Supreme Court Justice Thomas Calls for Overturning Landmark Libel Case

By | February 20, 2019

  • February 20, 2019 at 1:34 pm
    Jack King says:
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    Very insightful of Justice Thomas. It may even be a helpful solution to the Republican vs. Democrat hate war that is going on in our great country today. If the press would stick to just writing news stories based on facts and stop spinning the stories against one party or the other, and let us do the interpreting, it may help to bring the parties together and get stuff done in our government.

    • February 20, 2019 at 3:04 pm
      Agent says:
      Hot debate. What do you think?
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      The dishonest media who is all in for the Progressive Democrats have been at this a while now and it must stop. If they can be sued for what they have done to this President, we can put them out of business. Justice Thomas was smeared big time when he went through the appointment process. He even stated that he felt like he was lynched. Libelous, treasonous behavior must not be allowed. Coup attempts at the highest level of government must be rooted out and prosecuted.

    • February 21, 2019 at 10:42 am
      SWFL Agent says:
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      I think part of the issue is that the news outlets have created “talk shows” or televised roundtable discussions that 1) the public construes as news and 2) the experts on these shows spew-out falsehoods and opinions more than cold hard facts. Rush can talk for three hours and CNN can fill air time because much of the information is strictly an opinion. The public needs to remember that these venues are for entertainment and somehow we’ve lost site of that.

      • February 21, 2019 at 1:33 pm
        chris says:
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        SWFL – I’m curious as to why you left off FOX Entertainment network? They pass themselves off as a news network. Is it because they agree with your views?

        • February 21, 2019 at 1:45 pm
          SWFL Agent says:
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          Chris, I mentioned “Rush” which pretty much sums up FOX’s viewpoints I would think. Not sure about most people but I read the news from every major outlet each morning. I think it’s important to know others’ viewpoints (I’m not infallible) and once past the headlines I find each service has different stories. Some good, some not so good.

  • February 20, 2019 at 4:50 pm
    Mark Ambrose says:
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    I’m all for allowing more lawsuits filed against media companies for not checking their facts or publishing glaringly false articles. Buzzfeed articles come to mind. I would say that I want a higher standard that needs to be met by politicians and public figures. Like the damages must be clear, not just I lost followers because of what you printed. Also, you can’t sue them for others lies, it must be the main point of the article not a supporting point. I.E. If I say the public figure is corrupt and is taking payments from everybody he can’t sue me for saying he hasn’t taken payments from my mom so I can’t print the everybody statement.

  • February 21, 2019 at 9:38 am
    integrity matters says:
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    From a constitutional standpoint, it will be very hard to legislate “what they say”. Frankly, I would be opposed to limit what they say.

    However, we could legislate what they “must say” when falsities are proven against them. All news organizations should be required to state the actual truth, as a main story (front page, 32 font or first story for TV). It must be done without out spin and all facts (what they said was wrong and what the truth is). They should also have to keep track how many times they have had to correct themselves and state that as well. Fines should be imposed after a determined number of “corrections” and given to non-profit veterans organizations.

    Eventually, these news organizations will grow tired of having to correct themselves and will eventually lose viewership and advertising.

    I would name the law, the “Truth in Media Reporting Act”.

    • February 21, 2019 at 9:43 am
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Retractions alone will not suffice. There must be a risk of economic loss for the initial ‘violation / crime’ of libel, just as is the case for members of the public who might do so. There must be monetary compensation, including punitive damages, to the victims…. for two reasons; compensation and deterrence of such future acts. Otherwise, news media / other media outlets would continue to libel their opponents and only ‘suffer’ damages of a zero-cost retraction story.

      • February 21, 2019 at 9:49 am
        PolarBeaRepeal says:
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        Addendum: the zero-cost of a retraction story isn’t zero cost to the media outlet. But that cost is something they can absorb and pass back to their viewers / readers. The retraction requires a SUCCESSFUL lawsuit by injured parties who may not have the money and time to sue.

        So, monetary compensation is needed in such a ruling by the SCOTUS or Congress (good luck getting such a law passed these days!).

      • February 21, 2019 at 10:18 am
        integrity matters says:
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        Polar,

        While I agree libel lawsuits will have a significant financial impact, the lies (information and misinformation) perpetrated by the media does not always rise to libel.

        My suggested approach is intended to be an “ankle biting, nuisance” type approach that exposes them and requires them to take ownership of their false reporting. They will grow more fatigued and embarrassed with exposing their lack of integrity. This will lead to reduced viewership and advertising revenue.

        • February 21, 2019 at 11:06 am
          Craig Cornell says:
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          Respectfully, I.M., I completely disagree. People are drawn to the emotional, not the carefully reasoned. It makes them feel something instead of just thinking about something.

          And so the media – which has the lowest trust level now in the history of the United States – is forced to compete with the easy access to emotional content available on every one’s phone in the form of TMZ, trash videos, etc.

          People are no longer interested in learning about issues; they simply want to feel something. Outrage. Self Righteousness. Something.

          And so the CNN’s of the world push Trump hate; dishonest, misleading, incomplete stories that make people FEEL what they want to feel.

          Exposing them? Liberals take advantage of the dishonesty to push silly fairy tales about socialism’s benefits in the face of mountains of historical evidence of it’s failure (one study said that only 16% of millennials could accurately define socialism. Only 41% of millenials know what Auschwitz was. Who is surprised?)

          • February 21, 2019 at 4:40 pm
            integrity matters says:
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            All great points. Craig. Society is definitely running on emotion now instead of well thought common sense.

            Obviously, there is no changing of minds of people that don’t accept facts. Call me silly, but I do still hope that there are some intelligent people out there that want the truth. As such, if there was a law that forced the media culprits to expressly tell the truth, some people might be converted.

            Opinions on topics that are not settled will still divide us, especially when fabricated “facts” are allowed to persist.

    • February 21, 2019 at 5:40 pm
      Captain Planet says:
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      Well, then there would be no Faux Newz so what would you watch, integrity? You do realize it is the “news” station that has sourced more misinformation that any other network, right? Or, have you fully adopted the propaganda? If you don’t believe me, you can Google it or I can source for you, should you not want to punch that into your search engine.

      • February 21, 2019 at 7:17 pm
        Craig Cornell says:
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        Oh, thanks Captain Jesus, for offering a fair insight into the Dark World that only you can see.

        How about this: for once, attack the liberal media. Just to show you believe in telling the truth.
        (It might make you interesting for once!)

        • February 22, 2019 at 9:13 am
          Captain Planet says:
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          AUGUST 8, 2018 AT 2:17 PM
          Craig Cornell says:
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          Gotta love all the deep thinkers who come up with zero facts, but lots of insults.
          Very persuasive. The approach a third grader might employ.

    • February 25, 2019 at 9:05 am
      Ron says:
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      integrity matters,

      I am completely on board with you. Any chance we could apply this also to politicians and campaigns?

      Notice how I did not identify any one politician, political party or ideology.

  • February 21, 2019 at 9:38 am
    PolarBeaRepeal says:
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    Just a hunch, but I believe the parade of Hollyweirdo celebs suffering from TDS, and lacking recent publicity and work, and the ‘PR arm’ of the DNC called the Liberal Mainstream Media, will call for Justices Thomas and Kavanaugh to recuse themselves from the case if it is eventually heard by the SCOTUS.

  • February 21, 2019 at 2:34 pm
    Libertarian Agent says:
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    I’m sorry, but this is a slippery slope to the media being censored. I believe 100% in free speech. Even if it is false or spun. And allowing people to sue for Libel is only going to open up our court to tons of lawsuits on the county, state and federal level. When our court system is already full with other more pressing issues.

    And those of you talking about the backlash that Justice Thomas and Justice Kavanaugh felt…..shame on you! How do you think those women felt? They have certainly had just as much, if not more backlash for speaking up about being assaulted by these men who got away with it.

    • February 21, 2019 at 4:46 pm
      integrity matters says:
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      Libertarian Agent: You said “…if not more backlash for speaking up about being assaulted by these men who got away with it.?

      Do you not believe that there must be evidence of those allegations? How many people would be in jail if mere allegations could bring a conviction? Do you really think that indisputable evidence was presented in either of the above cases? Even the “witnesses” that Blasey Ford presented could not corroborate the testimony.

    • February 21, 2019 at 4:46 pm
      SWFL Agent says:
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      I can tell why you think it’s a “slippery slope”. You just stated an opinion about how “these men who got away with it” without having factual knowledge. Right?

    • February 21, 2019 at 7:13 pm
      Craig Cornell says:
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      You totally miss it: Blasey Ford is the one who decided to attack Kavanaugh with allegations that were so vague and stupid she looked like a liar. Kavanauagh didn’t attack her. SHE made it happen.

      She couldn’t remember where or when it took place, or how she got there or got home, but she could remember the bedroom up the stairs where it happened. Uh huh. But she could remember she only had “one beer” that night, in that house she can’t remember. Right. And no one else could verify they were ever at a party with the 3 people mentioned by Ford, even though it was a very small gathering according to Ford. She admitted her clothes were never off. But went on to say that this event she couldn’t remember very well, where nothing really happened, had caused her – a lifelong Democrat – to have trauma her whole life.

      Man, you are gullible if you are sincere in believing this BS.

      • February 22, 2019 at 1:18 pm
        Chris says:
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        Call me gullible. I believe Blasey Ford’s allegations. However she was lucky she wasn’t treated as bad as Anita Hill was.

        • February 22, 2019 at 3:08 pm
          Craig Cornell says:
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          Anita Hill was a liar too. You might want to update your news sources. Fair-minded people look at Anita Hill like they do Tawana Brawley; total phony.

          • February 25, 2019 at 9:14 am
            Captain Planet says:
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            FEBRUARY 22, 2019 AT 1:04 PM
            Craig Cornell says:
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            Man, that’s hilarious but not in a way that flatters you.

  • February 25, 2019 at 1:02 pm
    Jason says:
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    I’m all for it. If they open up Libel and Slander laws Fox “News” will be out of business in a year.

    • February 25, 2019 at 1:08 pm
      Captain Planet says:
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      The same hold true for right-wing hate radio?

      • February 26, 2019 at 9:22 am
        PolarBeaRepeal says:
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        There is no such thing. But there is an endless tour of Hillary Clinton’s blame game, diagnostic books analyzing her election loss, and her accusations of ‘bimbo eruptions’ and a ‘vast right wing conspiracy against her husband and herself’.

        Slander and libel laws were designed with a specific purpose of maintaining a civil society absent divisive or destructive speech about one’s fellow man. It evolved under application by greedy attorneys into a jackpot, and devolved in use by news media and politicians into tools for politically aimed destruction of opponents.

    • February 26, 2019 at 9:16 am
      PolarBeaRepeal says:
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      Liberals hope to censor conservatives, so it’s obvious why you made your ‘wishful thinking’ post that lacks substantiation. Try a source other than Fake News CNN to obtain a realism based perspective on the integrity of FoxNews’ reporting.

  • February 26, 2019 at 2:26 pm
    CK1 says:
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    I miss the days of Walter Cronkite. Honesty, integrity and trust. Whether deemed left or right, most major news sources today are missing their mark. There should be accountability.



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