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Libel Suits OK Even If Libel Is Truthful
Defeat Globalism writes to tell us that many journalists, bloggers, and media law specialists are concerned about a new ruling by a US Court of Appeals in Boston. The new ruling is allowing a former Staples employee to sue the company for libel after an email was sent out informing other employees that he had been fired for violations of company procedures regarding expense reimbursements. "Staples has asked the full appeals court to reconsider the ruling, and 51 news organizations have filed a friend-of-the-court brief saying that the decision, if allowed to stand, 'will create a precedent that hinders the media's ability to rely on truthful publication to avoid defamation liability.' But Wendy Sibbison, the Greenfield appellate lawyer for the fired Staples employee, Alan S. Noonan, said the ruling applies only to lawsuits by private figures against private defendants, that is, defendants not involved in the news business, over purely private matters."
In the retail environment, everybody already knows everybody else's business. It was foolish and excessive to mention the salesman by name. Anybody who wanted to know could easily find out. Professional organizations have methods to deal with dishonesty, and humiliation shouldn't be one of them, no matter how truthful it may be.
Would it have really been that difficult to just respond like, "He is no longer with us. No comment...in other news, employees should not falsify or abuse their expense accounts.
I'm all for freedom of speech but, in today's litigous legal environment, Staples was really asking for it.
'"Race" or ethnicity is not.'
Race isn't even an actual thing. There is no such thing as an actual 'Race' they are poorly defined arbitrary collections of features.
'Religion is a choice.'
So is culture and taste. That doesn't stop people from calling those who believe certain cultures have negative effects or characteristics 'new racists'.
Race and Racism is just a hot button wild-card that utilizes the natural group and herd mentality of man to divide and segment society and distract it from things that matter and sensible divisions. Usually because sensible divisions would make people more difficult to govern/exploit/and or manipulate.
Religion on the other hand exists for pretty much the same purpose. As a side effect, anyone crying too loudly about religion (for or against) OR racism (for or against) is fairly easy to identify as a moron and should probably be tagged so we can line them up against the wall when the revolution comes... right after the politicians.