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2010: Turning Point?

GraphicMatt said:
There's no way any lawyer could argue that nfitz's message board postings calling Rob Ford a bigot have hurt his career or reputation in the community.
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"libel 1) n. to publish in print (including pictures), writing or broadcast through radio, television or film, an untruth about another which will do harm to that person or his/her reputation, by tending to bring the target into ridicule, hatred, scorn or contempt of others."

Seems pretty obvious to me. He's not anti-gay so calling him that in a public message board is a harmful lie.
 
Well he can sue me then, too. Because he is, at this point, either an passively ignorant or willfully prejudiced anti-gay bigot. It's hardly a secret - he publicly accept endorsements from evangelical anti-gay preachers, and has targeted Pride funding. "Oh but I'm sure he has no problem with gays who are upstanding straight-acting businessmen, in private" - I suppose is the next rebuttal. That, or, "The anti-gay endorsement of that preacher is 'nothing'...and Pride is just another parade". Right.
Bigotry does not refer to actions or remarks simply toward a person, but also towards the respecting of the social and cultural institutions that they identify with.

He is in an official position, and one that should maintain the dignity upholding the worth of all citizens - and the cultural contributions they have worked for. The delusional neo-con soundbite that there is "no such thing as society" worth recognizing - only business and the flow of money - has an echo in Ford, elevating 'taxpayers' over 'citizens'.

Gays, traditionally having been in a difficult position regarding their status in society know trouble when they see it. Just like the "save the children - protect the family" rhetoric in the U.S. means "get the queers", the lack of apology for Cherry's "Left wing pinkos, artsies, kooks", etc., rant is not just undignified - it's troublemaking. And if anyone should be getting sued, it's Don Cherry - and Rob Ford for allowing that divisive, slanderous speech.

I'm not saying Ford can't learn. But at this point, I don't like where he's at.
 
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You have to prove that the lie had a significant (generally financial) impact on your reputation to get a judgment.

Ford is close enough to anti-gay that I don't see that one landing as an untrue slur. Ditto 'bigot.' The closest he's come to libel would be 'alcoholic' and 'wife beating'. Maybe 'bribery attempt' depending on how you see the oxy incident.

I don't think there's a clear case here regardless. The Tuggs guy who is suing Ford currently is probably a better example of a potentially successful libel case.
 
CN Tower said:
I seriously hope he sues you for libel. It wouldn't be so difficult to prove.
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Why would he charge me with libel? His alcholism is well documented, with an arrest in the 1980s, a criminal conviction in the 1990s, and a well reported incident at the ACC in the 2000s. His drug-taking he has admitted to. The bribery attempt is well documented in a police report. The mis-use of taxpayer money was detailed in a recent report to city council that was accepted by council - even Ford didn't vote against it. The wife-beating charge was well documented in the media. The lying over previous criminal charges has been well documented. His bigotry against gays has been documented time and time again. I suppose he ddn't actually fake a resume, however he mislead the media that he had gradulated University, and when his people clarified that he hadn't a day later (fair enough) they said he was 2 credits shy of graduating, which appears to be a complete fabrication ... he certainly never made any attempt to correct the error.

What possible grounds is there for libel?
 
CanadianNational said:
Well he can sue me then, too. Because he is an ignorant or willfully prejudiced anti-gay bigot. It's hardly a secret - he publicly accept endorsements from evangelical anti-gay preachers, and has targeted Pride funding.
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You think cutting costs makes him anti-gay? You're incorrigible!

I heard he wants to cut back on a publicly funded seniors home. He must be anti-old people too!
 
CN Tower said:
He's not anti-gay so calling him that in a public message board is a harmful lie.
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How can you possibly say something that is such a lie!

He's made many anti-gay comments. He's refused to support funding for AIDS because he says it's only gays and drug users who get it. He's referred to homosexuality as a choice. But most importantly, he's made it clear that he's of the same mind as anti-gay pastor Wendell Brereton. Are you going to try tell me that Wendell Brereton pastor isn't anti-gay?
 
CN Tower said:
You think cutting costs makes him anti-gay? You're incorrigible!
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It's his public statements and actions against gay marriage that prove that Rob Ford is a bigot.

The man is not fit to hold public office. Yet Toronto still elected him. A bigot is now electable. This is a huge turning point. I've often wondered how supposedly democratic societies can vote in people of this ilk - and now I've witnessed it. It's pretty scary. Not so much Ford himself ... the guy isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed - but what it represents, and what others could do if they also manage to harness the same support.
 
nfitz said:
How can you possibly say something that is such a lie!

He's made many anti-gay comments. He's refused to support funding for AIDS because he says it's only gays and drug users who get it. He's referred to homosexuality as a choice. But most importantly, he's made it clear that he's of the same mind as anti-gay pastor Wendell Brereton. Are you going to try tell me that Wendell Brereton pastor isn't anti-gay?
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Being ignorant is a monumental leap from the venomous hatred associated with the bigotry that you describe.
 
nfitz said:
It's his public statements and actions against gay marriage that prove that Rob Ford is a bigot.

The man is not fit to hold public office. Yet Toronto still elected him. A bigot is now electable. This is a huge turning point. I've often wondered how supposedly democratic societies can vote in people of this ilk - and now I've witnessed it. It's pretty scary. Not so much Ford himself ... the guy isn't exactly the sharpest tool in the shed - but what it represents, and what others could do if they also manage to harness the same support.
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Irony is dripping from your words. It seems you have far more disdain for him than im certain he has for you!

If I were on his team I would be rounding up the lawyers now.
 
CN Tower said:
Irony is dripping from your words. It seems you have far more disdain for him than im certain he has for you!
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Why would Ford even know who I am? I doubt he reads this blog ...

CN Tower said:
If I were on his team I would be rounding up the lawyers now.
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I think that Rob Ford is very stupid, but even I don't think he is that stupid. Is that the news story that either he or the Conservative party want in the media day after day? Besides he has been called a bigot and even a racist by mainstream politicians - and even I don't go that far. Why would he sue someone for commenting on a blog.

Rob Ford has admitted to the media that he is personally against gay marriage. Anyone who speaks out publicly against gay marriage is without question a bigot. How could he make a case that he isn't a bigot?
 
Anyone blames all of Toronto's infrastructure problems on immigrants and calls for a complete ban on immigration is a bigot. End of story.
 
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