Comedian arrested because of joke he told

[Doom_Guy]

A comedian is facing trial over a joke he told about someone with a syndrome that causes a facial disfigurement.

When I was in high school, I said MUCH WORSE things about the mental acuity of special education students, and I was never arrested.

http://thelaughbutton.com/news/comedian-mike-ward-currently-trial-joke-told-everyone-pay-attention/

 

[Sean Renaud]

Except for the part where that's not what happened. What did happen is annoying an appalling enough. You're not suppose to take guys to court for this. You're supposed to do that thing that Chris Rock is so pissed off the kids do these days. Boo him the fuck off stage and end his career.

 

[Doom_Guy]

When I was in high school, I once wrote on the back of my work paper "special education students are stupid" and then I was threatened with legal consequences by the head of the SPED department.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Not that I believe you but that was wrong. You should have just been given detention unless that wasn't getting through to you. You do strike me as the type who would gleefully drive someone to suicide but we have to give people the benefit of the doubt when possible.

 

[Doom_Guy]

Not that I believe you but that was wrong. You should have just been given detention unless that wasn't getting through to you. You do strike me as the type who would gleefully drive someone to suicide but we have to give people the benefit of the doubt when possible.

The school was TERRIFIED that they would be sued for millions of dollars if any of the SPED (special education) students caught wind of what I was saying about them on the back of my work papers.

When I was brought into the office of the head of the SPED department of my school, and they told me that I would face charges for "harassment and discrimination" if I didn't stop my activities.

Schools and school districts are very often sued by greedy and money-minded students and their parents for the smallest things, even if it's because of another student and not the school itself.

They weren't taking any chances.

 

[Sean Renaud]

Honestly they don't get sued nearly often enough by regular parents. It's the only way for the school to learn is if they get nailed to the fucking wall.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

The school was TERRIFIED that they would be sued for millions of dollars if any of the SPED (special education) students caught wind of what I was saying about them on the back of my work papers.

When I was brought into the office of the head of the SPED department of my school, and they told me that I would face charges for "harassment and discrimination" if I didn't stop my activities.

Schools and school districts are very often sued by greedy and money-minded students and their parents for the smallest things, even if it's because of another student and not the school itself.

They weren't taking any chances.

Papers? Plural? Why would you be writing about them at all?

 

[Hard_Rom]

Papers? Plural? Why would you be writing about them at all?

It's called 'bullying'.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Chrétien_attack_ad

During the 1993 Canadian federal election, the Progressive Conservative Party produced a televised attack ad against Jean Chrétien, the Liberal leader. The ad (sometimes referred to as the "face ad") was perceived by many as a focus on Chrétien's facial deformity, caused by Bell's palsy. The resulting outcry is considered to be an example of voter backlash from negative campaigning

Even more beneficial for the Liberals than the anti-Tory backlash was Chrétien's reaction to the commercials. One Tory described them as allowing Chrétien to "make the speech he had been waiting his entire career to deliver."[3] Speaking in Nova Scotia, Chrétien stated that "God gave me a physical defect, and I've accepted that since I was a kid." He compared the Tories to the teasing children of his youth: "When I was a kid people were laughing at me. But I accepted that because God gave me other qualities and I'm grateful." The speech not only moved some in the audience to tears, its cut-up into sound bites on news coverage proved hugely effective.[citation needed] Chrétien poked fun at himself in another campaign appearance, saying "It's true, that I speak on one side of my mouth. I'm not a Tory, I don't speak on both sides of my mouth." [4]

It is unclear what effect the ad had on the election, as Campbell's Progressive Conservatives were adversely affected by other issues (see Background above). Nonetheless, the negative backlash over the television spot made the Tories' defeat certain.