“Blazing Catfur” Defense Fund!!!
[Guest post by Aaron Worthing; send your tips here. Cross posted here and here.]
Update: Instalanche and Driscollanche! So, um, bear with us, I suspect things might go slooooow…
“Blazing Catfur” is a blogger I have known since the Everyone Draw Mohammed controversy. He says he is being sued by Richard Warman. Followers of Mark Steyn and Ezra Levant’s fight with the Canadian Human Rights Commission will recognize the name. One example of Steyn’s many columns on the man can be found here.
So Catfur says he is being sued in part… for linking to a Steyn article.
Does that make any fraking sense to you?
Anyway, we all know that defending yourself, even from a bogus suit, costs money. So if you are inclined to help out a guy out in need, he really could use a few bucks to help him defend himself and he tells you how, here.
Oh, and this cartoon from the Everyone Draw Mohammed day seems appropriate:
[Posted and authored by Aaron Worthing. No I did not draw this cartoon. It was given to me during the Everyone Draw Mohammed Day event, and I thought it was really appropriate.]
Aaron,
This is somewhat off-topic. But, I thought it should be brought to the attention of those who own websites.
The $105 Fix That Could Protect You From Copyright-Troll Lawsuits
JoeH (eeb280) — 10/27/2010 @ 8:36 pmAh, yes, down here in the US we often are on the receiving end of snide comments from the Canadian chattering classes.
This lawsuit would in the US be tossed out of court, possibly with fees assessed, as clearly disfavored under the First Amendment. Of course, I’ve seen a couple of comments along the lines of “freedom of speech is an American concept.” As Sarah Palin would say, “You betcha.”
Alex Bensky (167fe9) — 10/27/2010 @ 8:42 pmAlex
in a post on geert wilders, i wrote this:
> And to those who accuse me of believing in freedom of expression with a fanaticism that is almost religious, I say this: guilty as charged. When I read that we are endowed by our creators with certain unalienable rights, when I say that among our God-given rights is freedom of expression and freedom of religious expression in particular, I am not just using a flourish. I believe they are ours, given to us by God, and cannot by right be taken or bartered away.
So, um, great minds think alike. or similarly.
But i will quibble with one point. the desire for true freedom is universal. So its not really an american concept, but it is better protected here.
Aaron Worthing (f97997) — 10/27/2010 @ 8:49 pmAh, Richard Warman. That would be the Canadian Neo-Nazi and most active member of the loathsome Stormfront web community, nicht wahr? Same guy?
Somebody needs to tell DickWar that National Socialism, however much it roils his SS runes, is really not viable as a political system. There was a rather vigourous exploration of the subject some decades back and it was thoroughly worked out, and not to his advantage.
Kevin R.C. O'Brien (11e910) — 10/27/2010 @ 8:58 pmIndeed, Aaron and Alex, we protect speech well in the USA. There are other aspects of Canadian and British law we might do well to adopt, but the two nations’ easily-corrupted libel laws are not among them. What a fine result it would be if their laws and ours alike would both make some alterations towards greater liberty!
Different subject — I’m enjoying Aaron’s guest posts, but where’s our host? Tied up in trial? I’m glad I don’t have his job… having to think about murderers all the time. He can keep it!
Kevin R.C. O'Brien (11e910) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:05 pmKevin
Can’t tell you where Patterico is. But he said he would be gone for two weeks… ending this friday.
So Daddy’s coming home then and man, I am going to be soooo grounded.
Aaron Worthing (f97997) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:12 pmKevin, I think he’s on vacation. I don’t know if he said a real vacation (from work and blog) or just a couple weeks from the blog. He promised some coverage of Kimberlin when he returned, though, which I’m looking forward to.
Canada is the Twilight Zone version of the USA. Toronto reminds me of Baltimore, though I haven’t been to either in some time.
They need a SLAPP tort like I need air.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:13 pmIf I recall correctly, one of Warman’s tactics was to sockpuppet on various blogs to stir crap up to jump start his litigation.
daleyrocks (940075) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:26 pmdaley
the allegation is that he would sockpuppet as a neo nazi hater. then he would charge them with a hate crime for leaving his comment up… which begs he question… how come he isn’t being charged too. because he had his fingers crossed?
Aaron Worthing (f97997) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:28 pmThat’s a great point, Aaron. But he knows, Alinksy style (whether he got it there or not) that freedom of speech lovers are not going to hold him up to his own standards.
So cleverly, he abuses the very freedom he would take away.
Daleyrocks’s description makes this guy sound like killgore trout taken to the next level. Which is probably exactly right.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:34 pmPerhaps Canadian bloggers out to host their sites on US servers. If the sever’s IP address is in the US I don’t see how a common law country like Canada would allow slander suits for comments posted on a foreign web site.
That and perhaps some sort of waiver notice ticked off before posting waiving the right to sue on the grounds Warman does in order to post a comment. Perhaps some readers who are Canadian lawyers might offer some insight on how to have the Warman’s of Canada sidestepped from destroying Canadian bloggers financially and stifling the blogger’s and readers ability to express their views.
cubanbob (409ac2) — 10/27/2010 @ 9:52 pmDoesn’t Canada have Loser Pays? If it does, then surely all the victims of these lawsuits need is a loan until they win their cases and recover their costs.
Milhouse (ea66e3) — 10/27/2010 @ 10:44 pmThanks for the linkage and for your support, it is very much appreciated!
Blazingcatfur (b38a7c) — 10/28/2010 @ 5:55 amMilhouse
good question, and i obviously don’t know. but that is asking someone else to go out on a limb for you, and alot of people might not be willing to do that.
Assuming it is loser pays. i know england is, but… that’s canada.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/28/2010 @ 5:59 amah, and here is the answer to that question.
http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/amlawdaily/2009/08/canada-qa.html
But again, someone has to front the money. it might be a lawyer working on contingency, or even maybe a bank loan, but someone has to cut him a break. i am not sure how realistic that is, as a goal, and i suspect Catfur actually already checked that out.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/28/2010 @ 6:01 amJust make sure the crystal egg on the fireplace mantle doesn’t have a crack in it, Aaron.
Some chump (4c6c0c) — 10/28/2010 @ 7:17 amSC
okay, i give… what movie was that again? with the crystal egg? i can’t quite put my finger on it.
Aaron Worthing (e7d72e) — 10/28/2010 @ 7:21 amAron: Good job. I already have your site bookmarked. Thankyou.
Bar Sinister (d47790) — 10/28/2010 @ 9:21 amAaron, that was an oblique reference to “Risky Business”
Some chump (4c6c0c) — 10/28/2010 @ 9:36 amsome
oh, duh… thanks. that was killing me.
Aaron Worthing (b1db52) — 10/28/2010 @ 10:27 amQuestion: how is Warman payinghis lawyers?
I doubt if he’s digging in his own pockets.
Rich Rostrom (f7aeae) — 10/28/2010 @ 1:03 pmWarman himself is a lawyer, employed with Canada’s Department of National Defence.
Chris Taylor (9b8c14) — 10/28/2010 @ 2:14 pmGovernment lawyer, eh? Nobody ever dies of overwork in that kind of job. I guess that leaves him lots of time for his Stormfront hobby.
It’s not as if Canada’s been able to mount an actual defense since, I dunno, the cancellation of the Arrow probably. It’s amazing to think that Canada once had its own fighter-plane factories. Heck, it had its own aircraft carriers.
Canadian troops are some of the finest in the world but they are very few and very shabbily equipped and supported.
Kevin R.C. O'Brien (c5a2cc) — 10/29/2010 @ 5:19 am