“Quote me and I’ll sue”

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then surely accreditation must run it a very close second. There may well be pundits and scribblers who do not experience the frisson of pride when their work is quoted in other media but, if so, then I have never met them.

Speaking for myself, I simply love it when other people link to my articles or quote from them. Nor is my satisfaction diminished by even the smallest degree who link to my articles as evidence that I am mad, bad and dangerous to know. It’s the recognition, stupid. Even if my attributors despise every single sentiment I ever express, at least they consider me significant enough to be worth drawing to the attention of others.

However, some people take quite the contrary view. In this case, a certain Mr. Greg Truscott of the South London Press.

It seems that Mr.Truscott has been filing reports about the nasty violent crimes which occur with disturbing regularity in and around South London and which are published on-line at the South London Press website (above). So far, so what? Mr. Truscott is a journalist and he is only doing what journalists do. But, this is the age of global communication and the stories that Mr. Truscott may have intended only for the good burghers of South London have found an audience over the pond, courtesy of the team at ‘Keep and Bear Arms’.

The self-defence campaigners of ‘KBA’ have been linking to Mr.Truscott’s reports of chaotic violence in South London as a means of helping to persuade their fellow Americans that civilian disarmerment does not work and only leaves civilians helpless against the thugs and parasites who would (and do) prey on them.

Sound like a good idea to me. If you want evidence to support your case that firearm-prohibition should not be tried in America then what better way to do it than by harvesting case-studies from a country where firearm-prohibition is just about complete (and just about a complete disaster).

Mr. Truscott, however, has taken a rather less charitable view. In fact, he appears to be be so incensed by this perfectly rational (but unexpected) use of his copy material that he wrote an e-mail to KBA team as follows:

DO NOT USE MY NEWS STORIES TO FUEL YOUR DESIRE TO BEAR FIREARMS.

TAKE NOTICE OF THIS WARNING OR I’LL PASS IT TO OUR LAWYERS TO DEAL WITH.

GREG TRUSCOTT, SOUTH LONDON PRESS, UK.

Surely the KBA team (along with everybody else) may use material in the public domain to fuel any desires they dee fit? I do rather hope that Mr. Truscott sees fit to pass this matter to his lawyers so that he can be told that he has no cause of action.

As for KBA, I am pleased to note that the words ‘cease and desist’ to not appear to be in their vocabulary. KBA’s Nicki Fellenzer replied to Mr.Truscott as follows:

Dear Mr. Truscott — What exactly is your major malfunction? If you are a journalist who has been published in a newspaper and your writing is
available online, we are within every right to post a link to your story for people to read — it’s the equivalent of giving a person directions — we are giving our readers directions to your writing. If you don’t like it, that is your problem, not ours.

Our “desire” is not to bear firearms per se. Our “desire” is freedom, as guaranteed and protected by our Constitution. And our “desire” is not to become like the crime-ridden pit the UK has turned into, disarming the peaceable and law abiding, placing them at the mercy of armed thugs and punishing them for defending their own lives when police are unable to do so. THAT is our desire.

Your shrill screeching is unappreciated. If you don’t want people to be directed to your writing, perhaps you should have chosen another career.

Well, quite.

This is a perfect example of the really interesting things that can happen because of the internet. While I still have my doubts about the extent to which it can or will act as a catalyst for any real social or political change, it does mean that any nation’s dirty, little secrets have become much harder to keep secret.