IS IT HYPOCRISY, GASLIGHTING OR JUST INSANITY? I suppose one might embrace the power of “and.” You remember George Zimmerman, the “White Hispanic” accused and acquitted of the murder of Trayvon Martin?
Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg certainly do, and they each utilized the February 2020 anniversary of that tragedy to play the race card on Twitter. Here’s Saint Peter’s tweet:
And here’s Elizabeth Warren’s:
That’s seemingly innocuous and makes me want to sing “Kumbaya” or “Climb Every Mountain.” Unfortunately for Warren and Buttigieg, George Zimmerman doesn’t see it that way, and filed suit against the two, claiming that because of the natural association in readers’ minds between him and Martin he was defamed. A federal court dismissed Zimmerman’s case a few weeks ago with leave to replead because of certain procedural errors in his Complaint.
Here’s the interesting part: While several infirmities in Zimmerman’s case may see him lose — this time with prejudice — buried in the judicial opinion is a discussion about how Warren and Buttigieg claimed …wait for it, wait for it… that calling someone a “racist” is not defamatory. Let that sink in.
In today’s political and media environment, no statement will expose a person to “shame, ridicule, scorn or opprobrium” as much as being called a “racist.” People lose their careers over it, and businesses are ruined when that allegation is splattered on them. You stand a better chance of maintaining the left’s respect if you rape a child (See, e.g., Polanski, Roman) than if you are caught making a bigoted remark.
That may be right, that may be wrong, but in CrazyWorld, Warren and Buttigieg filed arguments to the court claiming that “an allegation of racism or white supremacy is a matter of opinion and therefore not even actionable.” Say what? On the one hand it’s the worst thing you can call a person, but when it come to accountability, no, it doesn’t count.
It gets worse. The Court rejected Warren and Buttegiegs’ argument, holding that their assertion that “the implication that someone has racist or white supremacist attributes is not defamatory at all, let alone defamatory per se is without merit.”
As I said, there are many reasons Zimmerman could or should ultimately lose his case. But at the same time, I don’t ever want to hear either of these two craven liars take anyone to task for being a bigot, because, according to them, it’s apparently “just” opinion and can’t possibly — as a matter of law — be a bad thing.