But not for thee.
From: John Bennett
To: leftdog@hushmail.com
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:37:56 -0600
Please be informed that the if the video
Canadians Are Stupid!” – Elizabeth May
is not removed from your site with the hour the Green Party of Canada will seek means to prevent legal proceedings further slander.
John Bennett
Director of Communications
Green Party of Canada
(613) 562-4916 ext. 230
(Cell: 613) 291 6888
Fax: (613) 482-4632
For someone who was whining just two days ago about being deprived of a chair at the leaders’ debate, she wastes no time in shutting down an ordinary citizen.
It’s as they say – “Green on the outside, hot pink totalitarian on the inside”.
(Note – context for the video at Stephen Taylor’s.)
Upon further reflection, I have to add that there is a special sort of stupid involved when a political party threatens to sue someone they only know as “leftdog”.
“the Green Party of Canada will seek means to prevent legal proceedings further slander.”
Err… Maybe that sentence was written by one of those Canadians.
Some of the commenters want him to roll over and play dead for the sake of taking votes away from the CPC.
Coalition at the grass roots, with short leashes.
Ah yes – the stink of Sierra Club money.
Any lawyer types reading who can give an opinion on the youtube, libel or slander angles ?
Now, now; E.May is the only female leader of a national party, leftdog should know this and pull the video. It’s not fair, obviously she needs special rules because she is a woman.
All of a sudden Lizzie’s clip starts showing up on all the blogs…
The only ground upon which they could sue is if the video has been spliced to defame May. I personally think this is the most likely explanation.
Maybe I’m wrong but I really doubt Elizabeth May said that. And if it’s a fake, your libel.
My 2 cents. Same goes for Taylor.
legal proceedings? slander?
are they perhaps afraid that “stupid canadians” might sue *them* for slander? ha!
Tuco ,
I think the gripe was about copyrighted material showing up on youtube and being reproduced on his blog . His defense , is that he didn’t put it on youtube , he just put it up on his site .
It is possible that I am mistaken. Forgive me, but I didn’t think anyone could say such a stupid thing.
I just refuse to believe that. Can anyone confirm that she actually said that? If so, I shouldn’t have called leftdog a special needs kid.
Naw…he IS a special needs kid!
Wow. This grammar-challenged e-mail supposedly came from the Director of Communications for the Greenies?
One of these things must be true:
This communications director is a J-School bottom of the class/illiterate. (same diff, I know)
Or …
This fool is a cartooney.
Oh wait! It could also be both!
What a knigget.
Ellie May is just a big baby. What’s good for her is bad for everyone else.
This is no different than last night on MDL her saying that if a pro-life Liberal or Conservative joined the Christian Heritage Party they should not be allowed in the debate because they didn’t have a “sitting MP”. Talk about splitting hairs.
She’s a tool.
On CTV, the Quebec Green Party leader is running for the Dippers!!
He just said that Jack’s enviro plan is better than Lizzy’s. LOL
“Any lawyer types reading who can give an opinion on the youtube, libel or slander angles ?”
IANAL, but my understanding is that anything which is reproduced or rebroadcast automatically falls under libel.
Further, if May DID say that I flat out REFUSE to believe that someone would be so incredibly stupid as to write a threatening lawsuit letter — only to draw more attention to the offending video. My head is sploding.
Is Elizabeth May is any relatioship with Mr.May
that crook fraud owner of Maple lodge food
who sell “zabiehe halal” by halal certificat of ISNA in Loblaw over past 3 years to fool muslim over 15 years because Corrupted Expoert Canada like to suppor Maple ldoge for sell tonse of halal fake to Midlde east and support Pork of Canda to Dubi and Iraq
is this Mr. May owner of Maple ldoge is any relatioship with Elizabeth May or not?
is any body know this?
I knwo John Lederer of Loblaw also put his brother as Judge in Civil court to help him out too?
this is also remind me of Hilery weston who took politc of Mr. Haris !! to help her hsuband billion get higher by steal small busiens as soon taht aim got now go and search engine Hilrey Weston you only see in party among Modona or others not in any poltiical party , the similaty of Hiley weston and Sarah Palin both are Miss USA nad Hilrey Weston was Miss Irish she was model of take her cloth of in Irland and all her children born in Irland too not realy canadian citizne even Lobalw recent president is import of England not from Canada
why people and court support those peopel get rich by stel and cut so many other people out I can not understand even court knwo the fact still support them too!!
this big rich company now train their family to take big place in goverment and poltic for sake of power we can not simply trust them too
waht is background of Mr. harper and Mr. Dion in Canada? how do you trust them fully?
Slightly off topic but Kate is there going to be a CBC blogging round table this year? At work most blogs are firewalled but the CBC is allowed so I would read your old posts when I needed a break. Some of your posts there are masterpiece works of art.
CBC Roundtable
“hot pink totalitarian on the inside”: yeah, what’s your point.
K Stricker ,
…anything which is reproduced or rebroadcast automatically falls under libel.…
So any potentially incendiary thing one of our party leaders says that is put up on youtube (even though in reality “they ” are only libeling themselves ) can be considered actionable , by said party leader ?
The word “think” before the statement “Canadians are stupid” should relieve May of being any April FOOL.
leftdog aka Buckdog aka a Canadian pitbull terrier does this sort of thing quite often when it comes to those of another political leaning. I think his blog is found under NDP with the Blogging Canadians.
big hint
‘politicians “think” Canadians are stupid’, we need to be a little more careful around this American Terrier, their no Staffordshire that’s for sure.
NO.1 pit dog is a Staffordshire Terrier, Buck., not the American Pitbull.
Oy, I’m stoopid; I think I’ll vote stoopid.
(Must be said in Blootbottle voice – The Goon Show).
Stupid person.
Has anyone thought to verify that this is a legit notice and not some disgruntled Green trying to push you around? That wasn’t even legible english – hardly sounds like someone who would have the title of “communications director”.
I wouldn’t take anything down unless there was a legit C&D.
Methinks food-media is a provocateur.
Rebroadcasting something that a person says in a public forum does not, and can not, constitute slander. The threatening letter is laughable. I’ve never seen such a week-kneed cease and desist letter, and I’ve seen many. If you can weed through the bad grammar, it basically says that if the video is not removed, they will try to find some money to bring legal proceedings. Despite being laughable for its ineptitude, it is quite concerning that anyone, especially someone who calls themselves a communications director, would think that simply replaying something stupid that Lizzy said can amount to slander of Lizzy, actionable by Lizzy. Twits. Oh, wait, I almost forgot about the Human Rights Commissions. I guess I’ll have to change my legal advice – yes, it can amount to slander. And the Greens won’t even have to try to find some money to bring the suits. And they’ll be able to bring suits in eleven different venues at the same time. And if the HRC’s vote Green (and I’m sure some of them do), then there will be a guilty verdict. Eleven guilty verdicts.
“So any potentially incendiary thing one of our party leaders says that is put up on youtube (even though in reality “they ” are only libeling themselves ) can be considered actionable , by said party leader ?”
Oh hell no. I haven’t heard the clip yet, but I was under the impression it isn’t clear exactly what is being said before “…think Canadians are stupid.”
If she insists she said “they think Canadians are stupid.” it might be actionable if that is a reasonable explanation for the clip, and the implication that she calls Caandians stupid in the video isn’t removed.
I think that if Ms May actually said those words, and I have no proof that she did, how can she stop someone from repeating them? has she the copyright for this? or is it merely a case of, what has been said is now being reported and those that said it don’t like the exposure?
can one libel themselves?
Too late this video is everywhere now and will be out there forever.
That beauty queen Lizzy May, like all far lefties are convinced that if you disagree with them, you are indeed stupid.
She just said it out loud.
Tsk tsk Liz. Loose lips sink ships … even the good ship lollipop.
P.S. Kate your staring at my ip aren’t you.
I feel your green badge of courage upon my “emasculate testicle”.
What show is it from? Does anyone know? Sounds like Paiken
For future reference, please refer to The Streisand Effect.
And please bear in mind that free legal advice about these and other matters is worth every penny.
Green is the color or envy.
They just hate it when others are prosperous and happy. I guess it really isn’t easy being green.
When I say “go green” I am talking about bucks, moolah, coin, dough, drachmas, dollars, cash … gold latinum and I want everyone to have some, but have their own, not other people’s.
Crying ‘poor gaia’ with a violin and and a tax strategy just don’t cut it for me.
I think it is a question of interpretation,
It appears to me she is saying (after repeated listening):
“Politicians are afraid to mention the word tax and “THEY” think Canadians are stupid, and cannot, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment”
To my ears she is in fact agreeing with the assessment that “Politicians are afraid to mention the word tax and “THEY” think Canadians are stupid.
The tape isn’t edited, but cut short, preventing us from determining proper context.
That said, the Watermelons and Ms. May have made asses of themselves for threatening to sue.
There seems to be some dispute about what May said vs. what she meant.
It is similar to the debates taking place on US talk radio for the past couple of days about whether or not Obama called Palin a pig.
Hewitt says yes; Prager says no. They are playing the clip over and over again and their callers are debating it.
Note that NOBODY is being sued for by either Obama or the networks for a) playing the clip and b) debating what he said or meant.
I care less about May’s words than about the idea that her camp would threaten to sue over this.
That fact says way more about her than that clip ever could.
If the clip is really her and is uncut, I can’t see how it could be libel or slander. I am a bit unclear whether she says “I” believe Canadians are stupid or “they” (politicians) believe it.
Stephen, it definitely sounds like Paikin. So, this clip is probably from The Agenda.
(For left wing bias, I consider TVO as bad as the CBC these days. And, like the CBC, they just don’t see it. “Who us?” Dolts.)
I called John Bennet’s posted cell# and talked to him, he was as frantic as a child dipped in gravy and sent through the Lion Safari on a bicycle with flat tires.
Messege to Lizzie…” I MAY (pun intended) be stupid, but I am smart enough to see through your attempt at a free life paid for from the taxpayer’s wallet.
BUZZ(another pun)OFF and get a job/life!
This must have come from Steve Paikin’s TVO programme the agenda.
And while I am no fan of May in the least, it is not at all clear to me whether she is saying “they” (politicians) or “I” (May) think Canadians are stupid. I strongly suspect the former.
She is obviously completely out of touch with the Internet though.
Once these things hit a site like YuoTube they’re out there beyond recall. A PC hard drive in Romania is well beyond the writ of the Canadian Criminal Code.
Isn’t suing trying to get other people’s money?
Richard Evans at September 11, 2008 5:59 PM
Suddenly popping up? New to the web are you? I was listening to a longer version of that clip months ago. Loreweaver had it up as a wmv months ago.
I tried to post TVO’s website address with the audio of the Agenda show where May’s comment was made, but it got caught-up in the spam filter, I guess. The clip is a 12.3 mb mp3 file or podcast available from TVO.
First of all, according to the various clips of this segment, which are still up on other sites (Is the Green Party actually going to threaten to sue ALL these sites?)…Elizabeth May did say:
“Canadians are stupid”.
She said this in reply to a question (sounded like Paikin of The Agenda)..on why there is so little ‘political will’ for a carbon tax. May’s response was that politicians are scared of the tax and that she agrees with the tax..and that “Canadians are stupid”.
Presumably she meant that Canadians are stupid not to approve of what SHE approves; namely, a carbon tax.
As for suing for slander or libel – that’s impossible. It was a comment made by May herself on public television. It wasn’t a comment made by someone else about May. SHE SPOKE THOSE WORDS. Therefore, slander (a spoken attack) or libel (a written attack) are simply not applicable here.
As for the HRC, that’s equally inapplicable. May spoke those words. It’s not words about her.
If anyone ought to feel insulted, it’s Canadians. By Elizabeth May.
My own feeling is that IF the Green Party actually wrote that letter – they were doing it on their own. Furthermore, take a look at the ‘letter’; it is so ungrammatical as to be a joke. Take a look at the exchange between leftdog and John Bennett, Director of Communications for the Green Party of Canada. Bennett can’t write English. He’s the director of communications?
Bennett writes:
“You are knowingly asisting in slander get it down or you face legal action us & TVO.
Journalism is more than repeating. You have a responsibility to verify the facts.
Get get it down now.”
That’s written by a Director of Communications??
Again – rewriting or reposting Elizabeth May’s actual words…her actual voice speaking those words..is NOT SLANDER! Who is being slandered?? Not May; she spoke those words. That’s the facts. She said those words. She’s accountable for what she said. It’s we Canadians who should be getting a response from May – WHY did she tell us that “Canadians are stupid”??
Blazingcatfur is correct.
I’m no Greenie, but May did say:
“Politicians are afraid to mention the word tax and “THEY” think Canadians are stupid, and cannot, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment”
Listen close. She says “they”. There’s no doubt about it. I wish she had said “I”, because it’s a legitimate gaffe then, but she did say “they.”
Sorry folks.
Being a fan of many tech blogs, and hearing constantly about DMCA takedown notices regarding youtube, it’s my opinion that you have absolutely nothing to fear.
You yourself aren’t hosting the offending content, youtube is. It would be akin to a newspaper printing something libelous or slanderous, and then Ms. May trying to sue the paper boy for handing out the slanderous content.
The only problem though is that if they sent a DMCA takedown notice to youtube, that video would be dropped immediately until the poster of that video responds with their counter claim that the original DMCA takedown was not valid. It’s a shoot first ask questions later type of system for youtube.
But … is global warming real?
PROOF
Looking at it now this appears to be a fake. Googling for leftdog@hushmail.com only turns up a handful of websites, one of which is a blogspot blog which is about dogs. If you look at the users profile, you’ll see that they describe themselves as a “Canadian Citizen Journalist”.
Also note that the domain isn’t from the green party, and note the poor English. Also in that google search, another Saskatchewan blog called buckdogpolitics also got a similar message, with an equally misspelled and un-official sounding response after he email this person.
Also, that blogspot account is someone from Saskatchewan apparently, so the fact that two Saskatchewan blogs received this makes me think it’s just some dumb rando from our fair province.
There seems to be some dispute about what May said vs. what she meant. Kathy .
What if she were Dion , and said something incredibly stupid that I knew he didn’t mean , but the soundbyte was comic gold ?
Well it seems that the Greens have just thrown water on a grease fire.
Now the video is everywhere and Ms. May now has to answer for her attempts to squelch an ordinary citizen.
Probably an English major, with a minor in Victims Grievance Studies
Itchyman I agree with you and BCF, but that leads to the question why would she want the video taken down if its harmless??