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Sue the Bastards! [Powerline]
Powerline ^ | January 21, 2019 | John Hinderaker

Posted on 01/22/2019 5:43:54 PM PST by Yardstick

Not all liberals are evil, but it is becoming increasingly clear that 21st-century liberalism is an evil ideology. It incites race hatred for political advantage. It tries to keep disadvantaged people down, so they will stay on the Democratic Party plantation. It lies about pretty much everything–for example, “police violence.” And liberals almost never debate public policy issues in time-honored fashion; rather, they try to destroy anyone who disagrees with them.

The Covington Catholic media scandal has brought these issues into sharp focus. Liberals, mostly but not exclusively–i.e., the Associated Press–on Twitter, have lied about the trivial encounter between a group of aggressive left-wing activists and some kids from Covington Catholic high school who attended the March For Life. The misrepresentation was one of the more egregious incidents of media lies that we have seen in recent years, as I wrote here.

So, what has happened since? The Associated Press has refused to correct its lies. Liberals have threatened the families of the kids from Covington Catholic with death. Liberals have written to colleges, urging them to reject any applications from Covington Catholic students. Liberals have explicitly urged that the lives of the kids who innocently attended the March For Life be destroyed. Twitter has had no problem with tweets calling for violence, as long as the violence is directed against conservative teenagers.

Where do you go when the whole world seems to be against you? You hire a lawyer. Which is what some of the Covington kids’ families reportedly have done. For whatever reason, intolerant liberals on Twitter are frantically deleting tweets denouncing the innocent Covington kids, and in some cases calling for violence against them. Maybe they are just embarrassed at being caught red-handed, lying and purveying hate. But when has that ever embarrassed a liberal?

There is some evidence that the scrambling is due to the threat of litigation:

The Covington kids have a good pro bono lawyer and a lot of people gathering evidence on the threats, etc., though this is a good chance to make some examples.

If I were still practicing law, I would have taken their case in a heartbeat. But there is a problem: while the Covington kids are not public figures, the “issue” of MAGA hat-wearing white supremacists (which, of course, they are not) is purportedly one of public concern. Plus, most of the things written or tweeted by liberals–e.g.: “Have you ever seen a more punchable face than this kid’s?”–are statements of opinion, not fact. I haven’t kept up with recent developments in defamation law, but the general rule is that you can’t win a defamation case unless you are unknown and no one cares about the topic with regard to which you were defamed.

Is that fair? I don’t think so. New York Times vs. Sullivan and the many cases that have followed have more or less extinguished the law of defamation in all but trivial circumstances. Maybe the Covington Catholic case will be the vehicle by which the Supreme Court restores some vitality to the ancient idea that a person lies about fellow citizens at his peril. That would be good, and it would be a serious setback to 21st-century liberalism.

UPDATE: There is a great deal more here. Is this the most outrageous hate campaign of my lifetime? I think so. Being sued is much too good for these liberals, but I am afraid it is the best we can do.


TOPICS: Society
KEYWORDS: covington; defamation; hinderaker; libel
Posted yesterday by John Hinderaker at Powerline. Would love to see some aggressive lawyering on behalf of these kids.
1 posted on 01/22/2019 5:43:54 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: Yardstick

There’s a bunch of names posted in this posting by tiger claws post 14
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3721821/posts


2 posted on 01/22/2019 6:09:30 PM PST by mosesdapoet (mosesdapoet aka L,J,Keslin posting here for the record)
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To: Yardstick

The Covington boys must sue the hell out of the media for defamation. Push back time has to begin now.

http://redstatewatcher.com/article.asp?id=146314

“Robert Barnes is working with the families of the Covington Catholic students to sue the media outlets that defamed them. Libel laws are very clear. Barnes have been taking names all week and it looks like he could have a slam dunk case. He’s representing the students for free...”


3 posted on 01/22/2019 7:02:36 PM PST by ExTexasRedhead
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To: Yardstick

“Not all liberals are evil,”

Wrong. Inside every Liberal is a violent totalitarian thug screaming to get out.

Every single one.

L


4 posted on 01/22/2019 7:04:02 PM PST by Lurker (President Trump isn't our last chance. President Trump is THEIR last chance)
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To: Yardstick

I don’t understand how the group that really seemed to be instigating trouble (Black Hebrew Israelis?!?!) have gotten off scot free without the smallest bit of scrutiny? If the elderly Indian gentleman was trying to diffuse the situation, why didn’t he confront the group yelling names instead of the group of teenagers goofing around??


5 posted on 01/22/2019 7:16:58 PM PST by TMD (Behind Enemy Lines....)
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To: TMD

The “elderly Indian gentleman” was leftist scum too. Just a different flavor.


6 posted on 01/22/2019 7:18:41 PM PST by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: TMD

Immunity.


7 posted on 01/22/2019 7:58:08 PM PST by GnuThere
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To: Yardstick

Liberal judges loyal to their party and not The Law would stop ant libel case against liberals.


8 posted on 01/22/2019 7:58:35 PM PST by fella ("As it was before Noah so shall it be again,")
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To: Lurker

All liberals are firehouse raving mad and decidedly evil. At least on planet earth. Pluto may house a colony of rational liberals, then again there is Uranus.


9 posted on 01/22/2019 8:30:10 PM PST by whistleduck (arpoon)
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To: Yardstick

The judiciary is largely leftist and activist.

All they have to say is something patently false like No Standing.


10 posted on 01/22/2019 8:35:10 PM PST by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: YogicCowboy; fella

Is the Kentucky state judicial system that lost? We’re not talking about the 9th circuit here.


11 posted on 01/22/2019 9:04:08 PM PST by Yardstick
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To: TMD

The black Hebrew Israelites are special due to their race, so there is little scrutiny given to them. Instead, the liberals were triggered because of kids wearing MAGA hats, compounded by them attending the March for Life, which by definition, offends the sensibilities of liberals.


12 posted on 01/22/2019 10:30:03 PM PST by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Dilbert San Diego

Yep, the hypocrisy is stunning.


13 posted on 01/23/2019 10:58:40 AM PST by TMD (Behind Enemy Lines....)
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