited.
In any case, game developers will continue to push the emotional and technological envelopes, because that is exactly what makes the big bucks.
"We are Microsoft. You shall be assimilated. Competition is futile."
Now the state of Florida can finally get back to holding people accountable for their own actions.
Let's get one thing straight: the only revoked his right to practice law and tie up the courts with harrassment lawsuits. His right to be a loudmouthed ignorant unenlightened a-hole is still intact. Trust me, you will see his name again, probably as the founder of a non-profit against electronic media.
Not to defend Thompson, consider the following charges:
Doesn't this list make him sound like a pretty typical Slashdotter?
To rephrase the judge's decision:
<singing>Hit the road, Jack, and don't you come back no more no more no more no more, hit the road, Jack, and don't you come back no more!</singing>
..."fatality".
a zealot loses his soapbox.
I can understand about wanting to keep violent games out of the hangs of small children, but that is really up to parents to decide. If he had campaigned instead on reforming the rating system (not just for video games, but all media) then people probably would have listened.
If he had campaigned to educate parents to know what the ratings meant, then people probably would have listened.
I have no pity for this man. I do pity us senseless, seething, violent masses that let him do his thing and run himself into oblivion. I mean, what are we going to talk about now?
He can still appeal. Wouldnt it be easier to just drown him in a vat of warm whale spunk?
I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own.
"What is this? What are they doing? They can't do this to me!!! Don't they know who I am? I'm Cyrus Redblock, Cyrus Redblock!!!"
Bow-ties are cool.
There's really some quite sad points in the full ruling against Thompson [PDF]. Testimony from the judge in Alabama, Judge Moore, is presented at length. He talks about how Thompson's false accusations of influencing cases affected him, and how deeply he was offended by it, both personally and because of the reaction in the rest of the community. Because Thompson was representing himself, Thompson got to directly question the judge about it in the disciplinary hearing. It couldn't have been easy for the judge to sit there answering questions in cross examination from the same idiot that he booted out of his courtroom. You can just tell that the judge didn't quite know what to do with someone so irrational and malicious as Thompson, and who wouldn't comply with his orders in Alabama. The judge was getting multiple faxes and messages every day in his courthouse, and it is a small courthouse -- he only has one assistant. Thompson was sending the same offensive stuff out to everyone in the media, and they were calling the courthouse too. He turned the place upside-down.
All of this was AFTER Thompson had been ejected from the court case -- lost his status as a lawyer in Alabama -- and after Thompson had misrepresented the status of his application to participate in the first place. Basically, he made a filing in the case over which Judge Moore was presiding, but Thompson hadn't actually applied yet to be treated as a lawyer in Alabama! Upon properly applying, the judge said okay, but eventually he couldn't put up with Thompson's antics. Unfortunately, as has come out in the hearing, Thompson had also neglected to truthfully answer the question that asks about prior disciplinary hearings: have you been subject to prior disciplinary hearings is a pretty clear-cut question, isn't it? Thompson said "no". Had he truthfully answered the question he probably wouldn't have been allowed in in the first place. It's pretty unbelievable stuff.
In the end, Judge Moore made the complaint to the Florida Bar, which he says was the first time he had ever filed a complaint about any lawyer.
And it just keeps going! I mean, I knew from the media reports that Thompson was bad, but those reports scratch the surface. If you read through that 169-page report, it's just astonishing! The guy is MEAN. NASTY. Let alone questions of professional conduct, the guy is a cruel and contemptible bully. I had significant sympathy for him before, because I figured he was merely insane and in need of professional counseling, but his behavior is vicious. The malice in the things he did is just awful. I thought permanent disbarment was going overboard as a reaction. To permanently take away someone's livelihood is a pretty brutal punishment, and I figured 10 years would be sufficient for him to get help and a clue.
But no, he deserves it all. I still think he needs professional help, I hope he gets it, and I have pity for his mental condition, but for what he has done and the harsh repercussions from it, I have no sympathy at all. Some kind of serious punishment is fully deserved, and it would be irresponsible for the bar to let him continue to practice. He shows no remorse at all, and has indicated he intends to continue. What choice did they really have?
Thanks. That cleared that up. He really does sound like a loose cannon, rather than a professional.
JACK THOMPSON IS A GOOD COP!
Bow-ties are cool.
He will make a killing writing law books full of misinformation for the far right-wing lay person.
The courts did him a favor.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
I wonder if he has Borderline Personality Disorder, but IANAPP (I Am Not A Psychiatrist or Psychologist). I'd be interested in hearing from an expert. Even better would be Thompson getting the expert medical help he so badly needs.
+1 Concise and well said
That's how to make a point. I wish I could present a case so clear, wise and persuasive
If this were really happening, what would you think?
> You mean poor Republicans having to fix a problem caused by Democrats that started all the way back with Carter?
Carter? He didn't pass the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Those are 3 Republican names on that bill and it's what allowed these meltdowns to create a domino effect. I notice you didn't cite any evidence for your claim, though. Are you saying that Carter founded AIG or something?
> Have you seen any calls for congressional hearings? Investigations? Know why? Because the Democrats can't find any Republicans to blame it on.
Really? I'm pretty sure they did.
> The NYT tried to blame one of McCain's aides but their article was quickly debunked as total crap. I'd love it if one day the media started getting sued for the crap they invent.
You mean the one paid with to lobby for them until last month? No, I haven't seen anyone "debunking" that. And they can be sued. But you have to prove their claims were untrue.
Oh, and Gramm was one of McCain's economic advisers. I haven't heard anyone say that he had nothing to do with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, but who knows? I hear they got rid of him after the "nation of whiners" bit, but then they floated his name as a possible Treasury Secretary. McCain has bad luck with his economic advisers. They got rid of Carly Fiorina after she said McCain couldn't run a company like HP (though neither could she, to be fair!). McCain still thinks of her as a "role model" though.
> Poor Democrats are having to face up to the brutal reality that their beloved socialism doesn't always work so fucking well. A few hundred years of history should have made that obvious though.
This is why Europe and the Euro haven't been kicking our ass, right? And if it's so bad, why are the _Republicans_ buying 80% stakes private companies with public money?
If you hate Socialism, I'd think you'd hate that this generation of Republicans are turning out to be rather like Nixon, the Republican who went so far as to impose wage & price controls...
Anyhow, I won't waste more time arguing with you. We just had that article about how you'll rationalize all of this away anyhow. So toddle off or I'll frown.
Jack T has been quoted as saying "If you strike me down I'll become more f-ing crazy then you can imagine"
Beware of he who would deny you access to information, for in his heart, he dreams himself your master.
We should get a fund together to send this guy a bunch of quarters. From the looks of it he'll be having a lot of free time in the near future to spend in the arcade.
Now that you have been disbarred, I am sure your not feeling too well. You know you don't have anything if you don't have your health. So I suggest making an appointment with this great doctor I know, that will fix you right up. His name is Dr. Jack Kevorkian.
Don't rush me, Sonny. You rush a miracle man, you get rotten miracles.
I mean, what kind of power do we grant these professional associations that a suit can summarily take away their livelihood?
These are basically peer organizations and getting kicked out requires some pretty egregious violations of ethical guidelines and/or laws. And these organizations exist for some very good reasons. Doctors, lawyers, financial consultants, accountants, certain engineers (among others) all are licensed to practice by these organizations in order to ensure a base level of proficiency and to keep the good name of the profession intact. Without the ability to remove bad apples from the practicing in the field, every member of the profession can be negatively affected by the actions of a few. Furthermore it keeps a base level of confidence in the general public about the expected level of professionalism. Yes bad things can still happen but at least there is recourse against those who bring the profession into disrepute even if they fall short of conduct that would have them thrown in jail.
Folks, this man is a good example of what happens when you deprive your childhood of videogames. So please, for the love of god, let you children game.
We don't pay a flat tax.
But we won't ever pay off the federal and SS debt.
The feds are printing money. China is roaring. The Arabs are looking at their swimming pools full of dollars and starting to realize they've been taken for the fools they are. Eventually the and the Chinese will stop buying T-bonds and dump the ones they've got. The dollar will tank. The euro will follow. Nobody will be happy.
Know what? It serves us all right. Every nation in the first world spends it's tax money like drunken sailors with gold cards. The bill has to come due. When the debtor can print money the outcome is always the same.
John McAfee 'It was like that time I hired that Bangkok prostitute; to do my taxes, while I fucked my accountant'
As an Australian I find it a bit weird that the bailout is going to give money to some profitable banks here (eg. NAB) that are not in any sort of trouble. It's nice for the US taxpayer to give that to us but we really don't need it - perhaps something less than a shotgun approach would be a bit less of an April fools story.
1,143,357+ more to go.
Si vis pacem, para bellum! For evil to succeed good men need only do nothing!
I don't know who Jack Thompson is, nor do I care, I am a frequent ./er and I enjoy reading the articles. However I am sick and tired of the anti-Christian pollution that clogs threads on this site. Some of you even take it so far as bashing on unrelated threads.
For a bunch of people who whine about Christian intolerance and judgment you sure are intolerant and judgmental yourself. How about we keep our hatred to ourselves and stick to the topics. Talk about hypocrisy. And before you try to insult my intelligence or my mental capacity keep in mind you are speaking to a post-graduate student in Computer Engineering who ranked top of his class in both grad school and undergrad while married with children, working full-time running my own business. See your model of "uneducated", "irrational", "intolerant" Christians is flawed. I am not the extrema of the data set either. If you weren't so busy feeling proud about your own "superior" intellect (which has yet to be proven by many of you), maybe you would have time to actually get to know some Christians personally instead of busily spouting your stereotypes.
I know plenty of dumb closed-minded Christians, and I know of plenty dumb closed-minded secular people as well. Everyone has flaws, everyone has an agenda.
While you argue "don't push your beliefs on me, you are pushing your beliefs on them". Keep that in mind.
So why don't we all grow up and stop acting like Nazi's. Everyone knows you hate Christians and you think we are stupid people that should be wiped off the planet. Enough of it.
Mod this down and prove my point please.
Well apparently logic doesn't apply to you, since you expect the non-existence of god to be proven, and logic can't do that. Proof of non-existence of anything is inherently impossible by logic.
The scientific method comes closest to what you seem to be demanding, as it can disprove testable hypotheses and hence declare the theory from which they stem to be invalid. But since "god theory" has never offered a testable hypothesis for the scientific method to tackle, it's even less than an invalid theory.
That's as good as it gets. God stuff lies somewhere in the vicinity of nonsense, delusion, or insanity.
The unfortunate side-effect of free speach is every once and a while you're going to have to see something you don't approve of. Either counter the argument, as you've sort of done here, or move on, but don't expect the world to bend to your demands just because you're offended. This is America, and you can't go around silencing people just because you think they're mean.
You need more psychedelic art in your life. rhesusmonkey.deviantart.com
Whoops, seems I forgot to directly answer your main issue...
The reason I mentioned proving the nonexistience of god, is because that's the only way someone can justify their belief that people with religion = deluded and/or crazy. There're reasons faith can be harmful, but the basic idea that a entity in the sky cares for us is imo about as rational as say believing in luck, or thinking that an item is worth more/less just because of it's previous owner. We all have irrational quirks and beliefs. I'd say we save the smugness for those who're obviously deluded and believe in false things, not those that have hope, as strange as their views may seem to us.
It was not a call to silence, it was a call to stop the hypocrisy.
You know, IAAL in the same county as Thompson and the thing that has surprised me by reading the stuff he's written is how poor his actual legal skills are. I'm not talking about his conspiracy theories or ideology or harassment, I mean the actual legal reasoning he uses is really pitiful. He cites cases but apparently doesn't understand them, he uses legal terminology incorrectly, he constructs completely faulty arguments that aren't even valid on their face. I really don't understand how he's practiced this long.
Day of Common Sense.
...and thanks for the fish
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Did anyone else read the judge's name as Tuna Davis?
Just me? Ok then.
I suppose if "suddenoutbreakofcommonsense" is not considered too long for a tag, then "justifiableschadenfreude" is slightly shorter...
[command INSERTWITTYQUIP failed: insufficient wit]
Actually, I don't think they're seen as representative by anyone in, say, Western Europe. If you started foaming at the mouth about how "teaching the controversy" (about evolution,) or putting bible studies back into secular schools, or persecuting homosexuals because "God" told you so, here in Germany (and, I _think_, at least in France too) everyone would look funnily at you and wonder what mental institution did you escape from. The impression even among relatively religious people about the lunacies coming from America in the name of religion, isn't as much, "man, those are real christians, we should be like them", but rather along the lines of, "where did America go wrong?"
The last time any kind of fundamentalist bible thumping had any kind of street cred in Europe was during the Counter-Enlightenment of the late 18'th and early 19'th century.
The funny thing is that even, say, the Catholic Church, much as a lot of Americans like to think it must be like their own born-again zealots, actually went a very long time ago through what was called the "counter-reformation" to try to stop the tide of protestantism. They learned to be a lot more laissez-faire about, say, science and even sponsored such orders as the Jesuits. Which were and still are primarily an academic order within the church. Those guys actually run universities and research labs. From the very start, Ignatius de Loyola insisted on an academic education to high standards before one could join the order, in a stark contrast to the stereotype of ignorant and poorly educated clergy of the time.
At any rate, positions like ID or young earth are as foreign to catholicism as it gets. And that's just one of the denominations which, by and large, just looks funny at the bible-thumping puritans from across the oceans and think at best, "Lord, what have we done to you, to be lumped into the same category as _those_?" ;)
So, no, the USA fundamentalists aren't seen as representative by any christian except themselves. Just as they're not representative for the larger and more moderate mass of US citizens, I think. (Or hope.) Just because a group is loud and vocal, doesn't mean they represent anyone else but themselves.
And if anyone else decides to judge, say, the largely secular Europe by what the bible-thumpers in America say or do... well, I guess some things can't be helped. Some people are ignorant and ill educated everywhere, and if they want to believe something that hasn't been true for two centuries, it's not my problem.
A polar bear is a cartesian bear after a coordinate transform.
Whatever you want to imply about the Catholic church, they are the biggest, most successful (and original one, since the Pope has a direct mandate from Jesus) of all Christian churches.
Martin Luther and all the funders of many other sects can claim they interpret correctly the word of god, but so could I, you, or anybody else (which is what actually happens), but St Peter is buried in Rome under the church that bears his name, if a big hint about who received the word from the Christian god was ever needed.
As a matter of fact in most of the world, Catholic=Christian, which will infuriate people from other denominations but you can't argue with facts like those.
Not that I care, since I am an atheist, but the contempt with which the Catholic church is treated in the US is frankly laughable.
IANAL but write like a drunk one.
"Your honor, I move that the disbarred be teabagged."
"I'm going to allow this."
It's been pretty obvious for quite some time that he wasn't a high quality source for information. Is there a list of media outlets and organizations that used his quotes as fact, who published opinions from him, or otherwise enabled him?
I'll give the little ones some leeway - Mom and Pop newspaper have a shitload on their plates - but when a major newspaper or similar either doesn't do their homework or willingly ignores the facts, that's not journalism I'm going to support.