“You can probably still say that!” This is the suffix many people use when they want to say something they shouldn’t necessarily say. Then comes the complaint about the so-called “cancel culture” with the comment that nowadays you can’t say anything anymore. This is nonsense, the verdict against conspiracy ideologist Alex Jones is proof of it. He had claimed that the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School – which killed 28 people, including 26 elementary school children – was a hoax. He taunted parents of deceased children until they had to move because of threats from Jones’ listeners.
Jones’ fine could be in the hundreds of millions
Jones has been fined $49.3 million for not telling the truth. He has been doing so for more than two decades, and from what is known about him, he will continue to do so. He has to pay because he has demonstrably harmed other people with hateful, demonstrably untrue claims. This trial was not about truth; but solely about the consequences of what someone says about others. There will be two more cases against him in which he is also likely to be found guilty – the total penalty could be in the three-digit million range.
The message of the judgment, which should be known anyway: Every person can still say whatever they want – they must be prepared to bear the consequences. This can be a contradiction or that others consider you to be a die-hard stubborn person – and that they tell you that or sue you for demonstrably untrue allegations. The next case will be that of the Fox News TV channel, which reported after the 2020 election that voting machine manufacturer Dominion was involved in a conspiracy to steal votes from Donald Trump. The lawsuit is the best answer to all-nothing-you-must-say-anymore-people: lies have consequences.