PEACE ON EARTH

GOODWILL TOWARD ALL MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN, BORN AND UNBORN

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

More First Amendment Fun

For Your Reflection


   How far is too far. Sticks and stones may break my bones but names can never hurt you?
Apparently a Judge thinks otherwise- and the whole body of Defamation law is premised on the 
fact that names do hurt people ----when they are not true.  Truth is a defense to defamation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/09/the-psycho-ex-wife-free-speech-fight-over-divorce-blog_n_922802.html?ncid=webmail2    

In a recent custody dispute a guy took out his aggression against his x-wife, not by robbing her 
blind, not by filing ugly restraining orders, not by calling the cops on her, but cathartically
writing about it. He got carried away and said some hurtful things about his'psycho x' 
and even their kids are saying Daddy please stop.

     Is it perhaps not nice? Not nice, for sure. Is it illegal cyberstalking? No. 
The First Amendment has limited exceptions. He is hardly inciting a riot. He's just hurt. 
And I would rather have him vent on line than take to stalking his x with a guy named 
Bruno and his pet doberman.   Writing is therapy. Ask any writer.

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