Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Case
by Ranty Em | Published August 4, 2022
Conspiracy theorist and bloviated hobgoblin gibbering mouther, Alex Jones, has earned himself a pretty rough (but not rough enough) week. Normally I wouldn’t waste energy writing about him because quite frankly, the less attention he gets, the better off we all are. But after years of Jones causing tangible harm with his vitriolic hatred and lies, it restores the tiniest bit of faith in the pursuit of justice.
Don’t get me wrong — I’m a staunch supporter of the First Amendment. I don’t want government intervention to stifle our freedoms simply because it might offend someone, even if I’m that someone. But words are powerful, and even 1A has limits. True threats, extreme obscenity, defamation — none of these are protected forms of speech. As a career disinformation peddler and profiteer (InfoWars started in 1999), it’s no wonder Jones believed he was untouchable.
Sandy Hook Litigation
If you’ve been following the defamation trial — which began July 25, 2022 — it’s important to note that despite Jones’s claims that this trial is a sham, these hearings are only to determine damages. In October 2021, Jones was already found liable in three of the Sandy Hook defamation lawsuits. The damages hearings have found in favor of the plaintiffs for $4.1 million in compensatory damages, with the judgment for punitive damages still pending.*
Now I’m sure my tens of readers (and I’m genuinely grateful for you all) know all of this, but you know me and context. So why write this? While I certainly derived satisfaction, watching Judge Maya Guerra Gamble dunk all over Jones and his bullsh!t, I found one of her statements particularly compelling. “Your beliefs do not making something true. Just because you claim to think something is true does not make it true.” Hence, the defamation lawsuits.
Admittedly, defamation can be tricky, but when Jones failed to comply with court orders for information and discovery, the judge had the right to make a ruling which, once again, found him liable. Refusing to cooperate did not infringe on his rights; he waived his right to defend himself. His beliefs about his false statements are irrelevant. Without offering compelling evidence (or any evidence for that matter) to justify his “beliefs” that the Sandy Hook shooting was a hoax, this comes as no surprise. Not to lawyers. Not to me. Not even to Alex Jones.
The Truth Can Be Tricky
The cases of Alex Jones vs. the families of Sandy Hook victims is not complicated because of the *gestures wildly at all the things Alex Jones has said about Sandy Hook.* But his career spans 20+ years, making equally false and defamatory claims across countless topics. And he’s certainly not alone. Defamation is difficult to prove when the line between facts and opinion blurs, and statements are couched with caveats like “I’m just asking questions.” Not to mention, it’s difficult to prove intent.
Take a step back from the most conspiratorial trash people, it’s also important to recognize that while some facts are straightforward, everything is influenced by our perceptions, our experiences, and our biases. Acknowledging this reality doesn’t mean justifying or excusing mis-, mal-, and disinformation. It simply reinforces why it’s so important for all of us to make a conscious effort to contextualize the information we consume and analyze it to determine if it’s reliable and trustworthy before we accept it and most definitely before we share it with others.
* Since originally publishing, the jury has issued a decision regarding punitive damages for one of the families.
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