Let's Rein In The Super PACS

Politics have always been fraught with attacks on competitors, but since the Supreme Court ruling allowing corporations, as well as individuals, to contribute to campaigns, the attacks have reached the level of character assassination.  No doubt the justices did not intend to grant permission to commit libel and slander.  The level of maliciousness and outright lies that have been exhibited since the decision have gotten totally out of hand. 


Let's take the lie that candidate -- now President -- Barack Obama was not born in the United States, therefore is not a natural citizen and not qualified to run for President.  Of course the purpose of the lie, however incorrect, was to bring a cloud of suspicion over the candidate.  Those who wanted to believe it, especially Donald Trump, jumped on that bandwagon in a heartbeat.  The ones who wanted to believe the worst, forwarded PAC e-mails and called for investigations over and over.


Then there were the lies about the Affordable Health Care Act.  These were also meant to scuttle the law as well as taint the President and his party.  In fact, some conservative Republicans are telling each other that the best plan to take the Presidency next time is to continue to attack what is commonly called Obamacare. 


What's really interesting is that far less attention was paid to the information that John McCain was born elsewhere.  And nobody is squawking too much about Ted Cruz.


Now perhaps you are thinking at this time this is too late to raise such issues.  How true.  A Congressional committee already met concerning this and deemed it okay for McCain to run.  No doubt Ted Cruz qualifies also.  But that should not be debated in the press or on the internet.  It should probably be another Supreme Court decision anyway.


This isn't about the actual eligibility of one candidate or the other.  This is about manufacturing out and out lies in an attempt to steal an election from another party.  It is about sabotage of people and laws that have been passed and signed.  It is about libel and slander which are both against the law.  The laws are being consistently broken on the internet in written and live stream coverage.


"Libel, per the Revised edition of the Random House College Dictionary is 1a. defamation by written or printed words, pictures, or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures.  b.  the crime of publishing it.  2.  anything that is defamatory or that maliciously or damagingly misrepresents 3.  to publish a libel against.  4.  to misrepresent damagingly."


"Slander per the same source is 1.  defamation; calumny  2.  a maliciousness, false, and defamatory statement or report  3.  defamation by oral utterance rather than by writing, pictures, etc.  4.  to utter slander, defame . . ."


Now folks, the laws are already in force, but they are being ignored by many, many individuals and organizations, especially the Super PACS.  Let's rein in the offenders and law breakers.  We need to put a stop to it before the next Presidential election.


Even though we espouse and have a legal right to freedom of speech, we are not exempt from the laws meant to protect others from character assassination.