Posted on 06/11/2009 3:52:31 AM PDT by An.American.Expatriate
In recent days, David Letterman has repeatedly made comments about a juvenile private citizen (Willow Palin) on his nationally broadcast television show.
These comments were made with the full knowledge that Miss Palin herself, as well as her freinds and schoolmates, would hear them and were calculated to cause the utmost in emotional distress on the part of Miss Palin.
By using the public airwaves to broadcast these comments, David Letterman has violated Title 18, Part I, Chapter 110A, §2261A Stalking:
Whoever
(1) travels in interstate or foreign commerce or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, or enters or leaves Indian country, with the intent to kill, injure, harass, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate another person, and in the course of, or as a result of, such travel places that person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to, or causes substantial emotional distress to that person, a member of the immediate family (as defined in section 115) of that person, or the spouse or intimate partner of that person; or
(2) with the intent
(A) to kill, injure, harass, or place under surveillance with intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate, or cause substantial emotional distress to a person in another State or tribal jurisdiction or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States; or
(B) to place a person in another State or tribal jurisdiction, or within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to
(i) that person;
(ii) a member of the immediate family (as defined in section 115 [1] of that person; or
(iii) a spouse or intimate partner of that person;
uses the mail, any interactive computer service, or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce to engage in a course of conduct that causes substantial emotional distress to that person or places that person in reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to, any of the persons described in clauses (i) through (iii) of subparagraph (B);[2]
shall be punished as provided in section 2261 (b) of this title.
Furthermore, the unstated but inherit implication of further smears and attacks against the minor daughter of the Govenor of the State of Alaska amounts to Extortion - and in a much as these threats are communicated via the public airwaves are a violation of US Code Title 18, Part 1 Chapter 41 § 875 Interstate communications:
(a) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any demand or request for a ransom or reward for the release of any kidnapped person, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(b) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both.
(c) Whoever transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to kidnap any person or any threat to injure the person of another, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
(d) Whoever, with intent to extort from any person, firm, association, or corporation, any money or other thing of value, transmits in interstate or foreign commerce any communication containing any threat to injure the property or reputation of the addressee or of another or the reputation of a deceased person or any threat to accuse the addressee or any other person of a crime, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.
shall be punished as provided in section 2261 (b) of this title.
[1] So in original. Probably should be followed by a closing parenthesis.
[2] So in original. Provision probably should be set flush with par. (2).
Bingo... stomp a mud hole in it.
LLS
The depth of hatred against many very good people on our side of the aisle that is tolerated is unbelievable. Then, to hear a guy on Rush yesterday talking about how Rush should stop the non stop hate against 0bama is jaw dropping.
BTW I don't see anyone on the thread defending Letterman. I believe we are all in agreement the remarks were disgusting.
With the attacks on our constitution, the slide into socialism and deepening debt we must keep focused and like I mentioned choose our battles wisely.
prisoner6
Letterman would never have criticized Chelsea.
Not a grammar Nazi but...inferring should be implying.
Sorry... yes, implying.
Letterman would never have criticized Chelsea.
Actually I seem to recall he did do a lot of Chelsea dissing but I can't look it up right now, I have to run and take The Wife to work.
Nice running into you again Doc!
prisoner6
So - to be fair, I researched a bit to find out what your were refering to.
I assume, in the case of Rush, your talking about the “dog” incident from 1993. I was unaware of it. It was WRONG and Rush deserved every bit of “heat” he got for it - and he likely deserved MORE. You don’t do that to a 12/13 year old!
With McCain - I guess you mean the “joke” in 1998. Again, I was unaware of it. Although here it was not broadcast nationally and it seems that McCain and Bill Clinton put the matter behind them - it was still WRONG.
In BOTH cases - and in the case now with Letterman - innocent children are ABUSED by nationally known figures to make cheap political points. It is disgusting.
Letterman is a slob...
l wouldnt watch him.
You may have thought nothing of Letterman’s attack on the 14 yr. old daughter of Sarah Palin but most of us have a different set of values.
You are entitled to yours, but no thanks.
Neither McCain, nor Rush were talking in any shape or form about Chelsea being raped or prostituted.
Don’t lump lame and lowblow jokes together with the pervert drivel from CBS.
I respect you opinion - thanks.
I do disagree though, especially with “This is especially true since the comment is really not aimed so much at Palin as much as it is aimed at those who admire her. “
The comment was aimed DIRECTLY at Willow with the intent to cause the utmost in discomfort.
There is a reason we on the right tend to avoid boycotts . . .
they tend to harm innocent people (e.g. employees of boycotted firms) more than the actual target (e.g. Letterman / CBS)
Same with “strikes” - who suffers the most when City workers strike - the city or the people who rely on city services?
“Im always amazed when people claim girls get themselves knocked up. How did they to do that to themselves?”
Its a common phrase, your phony amazement doesnt impress me. Both are responsible but ultimately its the girls decision to do it or not and to make sure she used birth control. Its the way our species works, males pursue, females select.
“Anyways - Bristol was not at that yankees game, so the joke was not about her.”
Whether she was at the game or not is irrelevant. The joke was a shot at palin because she had a daughter that had been knocked up (ie Bristol). If neither daughter had been at the game which one would you say the joke referred to?
That is relativism!
It is NEVER right to attack the child. The child is not responsible for nor able to influence the political actions of the parent.
I know it’s a common phrase and a stupid one at that.
Let all the guys off the hook and call the girls sluts - real funny, haha.
“Whether she was at the game or not is irrelevant”
You’ve got to be kidding me!
It’s totally relevant because the joke was about the daughter who attended the game and by the time she left she was knocked up by A-Rod. get it? haha!
If no daughter had been at the game, they couldn’t have written the joke.
Irrelevant? It was central to the "joke". Further, if neither had been at the game - there would not have been a joke abouth one of them being there!
Thanks for the compliment.
Letterman and his writers are doing what they do because of who and what Palin represents. Limbaugh says this all the time and he is correct about it. When they attack him they’re really attacking his audience.
Letterman’s comment about Palin is no different than a remark about Palin when she was in Philly just before the election. A local “grassroots” organization that just happened to be run by a former labor union organizer called her a c**t.
Palin is a symbol of a group of people the leftwing detests. Conservatives need to understand that they’re the target not Palin.
Limbaugh and Palin are nothing without those they represent.
Conservatives also need to learn how to speak out. Other than FR, some talkshow hosts. some thinktank types and a few journalists like myself (and I’m a registered Democrat) there are few on the right who say anything.
Witness the lack of response by Republican politicians to the New Black Panther Party voter intimidation case.
How’s is that matrimonial line go “ speak now or forever hold your peace?”
Maybe Letterman has just realized he shouldn’t have married Thurman Munson!
I see you point - and if the attack had been against the Govenor herself, I would even agree - that is the reason most of us DO NOT get all bent out of shape when the politician is insulted.
In this case, Letterman chose to go after an innocent third party. To the best of my knowledge, Willow has done nothing to thrust her onto the national stage.
Bristol did, and has used her position to “campaign” for certain causes. In as much as a satirical attack against Bristol in combination with her activism were made, this would be legit.
To follow on along earlier responses to others ...
Chelsea Clinton, once she entered into the public square, became “fair game” for her comments / views etc ... At any time PRIOR to that - she was OFF LIMITS. This should have been respected and I assumed it had been (I was out of the loop during most of the 90’s - only got Euro News ...)
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