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Seriously. A billboard??!

Should he be forced to take it down?

  • Total voters
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Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

zimmer said:
Should he be forced to take it down?

Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard - Yahoo! News

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Ouch. This is a hard one to tell as it is pitting one right against another. I know the one lawyer is trying to use the SC's decision about the WBC but I don't think that it is the same circumstances so not really sure if it will fly basing it off of that.

I can see both sides on this issue and just can't decide on it. It will ultimately come down to which right is greater? Free speech? Or privacy? I don't envy the judges on this one.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

StillBallin75 said:
Can he be sued for libel or defamation if no names were named?
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I would say yes since with these very court proceedings he has acknowledged that it was about her, and every newspaper in that area is probably advertising that fact. So if the court doesn't side with her and he is lying she could sue him.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

zimmer said:
Should he be forced to take it down?

Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard - Yahoo! News

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I think the right to privacy is more important for non-public citizens than the right to free speech. And I say that as an ardent supporter of free speech.

I don't think it's right to air such things in such a public venue. And a billboard is nothing but public. Which is what makes it different from, say, posting it up on a social network site such as Facebook.

But, then again, if I was that woman I would post a billboard on the other side of the highway showing a picture of that man and state, "I wouldn't have had an abortion if this guy wasn't such a ****ing asshole."

Free speech cuts both ways.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

TacticalEvilDan said:
I scanned that article before posting. I understand that he didn't say any of the things I said he could have said. That's why I was saying he could have said them -- in other words, he could have opened up his mouth and very easily defeated the BS arguments that jammed him up. He didn't because he's an idiot, but if he had he would've been in a better position.

Sorry, I guess I should've been clearer.

Anyway, I don't think his rights should be subject to how smart he is in explaining how and why he is exercising them.
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Shoulda coulda woulda. Yes the guy was an idiot and let the truth out instead of lying. (I'll actually commend him for telling the truth) Since he told the truth then he is subject to any crime that he may have commited. Such as lible and harrassment.
 
BDBoop said:
Abortion billboard could mean jail for ex-boyfriend | Seattle's Big Blog - seattlepi.com
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While people have a freedom of speech, people also have an expectation of privacy, especially regarding confidential medical information. Therefore, posting such a thing in such a public way concerning the private information of a private citizen should get this guy in serious trouble.

But if the court rules in the ex-boyfriend's favor then I'm going to go on a fundraising drive so that the ex-giirlfriend can afford to post a billboard on the other side of the highway explaining that the reason why she had an abortion was because of how much of a ****ing loser he is and wouldn't have been able to take care of the kid anyway.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

BDBoop said:
Well, her name is Nani. Just like the bottom line, made-up name.
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I get that the person referenced on the billboard is a real person with a real name and real feelings and real rights.

I'm saying that if I were to drive down that street and see that billboard and not be familiar with the story, I wouldn't have any idea who it was talking about -- and that's why he shouldn't have to take it down.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

Absolutely he should take it down. It's a violation of her privacy, and medical issues are privileged. Should someone have the right to put up a billboard disclosing an individual has HIV or AIDS? Has gotten a vasectomy... or worse, pretended to have gotten a vasectomy then impregnated his sexual partners? How about a billboard disclosing your medical history with cancer, mental illness, alcoholism, or some other condition that causes your insurance company to cancel your health coverage and that prospective employer to turn you away?

I cannot believe there is even one person out there who believes this crap should be legal.
 
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Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

How exactly did he violate her privacy? Can you point to a single solitary aspect of that billboard that identifies her specifically in any way?
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

TacticalEvilDan said:
I get that the person referenced on the billboard is a real person with a real name and real feelings and real rights.

I'm saying that if I were to drive down that street and see that billboard and not be familiar with the story, I wouldn't have any idea who it was talking about -- and that's why he shouldn't have to take it down.
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And if you lived in that area?
 
samsmart said:
While people have a freedom of speech, people also have an expectation of privacy, especially regarding confidential medical information. Therefore, posting such a thing in such a public way concerning the private information of a private citizen should get this guy in serious trouble.

But if the court rules in the ex-boyfriend's favor then I'm going to go on a fundraising drive so that the ex-giirlfriend can afford to post a billboard on the other side of the highway explaining that the reason why she had an abortion was because of how much of a ****ing loser he is and wouldn't have been able to take care of the kid anyway.
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Somebody who would do what he did - I'm sorry, but my guess just based on that statement is that he would have been a ****eous father. He's very emotionally immature, and vengeful.
 
molten_dragon said:
Well, it's a bit unclear what the facts in the case are, but the woman claims that she had a miscarriage and not an abortion. If that's true, then possibly the billboard is libel.

If she actually did have an abortion, then it should definitely be allowed. It's no different than the billboards you occasionally see with women publicly shaming their cheating husbands.
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Regardless - one's personal issues of this nature are not public-news.

No matter what happened - he shouldn't have done it and he knows it's wrong.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

That wouldn't make a difference to me, because as I said, "If I were to drive down that street and see that billboard and not be familiar with the story, I wouldn't have any idea who it was talking about."
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Regardless - one's personal issues of this nature are not public-news.

No matter what happened - he shouldn't have done it and he knows it's wrong.
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Um. I don't think I could go quite that far.

In this specific case, yes it looks like this guy is a total jerk. He apparently wasn't even sure whether she had an abortion or a miscarriage. He could be accused of libel, or slander, whichever this is.

However, expressing this as a general principle about how if a gal has an abortion and the babydaddy didn't like it, that he should be gagged from speaking about the matter in public... no I can't endorse that.

There are those daytime TV shows that are constantly ambushing people about embarassing secrets, like "my son doesn't know his real father is my half-brother's stepdad and I'm going to reveal it on Maury Povich!" :roll: My point being that apparently there is no law protecting you from being embarassed by factual statements.

You have a right not to be slandered maliciously. I don't know that you have a legal right not be embarassed by something if it is the truth.

Abortion is not merely a medical proceedure. It is also a social matter, and a very contentious one, especially when one partner in the creation of the unborn gets no say in whether his unborn lives or dies.

Now, putting up a billboard would probably not be something I'd do... but I assure you I would not consider a unilateral decision to abort the half-mine-unborn as merely a private medical proceedure which I had no right to speak of. I'd be quite upset.
 
I was prepared to say "Well, he's an incredible douche, but that isn't technically illegal. Douche."

... Until I read this, from the second article BDBoop posted:

The original billboard had two endorsements that have since been removed. The first was from N.A.N.I., an organization Fultz created for pro-life issues that stands for National Association for Needed Information. The acronym also happens to be his ex-girlfriend's first name.
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Abortion Billboard Lands New Mexico Man In Court With Ex-Girlfriend - ABC News

Ok. Now I think this is becoming illegal. I have a hard time believing that is a coincidence.

He posts a picture of himself, which means anyone who knows him, or her, will know he's talking about Lawrence. Sneaky, but still not quite illegal.

Then he just happens to start a pro-life organization that happens to spell out his ex's first name?

Not buying it.
 
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Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

TacticalEvilDan said:
That wouldn't make a difference to me, because as I said, "If I were to drive down that street and see that billboard and not be familiar with the story, I wouldn't have any idea who it was talking about."
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But everyone in her neighborhood would know the story. Along with everyone that read the newspapers.
 
Goshin said:
Um. I don't think I could go quite that far.

In this specific case, yes it looks like this guy is a total jerk. He apparently wasn't even sure whether she had an abortion or a miscarriage. He could be accused of libel, or slander, whichever this is.

However, expressing this as a general principle about how if a gal has an abortion and the babydaddy didn't like it, that he should be gagged from speaking about the matter in public... no I can't endorse that.

There are those daytime TV shows that are constantly ambushing people about embarassing secrets, like "my son doesn't know his real father is my half-brother's stepdad and I'm going to reveal it on Maury Povich!" :roll: My point being that apparently there is no law protecting you from being embarassed by factual statements.

You have a right not to be slandered maliciously. I don't know that you have a legal right not be embarassed by something if it is the truth.

Abortion is not merely a medical proceedure. It is also a social matter, and a very contentious one, especially when one partner in the creation of the unborn gets no say in whether his unborn lives or dies.

Now, putting up a billboard would probably not be something I'd do... but I assure you I would not consider a unilateral decision to abort the half-mine-unborn as merely a private medical proceedure which I had no right to speak of. I'd be quite upset.
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There is a huge difference between sounding off/venting, and what he did. I can't even grasp what he did as being in the realm of sane, acceptable behavior. If my son pulled a stunt like that, I'd be taking him in for a psych eval.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

Not to mention - if she did have a miscarriage? Her heart is already breaking. She doesn't need this "insult to injury" **** that he's putting her through.
 
BDBoop said:
There is a huge difference between sounding off/venting, and what he did. I can't even grasp what he did as being in the realm of sane, acceptable behavior. If my son pulled a stunt like that, I'd be taking him in for a psych eval.
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As I said, in this particular case, it sounds like this guy is just a douchebag.

Addressing the idea more generally though, have you considered that having one's SigOther abort one's unborn child against the father's wishes might drive the guy a bit around the bend? A man who wanted that baby, who wanted to be a father, who considered the unilateral abortion to be a shocking betrayal and repudiation of what he thought was a loving relationship, could easily be driven into a temporarily irrational state by such a situation. A reaction like this (billboard) might seem reasonable to someone who felt like their entire world had been laid waste by someone they trusted, in such a disturbed state.

Don't underestimate how terribly such a thing could break a man's heart and ruin his judgement, if he really wanted that child and it was snuffed out before he so much as had a chance to say "Wait a minute..."

(Again, I'm not talking about that guy in the story; I'm speaking more generally.)

We're always being asked to have compassion for the woman with an unwanted pregnancy; I'm turning the coin over and asking for some consideration about a man's feelings when his unborn's life is taken out of his hands without so much as a discussion.
 
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Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

Arcana XV said:
Neither her name, not her picture are on the billboard. Should all his exes sue him now? How do we know which ex-girlfriend he's talking about?
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Perhaps the ex-girlfriend named "Nani", which happens to be the acronym for the fictitious foundation he set up, and printed in bold letters on the sign.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

She should post a billboard underneath it that says "It wasn't yours you limp-dicked, greasy haired, overweight sterile pansy." but without naming him or showing his picture.

Just big black letters on a white background.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

Tucker Case said:
She should post a billboard underneath it that says "It wasn't yours you limp-dicked, greasy haired, overweight sterile pansy." but without naming him or showing his picture.

Just big black letters on a white background.
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Sheer perfection.
 
Re: Jilted ex-boyfriend puts up abortion billboard

Centrist77 said:
this remains to be seen.
But a Judge already ordered him to take it down

free speech doesnt allow you to harass or be libel or invade another person privacy like medical history, conditions, procedures.
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Exactly. Medical is suppose to be private and this dude doing this? Screams unstable to me. I mean who does stuff like this:(
 
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