Category Archives: lawyers

innocent, lawyers

Innocent

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Tonight I was declared innocent. While it is a relief, it should never have been necessary to even consider the converse.

Thanks to a vicious campaign of slander, innuendo, libel and outright lies mounted by a person attempting to prevent my placing the review of their contract on the city council agenda, I was accused in secret of crimes that are personally odious (dishonesty, theft, etc.) to me. Because the claims also involved another city employee, I was bound by the city charter and civil rights issues from speaking out and dispelling the rumors floating around town. So the not-so-secret secret investigation was the topic of gossip in the coffee shops and numerous questions from friends and even some enemies. And all I could do was say “No comment.” It had reached the point where I was prepared to ask the other people involved if I could force the whole issue out into the light. Nothing is more disheartening or more damaging than secret accusations that you cannot publicly refute without violating the law.

So tonight, after the report from the outside counsel engaged to investigate me, I was declared to be innocent of wrong doing. The whole process was a waste of time, energy, and money. I was declared not to have commited any of the odious acts charged in secret. What is interesting is that although it was announced that I had done nothing criminal, the false and malicious charges that triggered this whole mess were never brought forth, including the person who did it and the reason they did it. So I have been declared innocent and it is up to others to figure out what I’m innocent of.

Now the question is do I want to pursue legal action against the slandering and libelous person who instigated the whole incident or do I just let it die. I have a strong suspicion that some of the other people affected will be filing suit, since the person in question violated their charter and civil rights in a quite blatant manner. It will be interesting.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for a while now know why I haven’t been my normal self on these pages for the last few months. Incidents such as this eat at your soul. Being falsely accused and then legally bound not to respond is painful beyond belief. It attacks a fundamental part of me – my integrity. It left me so angry, wanting to respond and yet not allowed to respond, that I couldn’t sleep at times.

At least the system worked and the trash was cleared away. That’s probably about as much as one could ask for at the moment. It still doesn’t do much for the anger and violation I feel, but I hope they will fade with time.

label, lawyers, rant

Label Rant

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Why are labels becoming so idiotic?  Have we, as a nation of consumers, become so dumb and illiterate that we have no clue what ingredients are in the foods we eat?
Example number one:  the package of grated Parmesan cheese sitting in the refrigerator has the words “Allergy Warning: made from milk” right below the word cheese on the label.  The last time I looked,  the definition of cheese was 
cheese 1  (chz)

n.

1.

a. A solid food prepared from the pressed curd of milk, often seasoned and aged.
b. A molded mass of this substance.
2. Something resembling this substance in shape or consistency.
(From The Free Dictionary by FarLex)

Seems rather pointless to put the allergy warning given the definition of the product, doesn’t it?
Example number two: the jar of peanut butter in the pantry has the words “Allergy Warning: made from peanuts” on the label just below the word peanut.  Once again a pretty simpleminded warning given the definition of peanut butter is 
peanut butter

n.

A paste made from ground roasted peanuts.

(From The Free Dictionary by FarLex)
The only way that either of these warnings could serve a useful purpose is if the consumer lacked a basic understanding of the English language, knowing not the meaning of cheese and peanut butter.  But if that were the case, what good does it do to add the words allergy and warning and milk and peanut to the label.  Presumably, if one didn’t understand cheese, one wouldn’t understand milk.  And if you don’t get what peanut butter is, will the words peanut, allergy, and warning convey anything more?
There might be a legitimate point in such redundant warnings on our food.  I just can’t spot it. Those of us who grew up on farms and live in farming communities really wonder what sort of idiot needs those warnings. I suspect most of you are curious as well. We’re all afraid to meet them because we have a deep suspicion they are related to that other class of idiots – lawyers.  
Oh well.  I guess they must be the same ones that needed the warning on the steak knives I once won in a raffle - Caution: Edges may be sharp and cause bodily injury! I  sure as heck hope the edges are sharp and cut things. Otherwise I might want to cause some bodily injury to the manufacturer.