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Boston Magazine Threatens Libel Lawsuit
Massachusetts News ^ | December 17, 2001 | Mass News

Posted on 12/17/2001 5:13:14 AM PST by A. Pole

‘Boston’ Magazine Threatens MassNews With Libel Lawsuit

Must Be Feeling ‘Extreme Pressure’ Says MassNews Publisher

December 17, 2001

Boston magazine threatened MassNews with a libel lawsuit last Friday afternoon. 

In a letter from Hill & Barlow, the magazine demanded that MassNews remove a Sighting from its December issue with the headline, “Boston Magazine is Leader in Molestation.” 

However, instead of obeying their demand to remove the article, Atty. J. Edward Pawlick, Publisher of MassNews, increased the pressure by printing the lawyer’s letter and his response on the website today. 

“This lawyer cannot know all the facts of the case,” Pawlick said, “or he would not have written a letter such as this. There is no way that Boston magazine can suppress the discussion of an issue that is so important to our society. They must be feeling extreme pressure from somewhere or else they would not have made this belligerent attack. Maybe the owners in Philadelphia have finally discovered what is going on up here.” 

Pawlick Not Concerned 

The letter from Hill & Barlow was threatening in tone but Pawlick did not appear concerned. 

“I am delighted that Boston magazine has become concerned about its reputation now that we have made people aware of the magazine’s defense of the molestation of children,” Pawlick wrote the law firm. “It is only right that the magazine be worried. This is a very serious matter that affects not only our children but the whole society.” 

Pawlick then said that since the magazine had obviously not told the lawyer about the three reasons for the Sightings article, he would outline them for him: 

“1) In its December 2000 issue, [Boston magazine had] a long defense of the infamous Fistgate molestation.  

“2) In the May 2001 issue, there was a long, ‘intellectual’ defense of the North American Man/Boy Love Association, the members of which believe that the word ‘molestation’ should be dropped because they are ‘helping boys’ when they have sex with them.

“3) A Senior Writer for the magazine is now advertising for ‘homosexual’ children 14 and under so that he can interview and write about them.” 

Lawyer’s Letter Was Threatening 

In the letter from Hill & Barlow, Atty. Robert A. Bertsche, “demanded” that MassNews follow their instructions. 

“This firm represents Metro Corp., owner of Boston Magazine. I am writing to demand that Massachusetts News immediately remove from its website, its print edition, and from all other publications, in print or on the internet, the article headlined ‘Boston Magazine is Leader in Molestation.’ Your failure to do so today will risk substantial liability for defamation.” 

He obviously did not know all the facts because he wrote that he could “only imagine’ that the Sighting resulted only from the NAMBLA article in the May 2001 issue of the magazine. 

He did not realize he was writing to a lawyer when he said, “As I am confident your lawyer will advise you, there is no defense applicable to such publication.  Your having published and posted this item renders you liable to Boston Magazine in damages.” 

The attorney ended his letter with this demand:  

“On behalf of Boston Magazine, I demand that you remove this article from your website and from all other publications, and that you do so by 5:00 p.m. today. Please contact me by the end of the day, or have your lawyer do so, to assure me that such steps have been taken. Should you fail to do so, my client will have no choice but to consider alternative remedies and to demand monetary damages and other relief. I look forward to hearing from you or your lawyer by 5:00 p.m. today.” 

Libel Action Against Boston Magazine 

In his reply letter, Pawlick told the Hill & Barlow lawyer he should be aware that MassNews has a claim for libel against Boston magazine for saying in its December 2000 issue that MassNews is “stridently anti-gay.” That comment “was written solely for the intent of demeaning us,” Pawlick said.  

He continued, “The statement was false and was meant to show that we have animus toward homosexuals. The words ‘anti-gay’ are commonly used to denote hostility toward persons. It was used by your client to indicate that we are individuals who have anger and hatred toward people who practice the homosexual lifestyle. A minimum attempt at research by the magazine would have indicated immediately that we do not have such animus. We do have grave problems with the lifestyle as do most people, but we have no animus whatsoever against the individuals who have fallen into it.” 

Pawlick finished his letter with a request “for suggestions on getting this discussion into a serious one about the issues.”



TOPICS: Announcements; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: homosexualagenda
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1 posted on 12/17/2001 5:13:14 AM PST by A. Pole
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To: A. Pole
Letter from Hill & Barlow and the response from Massachusetts News
2 posted on 12/17/2001 5:16:31 AM PST by A. Pole
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To: A. Pole
I think every state could use a MassNews.
3 posted on 12/17/2001 5:22:07 AM PST by IM2Phat4U
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To: A. Pole
bttt
4 posted on 12/17/2001 5:27:24 AM PST by Lancey Howard
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To: A. Pole
WOW! Fascinating! I hope there is follow up to this.
5 posted on 12/17/2001 5:29:02 AM PST by Dudoight
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To: aquinasfan; proud2bRC; Dr. Octagon; toenail; patent
bump
6 posted on 12/17/2001 5:45:42 AM PST by IM2Phat4U
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To: IM2Phat4U
Bump.
7 posted on 12/17/2001 6:33:55 AM PST by patent
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To: IM2Phat4U
Thanks for the bump. We need more people like this lawyer. Excellent news.
8 posted on 12/17/2001 7:04:03 AM PST by Aquinasfan
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To: Hemingway's Ghost
FYI
9 posted on 12/17/2001 7:04:35 AM PST by Aquinasfan
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To: A. Pole
The Left. Stridently demanding that all views be heard -- as long as they agree with those views. Any views to which they do not subscribe -- must be suppressed.

Are there any more wretched creatures than Liberals?

10 posted on 12/17/2001 7:12:50 AM PST by pabianice
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To: Aquinasfan
Thanks for the heads-up.

I doubt a libel case would actually go to court, and I don't know the specifics, but based on what's published here, MassNews deserves to have its ass handed to it. "Leader in Molestation" sounds libelous to me, but Boston Magazine will have to prove MassNews actually libeled them on purpose or out of wanton negligence. It's hard to prove libel, but Boston Magazine might have a good case.

11 posted on 12/17/2001 7:54:58 AM PST by Hemingway's Ghost
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To: A. Pole;*Homosexual Agenda
Bump to *Homosexual Agenda bump list

(Free Republic Bump List Register)

12 posted on 12/17/2001 8:06:11 AM PST by EdReform
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To: A. Pole
Thanks for posting this article. The Lefties need to be exposed for the scumbags they are and those that they "protect". I hope this lawyer continues to expose Boston as the cess pool it is. There's a shrink organization that endorsed the homo's molestation and manipulation of adolesents as "helping them through awkward times, when society often is Sooo-oo cruel" Helping them to learn about " Homosexual techniques" with tax dollars is another BS item. Thank the left wing NEA (National Education Association) for teen classes on " Homo's sexual techniques".... BArf !
13 posted on 12/17/2001 8:07:43 AM PST by Marobe
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To: A. Pole
Mass News is currently the best newspaper in the country bar none.
14 posted on 12/17/2001 8:13:42 AM PST by Demidog
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To: AStack75
bump
15 posted on 12/17/2001 8:15:16 AM PST by IM2Phat4U
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To: A. Pole;FormerLib
It's 1984 in Massachusetts – And Big Brother Is Gay

Will Massachusetts Continue Its Love affair with Men who Molest Boys?

"Will Pedophilia Be Next In Massachusetts Schools? 'Child Molestation' Is Being 'Normalized'"

16 posted on 12/17/2001 8:32:10 AM PST by EdReform
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To: A. Pole
You mean there are some people in Mass who DON'T support NAMBLA, molestation, and 'advanced' sex-ed classes?

Good news!

17 posted on 12/17/2001 8:37:21 AM PST by Teacher317
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To: IM2Phat4U
Thanks-for-the-bump bump
18 posted on 12/17/2001 8:47:18 AM PST by Brian Kopp DPM
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To: A. Pole
This article and the link provided just warm my heart. I think I'll get a subscription to Mass News. Like Belloc, these are bellicose robust defenders of faith and family.
19 posted on 12/17/2001 8:49:22 AM PST by Brian Kopp DPM
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To: A. Pole
Keep fighting the good fight, MassNews!
20 posted on 12/17/2001 9:06:57 AM PST by FormerLib
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