The martyrdom of Mark Steyn
Thu 5:39 am +00:00, 20 Feb 2014The Spectator
15 February 2014
…Topics include how this relates to the larger movement by the Left in attempting to silence dissenters, the whims and depredations of the American legal system, how this has affected Mark’s relationship with National Review, and ways Mark’s admirers can help him in his defense. These topics may sound heavy, but they’re handled with Mark’s characteristic élan and light-hearted touch…
A new filing in climate scientist Michael Mann’s defamation lawsuit against National Review and the Competitive Enterprise Institute would keep in place earlier rulings by the Court denying Defendants’ motion to dismiss and move the case forward from there. Meanwhile, lawyers for co-defendant Mark Steyn, whose writing is a subject of the defamation charge, have dropped him as a client…
A propos the big campaign here to fight off Michael Mann’s assault on free speech, several readers have asked me directly and also inquired in comments on NR’s fundraising post below what the appeals court judges’ ruling actually means in English. I agree that it’s helpful, when one is soliciting donations for a legal campaign, to provide an update on how the battle’s going, so I don’t know why one of NR’s editorial staff could not have posted the court order with an accompanying explanation. But what it means is this…
…it’s not much of a First Amendment that requires a bazillion dollars in legal fees and a half-decade vow of silence to enjoy the security thereof — all while the plaintiff’s using his freedom of speech to knock off your political allies.
I don’t think much about the First Amendment these days. As a practical matter, it’s simply not feasible in a global media market to tailor one’s freedom of expression to the varying local bylaws. So I take the view that I’m entitled to say the same thing in Seattle as I would in Sydney or Stockholm, Sofia or Suva. But, were Dr. Mann to prevail, it would nevertheless be the case that his peculiarly thin skin and insecurities would enjoy greater protection under U.S. law than they do in Britain, Canada, Australia, and other jurisdictions. It would thus be a major setback for the First Amendment…
Source: http://commonamericanjournal.com/the-martyrdom-of-mark-steyn/
http://beforeitsnews.com/tea-party/2014/02/the-martyrdom-of-mark-steyn-2520260.html





