Kevin,
<Huh? I think you misread me. Again.>
I didn't misread anything. You implied that it's ok to accuse someone of a crime simply because you don't know if their accusation is false. This violates a very basic tenet that we have as Americans. We are innocent until proven guilty, not guilty until proven innocent. This is why we have laws against slander, libel, and defamation of character. Whether or not GumTech or any other company bothers to go after Wexler is beside the point. Ethical people don't push others to file suit against them to make them shut up. Ethical people don't condone the wrongdoing of others.
<You know, I've lost count of how many supporters of now-bankrupt or near-bankrupt companies have made that exact same comment.>
This is completely irrelevant. You know, I've lost count of how many people claimed that a company was on the verge of bankruptcy and were completely wrong. As it turned out, they were only trying to hype their short position.
<Then I guess being a prosecuting attorney must be tantamount to treason in your book, eh?>
Not at all. Every person is entitled to a defense when they are sued. This goes along with being innocent until proven guilty. My uncle is a prominent criminal defense attorney and has defended criminals that he thought were guilty. I asked him about it once and he said that it is ethical because every American is entitled to a defense. The same thing goes for prosecutors, but I doubt they would take a case unless the evidence supported the accusation. This is a very poor analogy on your part but nice try.
<And that the purpose of this message board is not to prove guilt or innocence, but to determine good or bad investments.>
You're right, but people should discuss their opinions in a responsible manner. Bill Wexler isn't responsible, and that's the problem here. There are plenty of ways to express a negative opinion about a stock without potentially committing libel. Wexler just uses the fraud tactic when he doesn't have anything concrete against a company and he's grasping for straws.
<Yet the idea had to have come from somewhere.>
Who are you suggesting that the idea came from? If you are implying that GumTech gave anyone this idea you are wrong. The company makes no such claim and investors think for themselves. |
