The Two Words That Might Have Saved Jack Thompson's Career
The Two Words That Might Have Saved Jack Thompson's Career
September 26, 2008
With yesterday's lifetime disbarment order by the Florida Supreme Court, Jack Thompson is finished as a lawyer.
Oh, it won't be effective for 30 days, but he's toast. Thompson, of course, will be papering the courts with motions, appeals and e-mails between now and then. In fact, he has already begun to do so. But, put a fork in him; he's done. The anti-game activist worked very hard to dig this tunnel into legal oblivion and now he is destined to occupy it - forever.
It didn't have to end this way.
While battling with the Florida Bar, Thompson has occasionally made reference to other lawyers who committed serious - if less flamboyant - offenses and received suspensions of only a few years.
The difference, of course, is remorse and Thompson hasn't shown any. The Florida Supreme Court noted this in yesterday's disbarment order, citing a "complete lack of remorse" on the part of the controversial anti-game attorney. The justices also gave weight to the recommendation of Judge Dava Tunis, who presided over Thompson's November, 2007 ethics trial and saw no indication that Thompson would change his ways:
[Judge Tunis] cited various cases indicating that disbarment is an appropriate sanction and recommended permanent disbarment because "[Thompson] has repeatedly stated in these proceedings that he will not change his conduct" and she "finds no evidence whatsoever to indicate that [Thompson] is amenable to rehabilitation, or even remotely appreciates the basis upon which a need or purpose for such rehabilitation is warranted."
...In fact, the referee reported that [Thompson] walked out of her courtroom at the final hearing in this matter because she would not allow him to "to turn the [d]isciplinary proceeding into a press conference."
It's universally acknowledged that the first step along the path to forgiveness and redemption is admitting one's wrongdoing. That's something that Thompson apparently wouldn't or couldn't bring himself to do. And it has cost him dear.
So, what are the two simple yet powerful words which might have salvaged Thompson's career?
I'm sorry...
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magic_taco: It doesnt have anything to do with the "National Institue of Morons & Failures"
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magic_taco: No, I just recently had something on my mind.
magic_taco: No, I just recently had something on my mind.
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Posted 11/21/09 at 09:21am
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Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
JDKJ: O.K. Suit yourself. But when you're wearing Ray-Bans, sitting on a curb with a white cane and a cup of pencils, and doing Stevie Wonder impersonations, don't say I didn't warn you.
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
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DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
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ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
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JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
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Comments
Did he ever achieve anything besides infamy?
Better yet, did he ever WANT to achieve anything besides infamy?
He’s been caught lying, harassing people, making sweeping claims based on little more than conjecture, generalizing, hurling what I can honestly say amounts to little more than childish insults, and actually threatening people. In the last few months I’ve seen a single, unrelated, picture create enough waves to incite massive change, yet despite all his antics over actual YEARS, Thompson’s arguably achieved absolutely nothing besides airtime.
Thompson would never say ‘I’m sorry’ because that’s akin to sweeping all this controversy he’s drummed up under the rug, and then how’ll he get all this attention?
The funny thing is they were offering a 90 day suspension at the beginning of his disbarrment proceedings. He laughed at them, insulted them, and told them to bring it. The funny thing, Jack is NOW willing (now that he is in panic mode) to work with them. Sadly it was a wasted opportunity and another time where instead of working with someone and being cooperative...he spat in their face and continued his tirade.
Put a fork in him? OMG Dennis advocating violence, proof of teh conspiracee!
I remember the 90 day suspension that was offered. He told them it was an insult to him and it was illegal and that he would crush them in court, etc... I recall some time after when things started looking a little more serious to him, he starting saying "Ok, just give me the 90 day suspension" but that offer had been taken off the table and he had another tantrum about that.
I wonder is it sinking in to him the fact that all of his bluster was just that? That every time he claimed to be winning, or that the bar was right where he wanted it, or that he was going to take down Take Two, all of it was posturing. Perhaps he's experiencing what a cat must feel when after standing it's fur on end, baring it's fangs and hissing, the big dog is still coming for it.
Actually I'd say it's more like the rat trying to scurry into his hole to find the cat's paw blocking it. But that works too.
Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.
That is Jack-o acting like a baby as always instead of a mature adult... And he wonders why we say he is mentally ill, if he looked at his actions, maybe he would understand... Maybe we should make a YouTube video side by side of him and a child so he can see the comparison.
I wrote something to this effect over on NeoGaf. If Jack had ever, just once, been willing to bend, been willing to go to any other lawyer, (including his own wife,) and say, "Will you countersign my defense?" He could have defnded himself, and this topic might have a very different outcome.
But no, if there's on thing Jack Thompson holds dear, it's his pride.
It might come from his Evangelical Christian roots... Now, I'll admit that I'm not religious, but I'm not one to bash religion. It's just that Evangelicals are one of THOSE types of religions where a basic "fact" is that they're right. So, Jack, being highly religious, has extended his religious tendancies a little too far.
It's like argueing against a preist about the existance of God: you might be debating as the devil's advocate, but the priest will always think he's right.
Alternatively, it's like argueing politics. You can prove that a candidate doesn't have a certain viewpoint, but the voter is highly likely to not change his opinion at all (without even realizeing how illogical their comment is).
I dunno if I'd call them roots since he's one of the "born again" nut jobs.
He doesn't know the meaning of them words.
I seem to recall an interview Thompson gave after he called gamers "terrorists" (I think this was before he started using "pixelantes") where he apologized, but the next day he turned right around on that and made it into a back handed remark? It was posted here, but I can't seem to find it.... :(
Getting Thompson to apologize would be like getting the Bosnians to apologize for lighting the match that started WWI, will never happen.
"The Good, the Bad, and the Videogame"
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I'm guessing he was brought up with the notion that apologizing is a sign of weakness... perhaps he should have realized that opinion and conjecture in place of facts for backing up an argument is also a (different) sign of weakness.
Could be, though my father always taught me that the better man is one who is willing to admit that they were wrong, or even admit that they made a mistake, as it makes them stronger in the long run.
Then again, Jack-o seems not to be thinking about his long game, and is more interested in taking a pawn while exposing his Queen, Rook, Knight and King in the process.
"The Good, the Bad, and the Videogame"
Reviews on the best, worst, and controversial issues of Videogames.
gryphonosiris.blogspot.com/
That Jack'll never admit he's sorry is ironic. He's nothing, if not "sorry." He's about as "sorry" as they come.
Jack Thompson saying "I'm sorry"?
Pah. Remember the last time (at least that I know of) when he apologized for ANYTHING? (And I use "apologized" rather loosely.) Well, the last time I remember was... (it pains me to mention this)... that MGS.org incident, which Jack mocked. We demanded an apology from him, he thought we were extorting him, and his "apology" mutated into a suggestion to sue Konami.
And now I'M sorry. For offending anybody by bringing this up. Which would include me. ~_~
No worries, Gabe.
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I AM DOOMED TO HAUNT JACK THOMPSON'S DREAMS UNTIL HIS CRUSADE AGAINST VIDEO GAMES ENDS.
Let's imagine he actually did gain enough sanity to say sorry...
Would anyone here be willing to forgive him? Should anyone forgive him?
-Remember kids, personal responsibility is for losers! For information on games and psychology, look up: Jonathan Freedman(2002)Block & Crain(2007) Just to name a few...
I must respectfully disagree with your assessment that remorse would be sufficient to absolve Thompson of his crimes against his profession, his clients and the Court. You can read the full reason why on my blog. Suggesting that remorse is sufficient to justify letting an incompetent attorney retain his license when he has time and time again defied the orders of the Court is setting a horrible precedent. The fact that he had no intention of changing his conduct just reinforces the fact that he never should've been allowed to go this long.
he knows not those 2 words...
he's too prideful
He's like Javert in Les Mis, but 10x more of a jerk and no idea of what justice really is.