Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
$85 Million?? For what?
Quote:
Michael Moore Sued by Iraq War Vet By Natalie Finn Thu Jun 1, 8:26 AM ET
It seems as if the fallout caused by Fahrenheit 9/11 will never die down.
A Massachusetts national guardsman filed an $85 million lawsuit against Michael Moore in Suffolk Superior Court last week, accusing the filmmaker of distorting a TV interview to portray the soldier as anti-war in his scathing 2004 documentary about the Bush administration post-Sept. 11, 2001.
Sgt. Peter Damon, 33, has stated that Moore didn't have his permission to use pieces of the on-camera interview he gave in 2003 to an NBC Nightly News correspondent at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. Damon's appearance in Fahrenheit 9/11 resulted in a "loss of reputation, emotional distress, embarrassment, and personal humiliation" for him, court documents state.
Damon is suing for $75 million and his wife is seeking another $10 million for the "mental distress and anguish suffered by her spouse."
The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."
Damon, a double amputee, lost both of his arms while stationed in Iraq when a tire on a Black Hawk Helicopter he was servicing exploded. Another reservist was killed.
In Moore's film Damon is shown lying on a gurney, covered in bandages. He says he feels as if he's "being crushed in a vise," adding, "but [the painkillers] do a lot to help it. And they take a lot of the edge off of it."
The scene prior to Damon's features U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott (news, bio, voting record), a Democrat from Washington state, saying, "You know, [those in the Bush administration] say they're not leaving any veterans behind, but they're leaving all kinds of veterans behind."
In his lawsuit, Damon has argued that the juxtaposition of those two scenes made it sound as if the military and the Bush administration had left him to grapple alone with pain or possibly even a drug addiction when, in reality, he "agrees with and supports the president and the United States' war effort and was not left behind."
NBC had been questioning Damon about the painkiller he was using, a new drug the military was distributing to wounded veterans.
"They took the clip because it was a gut-wrenching scene," Damon told Fox News Tuesday. "They sandwiched it in. [Moore] was using me as ammunition."
Miramax Films, NBC, and Lions Gate Entertainment are also named in the suit, according to Fox News.
The controversial Fahrenheit 9/11 was a smash hit for Moore and Miramax, winning the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and grossing more than $222 million worldwide.
The film, which focused pretty one-sidedly on the Bush administration's response to 9/11 (sorely lacking, according to Moore) and its instigation of the war in Iraq (inexcusable, Moore said) was passed over come Oscar time, however, partly because the director entered his production in the Best Picture category, rather than take a run at Best Documentary.
Damon told the New York Post that Moore couldn't have picked a worse guy to pin the charge of being anti-war on.
"I'm the most fortunate disabled guy," he said. "I was complaining about the pain I would've been having [if it weren't for the painkiller]."
Damon's lawyer, Dennis Lynch, also weighed in with the Associated Press.
"It's upsetting to him because he's lived his life supportive of his government, he's been a patriot, he's been a soldier, and he's now being portrayed in a movie that is the antithesis of all that," Lynch said.
Phone calls from the AP and Fox News to Moore and Miramax were not returned.
The following poor creativity demerits apply. Ignoring the lawsuit issue and picking at Fahrenheit 9/11 = -1 point
Saying Michael Moore has no right to be liberal b/c he's rich = -3 points
Calling Michael Moore fat = -10 points
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:53 pm Posts: 20537 Location: The City Of Trees
C'mon now, do something creative like what Trey Parker and Matt Stone did for revenge after he misled viewers with that cartoon in Bowling For Columbine: turn him into a giant puppet and blow him up.
i want to know what this unidentified [painkiller] is...if they are using it for soldiers, why not for the rest of the world?
perhaps it is more of a [brainkiller].
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
kiddo wrote:
i want to know what this unidentified [painkiller] is...if they are using it for soldiers, why not for the rest of the world?
perhaps it is more of a [brainkiller].
This happened on Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
i want to know what this unidentified [painkiller] is...if they are using it for soldiers, why not for the rest of the world?
perhaps it is more of a [brainkiller].
This happened on Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!
i'm thinking more along these lines...
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
Didnt that kid that Moore dragged to Kmart to get a refund for the bullet that paralyzed him (in Bowling for Columbine) also come out and say he got played by that fat-rich-pinko Moore?
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2004 1:54 am Posts: 7189 Location: CA
broken_iris wrote:
Didnt that kid that Moore dragged to Kmart to get a refund for the bullet that paralyzed him (in Bowling for Columbine) also come out and say he got played by that fat-rich-pinko Moore?
Only -13.
Are there standards that you can only rebroadcast or use footage if you receive consent from the subject, or is this footage in the public domain and therefore fair game?
Ugh, lawsuits. What ever happened to walking to someone's face and saying you're a tool?
Welcome to America, the land of frivolous lawsuits!
I wouldn't call the basis of this lawsuit frivolous. I'd call 85 million way overboard, but I completely agree with the concept. If Michael Moore took photage of me in my lowest moment, then used that clip for his own personal gain and political agenda when it did not accurately reflect my views, I'd be fucking irrate.
The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."
next time i go to harvard square, i'll tell the legless, homeless vietnam vet who begs for change that he should be happy and proud of the support the US gov't has provided.
if this guy actually wins this lawsuit, he better fucking donate a large chunck to veteran's services, because he is the only vet i have ever heard of that is happy with the US gov't vet sevices.
_________________ cirlces they grow and they swallow people whole half their lives they say goodnight to wives they'll never know got a mind full of questions and a teacher in my soul and so it goes
The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."
next time i go to harvard square, i'll tell the legless, homeless vietnam vet who begs for change that he should be happy and proud of the support the US gov't has provided.
if this guy actually wins this lawsuit, he better fucking donate a large chunck to veteran's services, because he is the only vet i have ever heard of that is happy with the US gov't vet sevices.
i would say he should do what he wants with the money, i figure he will get substantially less than 85 mill, but if this isnt proof that the liberals have every bit of an agenda as the conservatives and are just as adapt to doctor something towards their agenda, then i dont know what is
if bush used his resources, and showed one of you jumping up and down celebrating something and intercut it with footage of a kid being shot, youd be pretty pissed off, no?
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 4:01 am Posts: 19477 Location: Brooklyn NY
Michael Moore is a punching bag and an easy target for anybody who observes or is involved in American politics. Fact is, whether you agree with him or not, he has years and years of experience dealing with and fighting for average people. I haven't actually seen Faranheit 9/11. Both Bowling for Columbine and Roger and Me were excellent perspectives into the values system of this country. In those films he makes fairly convincing arguments but still has the ability to entertain. But again, 9/11 is a much, much more sensitive topic.
_________________
LittleWing sometime in July 2007 wrote:
Unfortunately, it's so elementary, and the big time investors behind the drive in the stock market aren't so stupid. This isn't the false economy of 2000.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:59 am Posts: 18643 Location: Raleigh, NC Gender: Male
kiddo wrote:
Quote:
The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."
next time i go to harvard square, i'll tell the legless, homeless vietnam vet who begs for change that he should be happy and proud of the support the US gov't has provided.
if this guy actually wins this lawsuit, he better fucking donate a large chunck to veteran's services, because he is the only vet i have ever heard of that is happy with the US gov't vet sevices.
I've been fighting the VA for 15 years over benefits my family is eligible for. I can't comprehend an organization being run worse.
The lawsuit states that "[Fahrenheit 9/11] creates a substantially fictionalized and falsified implication of a wounded serviceman who was left behind when Plaintiff was not left behind but supported, financially and emotionally, by the active assistance of the president, the United States and his family, friends, acquaintances and community."
next time i go to harvard square, i'll tell the legless, homeless vietnam vet who begs for change that he should be happy and proud of the support the US gov't has provided.
if this guy actually wins this lawsuit, he better fucking donate a large chunck to veteran's services, because he is the only vet i have ever heard of that is happy with the US gov't vet sevices.
I don't believe you even know a veteran. Because there are millions of us that are damn with the services provided by the VA. For spending a year in a combat zone, I never have to worry about insurance for the rest of my life. They will take care of me regardless of my situation and regardless of what is ailing me. If I got in critical accident, all my parents or friends, or anybody would have to do is tell them that I belong to the VA and I'm set. If I get cancer, I'm set. If I cut my arm off, I'm set. You can your prescriptions donated to you, it's very easy to get dissability. I have chronic tendonitis and rotator cuff problem, it's nothing huge, but even as it is I rate disability for that.
The people who are pissed about the VA benefits either rejected it completely, or never took the time to do about an hours worth of paperwork to set themselves up with healthcare for the rest of their lives. It's as easy as this.
"Hello ma'am, I'm a combat zone vet, here's my DD-214, what do I have to do?"
"Just fill out these two forms, this questionaire, bring us a copy of your medical records and you're all set."
Shit.
My dad has an old friend that hit a permanent disability point from an injury in Vietnam. Granted, he can still do his job. He recieved E-7 pay, retro-active, from the day he got out of the Corps.
Man, I had heard so many bad things from people like you about the VA. I was so SHOCKED when I actually set foot in there when I got back. I go to a little outpatient clinic, and the care the provide there is top notch, everyone is extremely friendly, you never have to wait for anything other than for them to run your social security number, the provide comprehensive care. It's awesome.
So before you go running your mouth, maybe have something to back it up with before you do it.
My friend's dad went to Vietnam. He still has PTSD and still can't sleep at night. Yet he believes in war and he believes that he did the right thing with his life. Good for him. However, I supposed it'd be awfully hard for a vet to live with all these problems and believe it was all in vain.
Now from what I've seen, he's gotten pretty decent care from the VA recently. He goes to group meetings, etc. Lately he's being evaluated for disability, and if he gets it 100%, then he can retire early. (He has constant black circles under his eyes and he falls alseep while driving. And the poor man jumped a mile when I reached in front of him for the pepper shaker). My question is, how the hell did it get to this point? Shouldn't he have been put on disability like 20 years ago?
I do believe the government cares about vets, but it's way too little too late for these guys. Maybe they've learned from past mistakes?
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