Unpatriotic? UnAmerican?

[Guaranteed]

Someone wrote this on another message board:

"Being called a traitor is no joke, in my mind, but becoming a personal slander on my citizenship and my allegiance to my country, which is no less than any so-called "patriot". It's also potentially dangerous, as those of us who demonstrably disagree with this regime may find ourselves physically harmed (as Coulter advocated) because we show this with a statement or a bumper sticker. Is it time to begin exploring the notion of a class action suit against some of these demagogues? The legal criteria for treason seem to be pretty clear-cut. If legally feasible, it would seem to be a slam-dunk against them: in order to prevail against such a suit, they would have to prove that each and every liberal and democrat had actively betrayed this country, a standard that would be impossible to attain. Gratuitously branding people as "traitors" fails the free speech test if it defames them without proof or incites violence against them."

I'm wondering what you guys think of the idea. Doesn't it sound legitimate to you to file some lawsuits? It's slander/libel to call someone a traitor without due evidence, isn't it?
I'm getting real sick of people questioning my loyalty.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Agreed!!!!!!!

I boycott conservative artists! They (especially those of the "country music" scene) seem to have a problem with liberal/progressive viewpoints! All liberals should keep their mouths shut and only Conservatives should be allowed to speak!

Ron Silver, a conservative "actor" who questioned the patriotism and intelligence of those who opposed the war in Iraq has a new show on Fox called "Skin"! May this show Fail and he can see how it feels to have people not buy your products (Dixie Chicks ring a bell??)!!!!

[Guaranteed]

5. Should we file lawsuits though?

Doesn't it seem like we have a strong case? People can't just go around calling each other "traitors" all the time. It's defammatory (as Bill O'Reilly would say), and there's also the boy-who-cried-wolf effect. The word kind of loses it's meaning. It's a very, very serious word, and people are throwing it around like it's nothing.
The guy also mentioned that it's dangerous. It could start a civil war.

[atreides1]

6. Some Conservative.

I've seen the trailers on TV. How is it that his character is a pornographer instead of the District Attorney, doesn't sound all that
conservative to me.

Not to mention it's on Fox, the "Family Values Network", at least that's what O'Reilly wants us to think.

Come to think of it Silver does look like someone who would enjoy pornography.

And I do agree with the idea of a class action suit against people like him, and Coulter, and all of the others that spew this crap.

[crispyguy]

2. disagreed !

Your loyalty hasnt been questioned until you have been rounded up and placed into a prison camp.

your just gonna have to suck it up and deal with it. the 1st amendment protects the right of people to you or I disloyal just as you have the right to call them...


there are enough stupid lawsuits out there today

[MissB]

4. Nah. It's too late once they've placed you in a prison camp.

Why wait that long to fight against the brand of treason?

[crispyguy]

7. no camps

my point is not that your going to be placed in a prison camp, (this will never happen again I am sure)

the point is that suing coulter isnt going to get you anywhere, it's like fox suing al franken, it just makes you look stupid. why waste the time just keep doing what your doing, who cares what anyone else thinks about you.

I'm loyal, you're loyal (i hope) why does the opinion of others bother you? are you really that scared of them?

[Guaranteed]

8. I just take

serious offense when people call me a traitor. Those ARE fighting words.
Maybe I should just fight em?

[crispyguy]

9. fighting words

...I've been called a facist, racist, nazi baby killer... there is no truth to any of those names in reference to me...those are fighting words, but I just let it go, It's not worth being violent

[elfwitch]

11. me too..

If I had money for every time I had been called any of those things, I could stop working. I get tired of it too. But I have been kinda of an outsider all my life. I was born and raised in Texas. I've never fit in. Nowadays, I just try to consider the source and move on with my day.

[MissB]

10. Tell me you've never heard someone use the label "liberal"

Tell me you've never heard someone use the label "liberal" as if is a bad thing. Yeah.

The right has done an excellent job of saying that liberal=traitor. Why allow them to do that? It is not true. Frivilous lawsuits may not be the answer, but neither is ignoring their tactics.

[Guaranteed]

12. I'm not sure it'd be frivolous, anyway.

If it's possible to be "defamed" and deserve compensation, it seems to me that people labeling you a traitor to your country is up there as a candidate.

[crispyguy]

14. lawsuits

yup, we can tie up the legal system with another wasteful lawsuit... hmm perhaps we can bankrupt a major city, or corporation while were at it.

[Guaranteed]

15. Or Ann Coulter!

Yay!

[crispyguy]

13. labels

they have their ideologies, and you have yours... that is what is important Ideas, not labels...

if liberals and conservatives could work together to solve problems on common ground we'd be in great shape, but the labels get in the way.

[JohnOneillsMemory]

16. Short story, I was told to "get the *out if I didn't like the president.

Three of us across on a plane, old guy with NYT in the middle, Young and Angry on his other side. I point to old guy's NYT paper with an article about schools closing for lack of funds saying "pardon me for reading over your shoulder, but that's really amazing isn't it?". Old guy says 'yeah, the tax cuts to the rich are rediculous.'

We chat, I ramp in to the PNAC and BushCO. Young and Angry asks me if I'm flying to SF. Yup I am. He rolls his eyes and says "I know a few people like you at work. You know what I have to say to you? Don't like the president? TGTF-Get The Fuck Out!!"
He practically spits this and turns away.

My move. Well, I carry a copy of the US Constitution with me (recently autographed by Helen Thomas) so I pull it out and say: "No, I'm going to stay in this country because it is sick with an unconstitutional virus which has destroyed our Bill of Rights. And I believe in this country and want it to get well again." And much more.

He re-humanizes and the three of us chat comfortably for the rest of the flight. Turns out Mr. Young and Angry used to work for Enron!! No wonder he's so bitter and hostile. When we get off, I say "good luck to both of you, fellow citizens" and they both smile. Mission accomplished.

[newyawker99]

18. Hi crispyguy!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[bearfartinthewoods]

3. edited

my tonue is nearly biten through

[Blitz]

17. Why, exactly

have you been biting your tongue so much lately? First I thought that it had to do with D.C. police running down innocent protesters on Pennsylvania Avenue, but now I'm not so sure. What gives?