Okay, I believe Merry Prankster's girlfriend, too. Last thing I want to do is disagree with a lawyer on a point of law, y'know. I can see why the statement would have to cause demonstrable damage to be legally actionable, that makes perfect sense. Such a requirement would protect freedom of speech for those who make negative comments, but aren't taken seriously by anyone due to either their own poor reputation or the self-evident falseness of their speech. Like, if I was a morbidly obese, legally blind guy with MS and went around saying 'don't train with Merry Prankster, he sucks! I slap him around all the time in underground bare-fist fighting matches!' He wouldn't be able to sue me for it, since no-one would buy such nonsense.
Anyway, upon further reflection 'liable' has a technical legal meaning, too, something to do with responsibility under the law, as in "The owner of a kungfu school is legally liable for the safety of his students, and must have insurance in order to operate."
Not saying that's true or false, just giving an example of how the word might be used.
Last edited by Chang Style Novice; 12-10-2001 at 06:18 PM.
All my fight strategy is based on deliberately injuring my opponents. -
Crippled Avenger
"It is the same in all wars; the soldiers do the fighting, the journalists do the shouting, and no true patriot ever get near a front-line trench, except on the briefest of propoganda visits...Perhaps when the next great war comes we may see that sight unprecendented in all history, a jingo with a bullet-hole in him."
First you get good, then you get fast, then you get good and fast.
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