I've decided that the costs of liablity insurance are too high to make this continue to make sense, especially in light of sleazy garbage such as the Las Vegas Review-Journal lawsuit. (And ironically, we are supposedly on the same side.) America is enthusiastically headed into a cesspool, I'm not doing anything that is likely to even slow the downslope speed of destruction. Tonight I will download everything from the blog, and delete everything but this explanation.
Thanks to all the readers who have provided encouragement over the years. America is in a death spiral.
UPDATE: I think the solution is to make this blog only visible to a few. There's a way to make this blog require a login. I think I am going to try it. It's disappointing, because it limits it to those who I trust not to be agents of evil. You will probably have to email me to get permission, and agree not to redistribute anything that contains any quoted material--even one word. But I hate to lose this vast body of useful information, and the friendships of those who read.
By the way: I am not planning to give in. I'm planning to fight. Thank you all for the contributions towards the cause. I can't imagine any jury that won't look at this behavior and ask the judge's permission to slap the plaintiffs for their behavior.
Does anyone know a way with Blogger to make every posting except a few go into Draft mode, so that I can see them, but they aren't visible?
UPDATE 2: Change of plans. I'm moving my almost 10,000 old postings somewhere that I can see, but no one else can see. This will be starting over.
I hate to see you throw in the towel.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I agree that our civilization is in free fall, and the pavement is coming up fast.
Very sad to read this. Your blog has always been a "must read" for me.
ReplyDeleteWait... you're deleting the Armed Citizen blog, or _this_ blog? I can understand taking down AC, even though I think it's a horrible shame this is happening... but your personal blog too? Please step back, take a deep breath, and don't let them get to you like this.
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll rethink both actions.
ReplyDeleteNot that I would think ill of anyone who decides not to be a test case, but still: I would certainly contribute to a legal defense fund for you personally and for AC.
Somebody needs to push back against these buccaneers.
I am shutting this one down as well.
ReplyDeleteThere's too many opportunities for ambulance chasers to file suits. It doesn't matter if they are completely without merit, or grossly overblown, as with the Armed Citizen. (An email claiming that the articles in question exceeded Fair Use would have been quite sufficient to resolve the problem--never mind that Fair Use is not adequately defined to know what is and isn't in advance.)
Life is too short to worry about a society that is intent on self-destruction.
I'm very sorry to read this. As a small business owner, I totally get the anxiety that comes along with interfacing with the public, but I'm sorry if you leave the scene. I've always enjoyed this site. I live in Florida where I am surrounded by dense, tropical heat 360 days per year, and I've always loved the snapshots of Idaho.
ReplyDeleteI hope you stick around, or at least chime in on political stuff. I've always enjoyed your opinions.
Clayton, Don't you think you're exaggerating? You sound extremely drama-queenish, and I know that's not your thing. "The downslope speed of destruction," are you kidding? The only thing you left out was "Good-bye cruel world," right before jumping.
ReplyDeleteGet a grip, man.
You are a fantastic blogger and a great resource for us all. What this rag is doing is a moral crime, and I hope anyone doing business with them or supporting them in any manner stops now.
ReplyDeleteYour voice will be missed. Best of luck in the future and please consider keeping your personal blog going.
ReplyDeleteSomeone who always stopped by,
I guess the reason that I am so discouraged about the state of the society is that I am old enough to remember:
ReplyDelete1. When very, very few kids grew up in divorced homes. It was shameful, which was probably not good, and not every marriage was happy--but it was still better than today.
2. Look at the size of the federal deficit--and as much as I want to believe that this is going to change after November, the core problems are so severe that I have no confidence that this is the case.
I am saddened to read that you are closing your blog. It's been a must read every day for me for a couple of years now.
ReplyDeleteI hope that you'll reconsider and change your mind, but I fully understand if you don't.
Thanks for all the great posts.
I have found your blogs to be entertaining, thoughtful and informative. Your efforts will be missed.
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your hard work.
Mikeb302000,
ReplyDeleteI noticed that your website also has excerpts from the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Maybe if you were in Clayton's shoes, you would understand his feelings. Who knows, you may very well be soon!
http://www.reviewjournal.com/about/print/rjstaff.html
ReplyDeleteI'm of the opinion that the LVRJ needs to be shuttered.
Clayton,
ReplyDeleteI'm truly sorry to see the end of what you've been doing here and at Armed Citizen.
Thank you so much for what you have done.
Why not keep this one around for life updates, ScopeRoller news, machining tidbits, etc?
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed reading your blog for a couple years now Clayton and am sorry to see you throwing in the towel like this. Seems like someone that knows the law well enough to be cited in Supreme Court Cases should be able to get it together and tell these idiots in Las Vegas to get bent. I can see your predicament with the Self-Defense blog, but you should keep your personal blog going! I enjoy your insight on the wide variety of topics discussed here and will miss seeing your commentary.
ReplyDeleteClayton,
ReplyDeleteI am truly sorry to see that you have come to the same conclusion that I did a couple of years ago. The society that I have observed for three score and fourteen years is truly and thoroughly screwed. We cannot vote ourselves and our progeny out of this mess. I fear there will be blood. Take care and:
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ!!
Clayton, I've read your blog almost from it's inception. It's very distressing to me that it will be gone but I can understand your wish to minimize your exposure to rapacious lawyers. I know that your contributions to the conservative movement will go on in other areas.
ReplyDeleteWell, count me amongst those who will be very sad to see this weblog and The Armed Citizen go... That said, I can completely understand why you are deciding to pull down them both, and I sincerely hope that when the situation falls out in your favor, you will consider putting them back up online and live.
ReplyDeleteAs for spineless trolls who entertain themselves by making fun of people facing excessively expensive and time-consuming friviolous lawsuits... well, their behavior more than speaks for themselves.
It was fun while it lasted.
ReplyDeleteI know how much time and energy can be consumed by mendacious and frivolous cesspool-suits - my Uncle's work and career was almost destroyed by one that dragged on for year after year, lasting for a seeming eternity - and that was many years ago when people didn't divorce as much. Stay sane and strong.
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you.
ReplyDeleteI thank you for your efforts in the past and hope that everything works out for you in the future.
ReplyDeleteI too am very sad to hear of your closing this excellent blog, and AC as well.
ReplyDeleteSure wish I could talk you out of it, I will miss the hell out of your voice of sanity in all the madness-- but I agree, our civilization may soon be gone.
Best wishes for the future from a long time reader; and if you should reconsider I'd be thrilled!
All that is required for Evil to triumph is for good men to stop blogging.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a regular reader, but after going through a similar suit (happened to be for libel and defamation, against a nonprofit corp I work for, but similar in that it was (a) baseless, (b) for a supposed $75k in damages, based on NO FACTS WHATSOEVER, and (c) over something trivial), I'm hoping you reconsider.
ReplyDeleteIf it happens to me, I'll fight like hell. And countersue for my legal expenses.
I regret your decision even though I understand it. I've always thought you should have received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for exposing the Bellisles fraud and thus I've felt privileged to read your blog.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes and it's been an honor.
Clayton, I am very sorry indeed to see this blog and Armed Citizen close. You have done fine work at the Supreme Court, and helped turn the tide of the war on the RKBA.
ReplyDeleteI hope you reconsider, but I understand if you do not.
I've posted the three blog entries you've made at my place, with the intent of thwarting the memory hole, and made other comments there.
Clayton,
ReplyDeleteYou certainly would have support from us, your readers and many other bloggers as well, if you decided to go pound some sense into this shyster lawyer! This is an issue like disability lawsuits that needs to be cleaned up!! I hope that there is a special hell for those who abuse the legal system like this!