Another deadly weekend. 2 more t*ser related deaths. ACTION!
Just as I was about to post this? I got a letter in my Email. FROM A F*CKING XXXXX COMPANY. guess they want me to promote their partyline? Susan W? Screw you and your company. Seems to me that the lapdogs at the national press are giving you enough attention. Have a nice day :) (no I'm not kidding you, they found me through DKos) Update: Upon further reading, they are actually demanding a retraction of a post I made on KOS. I have sent info to Kos himself. Dunno. Ill keep you updated
Anyone who wants a copy of the email? lemme know.
Just one more post on this. For now.
Two young men have died this weekend from being tazed. Both 20 years old.
Man dies after Raton police use Taser on him
Associated Press - November 19, 2007 9:05 AM ET
RATON, N.M. (AP) - A 20-year-old man is dead after Raton police used a Taser to subdue him. Police say Jesse Saenz (Synz) was struggling and fighting them yesterday as they attempted to take him into custody. Raton Police Capt. Mike Galardi says officers had no choice to use force, and used the Taser to get Sanez under control.Saenz's sister, Raina Saenz, contends police used excessive force in deploying Tasers. Jesse Saenz died after being transported to the Colfax County jail.
An autopsy was ordered.
The other young man:
FREDERICK, Md. -- A hearing-impaired man died
Sunday after a sheriff's deputy zapped him with a Taser gun. Police say
the deputy was breaking up a fight. The young man's mother says it was
a case of excessive force."I want my baby back and no one can bring my baby back," said Tanya Johnson.Her son, 20-year-old Jarrel Gray, died after being shocked in the parking lot of a townhouse complex about 5 a.m. Sunday.
I know the taser apologists are out in full force, proclaiming that the taser is "non lethal". I know they will use that term "excited delirium" to explain the inexplicable. I know they will say that the taser is simply the only tool available to police.
I say. Bullshit. Bullshit. Bullshit.
Excited delerium is not a medical term. It is a term that was invented by the XXXXX industry, and is a convenient escape goat. Its like "collateral damage". It is a term that says that deaths are acceptable, and that the ends justify ANY means.
Old people, young people, middle aged people are being killed in our communities. Statistics from one news agency show that in Canada tasers are mostly used on unarmed people, for "compliance". ( I had a link yesterday that I used, Canadian Press agency has removed what was there, and replaced it with Doris Stockwell Days excuses. I have a screenshot, and the HTML of this one saved now. Talk about "memory holes"?)
There is no justification. Jarrel Gray, and Jesse Saenz would most likely be alive if they hadn't had the XXXXX used on them.
Excited delirium?
Eric Balaban of the American Civil Liberties Union said: "I know of no reputable medical organization — certainly not the AMA American Medical Association or
the American Psychological Association that recognizes excited delirium as a medical or mental-health condition." Melissa Smith of the American Medical Association said
the organization has "no official policy" on the disorder.
It doesn't exist. When we allow corporations to invent new medical terminology to excuse their products from any liability, then what is safe anymore?
Tasers can kill. Maybe not in a large percentage of the population, but they kill some. Since the police cannot tell which individuals have heart problems or who may die as a result, thats enough. Or it should be. The Russian roulette methodology of policing? Is that acceptable to you?
Vancouver and Victoria Demonstrations: h/t to MattBastard.
I am now using the XXXXX for the T word, as I dont want to use teh TM thingy. :)
Email & post
I'd like to have a look at both the "offending" post and the email demand. In fact, a stand by distribution of copies of both documents would make sense to me. These folks are willing to overlook the growing body count and pay for the big lies. Best to have back ups, lest they leverage any more thought down their litigious memory hole.
Have they implied in any way, shape or form
That they might initiate some sort of legal action if you 'refuse to comply' with their request? (the irony just drips).
Regardless, I would suggest getting a legal opinion yourself.
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
bluff and FUD
Short of obvious libel (or is it slander) there's not much they can do - it's not her site and it's in the US.
Bluff & FUD.
no I'm not an attorney - but I and my attorney have looked into these issues. Y'all are much more immune for your posts on US sites than Canadian sites.
Oh - they have a Canadian office? Well the text was displayed from US territory - jurisdictional nightmare.
prediction: if kos does more than smile at the demand it'll be to laugh.
btw pale, franks' right - if they harrass, it's time for counsel. Save everything and DO NOT respond to them unless an attorney green lights it - slimey bastards! And pale? can we get a link to the "offending piece" and a copy of the email?
For giggles, if you know a lawyer you might ask about the implications of publishing the intimidation ON A U.S. SITE - it'd be fun to watch 'em squirm.....
asdf
This is the 'offending piece' - an updated version of a piece first posted on this site.
I won't post the contents of the e-mail as pale will e-mail to you or already has e-mailed to you. Once you see it you will likely be able to call them on same BS as I.
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
Hmmm.. I still have that Canadian Press story
Right here.
Excerpts:
Just in case it 'disappears' again.
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
One more thing...
Be very careful in any reply to or communication with them. They will compile and document everything, and if push comes to shove will use anything you write or say against you.
They can afford very expensive, high-profile, legal 'experts'.
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
Upon further reflection and research
I'm positive that this is purely intimidation. Trying to 'scare' the 'little people' with legal threats when there are dozens of traditional media outlets publishing headlines that explicitly say 'taser death' and 'taser related death'.
Like this one - Canadian, Polish officials discuss Taser death of Polish immigrant
And this one - Taser Death Was Murder: Widow
And this one - Public inquiry launched following B.C. taser death
As I said, there are dozens upon dozens more.
The DKos situation is Kos' call. My gut feeling is his legal team will say 'stuff it'. Also my gut feeling that CanWest, National Post, Canadian Press, Globe & Mail etc.. are NOT being served with similar legal threats.
Any other Canuck bloggers receive similar legal threats?
Remember that we still have free speech rights. If you have concerns you can always turn to federal or provincial civil liberties organizations. There ARE pro-bono legal defense options.
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
Yeah
What Frank said.
Don't forget the power of the intertubes, too. Bloggers can get rather testy when companies send bogus C&D notices to a member of the family.
"When there's nothing left to burn, you have to set yourself on fire"
A reminder
That I also have MPs and members of the traditional media among my personal contacts and I'm not askeered to use them. Think they have 'bad publicity' right now? 'STUN GOD corporate gods intimidate bloggers' wouldn't exactly be a 'good publicity' headline now would it?
(caveat - nothing has been issued on the basis of a post in Canada or on a Canadian site. Yet)
Everything's cheaper than it looks.
Yo pale
Can you forward me a copy of the email? Just curious. No rush, just when you get a chance. Thanks!