The defamation lawsuit, for $1.2 million, wants the identity of "theforcebewithme", a 59-year-old Torontonian revealed so he can be added to the lawsuit.Unfortunately for Constable Adam Josephs the user "theforcebewithme" has since deleted their YouTube account, but the damage is already done. The "Officer Bubbles" videos can still be found on a variety of video-sharing websites including Facebook, where the videos have been posted by third-parties.
“If the bubble touches me, you’re going to be arrested for assault.” - Constable Adam Josephs.So the question then becomes can Officer Bubbles/Adam Josephs track down every video and get them all deleted? Hardly. The genie is out of the bottle and his actions at the G20 will live on in infamy.
Adam Josephs also wants the identities of 24 other people who posted comments about him, hoping to sue them as well for defamation.
Sheesh.
Some people really need to develop a thicker skin. Its just comments. Adam Josephs deserves his reputation due to the nature of his actions. He is just over-reacting all over again.
“I thought my opinion was my opinion in this country. I probably might not even post anymore,” says “theforcebewithme,” who as a 59-year-old government employee originally from New Brunswick with a talent for making cartoons is hardly a figure worthy of such a ridiculous lawsuit.
What is interesting is that Adam Josephs’ lawsuit isn’t targeting the video that sparked his infamy (the one showing what he actually did), but a collection of eight cartoons which show a cartoon police officer resembling Josephs engaging in abusive acts of power. In the cartoons “A. Josephs” arrests Santa Claus, U.S. President Barack Obama, a woman for dancing in the streets and punches a news photographer.
Adam Josephs claims the cartoons have brought him “ridicule, scandal and contempt both personally and as a member of the (Toronto Police Service).”
BUT HE IS WRONG!
The cartoons didn't do that at all. He brought ridicule, scandal and contempt upon himself by "acting like a major prick", according to YouTube users. He deserves to be ridiculed and shamed for his actions. He must be some kind of moron, says one YouTube user, because he still doesn't get it. HE DID SOMETHING WRONG, IT WAS CAUGHT ON CAMERA AND HE DESERVES HIS NEWFOUND REPUTATION.
The public reaction against what Adam Josephs did shows that Canadians, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM, disapprove of his actions.
Just look at some of the comments people said about Adam Josephs:
“If this steroid addicted Nazi has children, they must be sooooo embarrassed.”
“I think they’re trying to control the situation and, in reality, it’s just making it worse for the guy,” says one YouTube user.
It should be noted that in Canada our comments, thoughts, opinions and beliefs are protected by Section 2B of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Furthermore, under defamation law we are also free of guilt if our beliefs are reasonable and could be held by anyone. Thus, considering the amount of public outcry against Officer Bubbles, its a belief that many Canadians share and therefore a waste of the courts time to be suing people for a belief or opinion that many Canadians share.
Furthermore, and this is the most important one... you can't sue someone for defamation if the person suing is already infamous. ie. During the 1970s an infamous Quebec mobster once sued Macleans magazine for writing an article about him. He did win in court because the magazine had stretched the truth a little, but was awarded only 1 dollar because he was already infamous.
Food for Thought
"People should be judged based on their actions, and if the public finds someone's actions deplorable then they deserve their newfound infamy. The only person they have to blame is themselves."
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