Ex-Boyfriend pushes free speech too far? Or is he in the right?

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   Stevennix2001posted 13 years ago

   Well I was just reading this off Yahoo a minute ago, and it seems a guy chooses to exercise his free speech rights in a rather colorful way.  According to this guy's story, his ex-girlfriend gets an abortion, so he decides to invest money in a billboard condemning her decision.  Of course, he's being taken to court over this, as his ex views this as harassment.  But his lawyer is defending him by saying that this billboard falls within his constitutional rights to free speech to voice his opinion against his ex's alleged abortion.
   
   Here's where it gets even more interesting.  According to her friend, there was no abortion at all.  No, they claim it was allegedly a miscarriage, and that billboard is an invasion of privacy.  Well her lawyer did say that he has not discussed the true nature of his client's pregnancy completely, but did cite that whether it was a miscarriage or abortion is irrelevant.  Citing that the defendant had no right to put up the billboard condemning her to begin with, and claims it's a grotesque form of harassment.
   
   Anyways, here's the link for more details on this issue:
   
   http://beta.news.yahoo.com/jilted-ex-bo … 42831.html
   
   
   Personally, I think the guy is a moron, who had no business putting up the billboard to begin with, as things like this need to be kept private between the parties involved.  Then again, it's not up to me. What are your thoughts on this though?

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      lizzieBooposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Sounds to me like the guy is traumatised by the breakup of his relationship and then loosing the child has pushed him over the edge. His actions indicate he is going through some kind of a breakdown in my view.

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         Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah, I agree.

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   recommend1posted 13 years ago

   This is just a movie to illustrate the rights of the father in relation to the unborn child.
   
   The answer is that without a formal agreement, such as marriage, that legalises the rights of the father by excericising his rights over the mother via the legal contract of marriage - then the father has no rights in law except the new paternity rights etc that arise from divorced fathers.

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      What makes you say it's a movie? 
      
      
      
      Yeah, you do have a point about that.  Only more reason to prove how utterly classless this guy is for his actions.

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         recommend1posted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I assumed it was a movie because it had your name at the top of the thread

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            Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

            Very funny. 

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   thirdmilleniumposted 13 years ago

   There is wonderful dissection of AG Gardinar's essay on free speech. Though a hundred years old, the essay, a most sensible one, holds good even today.
   Free speech be damned if it infringes on anything at all.
   
         mission.akshaya.net/dpi/Textbook/Languages/English/chapter5.PDF

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   Stump Parrishposted 13 years ago

   This is the second time I've seen something about this with in 5 minutes. My personal opinion is that the billboard is wrong. The abortion appearantly hasn't been proven to be anything but a miscarriage. With out reliable proof that there was an abortion he paid for a public attack on her character in what I am assuming is her hometown. whether or not she had the abortion, did he have the right to attack her publically where her entire town would hear about it and in a fashion that has drawn national attention to her?
   
   Some will say that my position is based upon my pro-choice stance and that's cool. Bottom line is that if the alledged abortion didn't take place, most people would say he didn't have the right to post the attack. That is my under educated opinion base partially on facts that I can remember. Peace

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You certainly do bring up a valid point there.  As I stated earlier, whether it was an abortion or miscarriage is really irrelevant.  What is relevant is that something like this should've never happened, as he clearly had no right to publicly disrespect her like that. 
      
      Even if someone is pro-life on this issue, and it was proven to be an abortion, then it still doesn't make it right by the person to do such a thing like this.  If this guy had any class, he never would've done this to begin with.

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   Aficionadaposted 13 years ago

   I don't agree with what the man did at all.  However, I did read (in the article that I read) that the woman was not named on the billboard.  It said something like "This would be my baby today if my girlfriend had not aborted it."  Or similar words.  It certainly does point the finger at the woman who had been his girlfriend.  Does the fact that she was not named make a difference?

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      That's a very tough call if you ask me, as I did notice that as well.  However, as stump suggested, this billboard might've been strategically placed within her own home town to discriminate her. Or it could've been just one bizarre coincidence that it ended up in the location that it did to gain her attention in the first place.  Personally, I still say issues such as these need to remain private between the parties involved, as the man clearly has issues if you ask me.

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      C.J. Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I think so. At least regarding her privacy rights. Would if he had another girlfriend who was pregnant and had an abortion? We don't know. Invasion of privacy is personal, I just don't know if he went far enough for the law. I do think he crossed the line of socially acceptable behavior though. In which case being stupid was expensive...as it should! I'm certain it was pretty expensive for the sign. Not to mention the court cost he will now face.

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         Aficionadaposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         
         
         I love that you pointed out this distinction!  I think it is one of those things that we Americans (many of us, anyway) can so easily forget.  Even if something is legal and within our rights, it may have negative social implications that should be weighed as well!
         
         I wonder whether the man had a specific goal in mind when he bought the billboard, or if he was so blinded by his emotions that he didn't consider consequences at all?

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   lovemychrisposted 13 years ago

   No such thing as free speech. Anywhere. And least of all here in America!
   
   Somebody ALWAYS controls what gets through.

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Interesting observation, and one that certainly has some validity.  However, do you think what the guy did was justified?  Or not though?

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   Jinesh07posted 13 years ago

   I don't think that his actions were justified. He may have been upset and angry over the miscarriage/abortion but publicly condemning his ex isn't the way to deal with it. There's no benefit from his actions and I'm sure he will regret it in the future.

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I agree.  Personally, I think all this does is make the guy look like a real a**hole to his ex, and probably guarantees that there will be no chance she'll ever want anything to do with him again. 
      
      There's no excuse for what this guy did.

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   zduckmanposted 13 years ago

   It might be free speech , but what a punk...thats just childish and mean

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Well said zduckman. 

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   Kangaroo_Jaseposted 13 years ago

   I am not American, so here is an interesting viewpoint for you, especially since the issue you raised Steve, immediately made me think about it. What has the higher overriding factor in the USA in the eyes of the law, the US Constitution or Personal Liberties and Freedoms? Hmmmm.....

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      Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It depends on who you ask, but I can't really answer that completely seeing as how I'm not a lawyer or politician to give you a full detail definition of the law. 
      
      If we're speaking strictly from a legal perspective, then I guess you'd have to go with the US Constitution.  Then again, I'm not a lawyer or politician, so that's just an educated guess.  However, personal freedoms and liberties are a right among Americans, BUT those same said liberties and freedoms should never come at the expense of other's liberties and freedoms.

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    Disturbiaposted 13 years ago

    I think the whole thing is just sad. 
    
    What should have been a private matter between these two people has turned into a circus. But in today's voyeuristic society of reality TV where people hang out their dirty laundry for the world to see, and where every teen with a cellphone can get their 15 minutes of fame by splashing themselves all over Youtube, this immature idiot's childish response to his ex's alleged abortion doesn't surprise me one bit. His actions speak to why she's his ex.

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       Stevennix2001posted 13 years agoin reply to this

       I agree with you 100 percent.  All this really does is prove how much of a real a**hole he is to not only his ex-girlfriend, but everyone they both know as well; maybe more.  Personally, he's lucky I'm not the judge.  Otherwise, I'd throw the damn book at him for simply being an idiot.

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