God, it's time we had a talk--call my lawyer.
September 18, 2007 6:32 AM Subscribe
From the same man who wrote poetry to the state treasurer and brought segregation back to Omaha Public Schools comes a new lawsuit... against God. Says Nebraska State Senator Ernie Chambers: "People might call it frivolous but if they read it they'll see there are very serious issues I have raised." PDF of suit alleging that God "has made and continues to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons."
I like the subtle editorializing from the AP photographer. A very subtle, medieval touch.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:02 AM on September 18, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 7:02 AM on September 18, 2007 [2 favorites]
And he's filing the lawsuit in protest of the suit filed by the woman whose rapist was tried in a courtroom where the words "rape", "victim", "assailant", and "sexual assault" were banned by the judge.
Ernie Chambers is a piece of shit.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:10 AM on September 18, 2007
Ernie Chambers is a piece of shit.
posted by Pope Guilty at 7:10 AM on September 18, 2007
Personally, I think Satan is probably more deserving of a law suit. But whatever, I suppose God is probably negligent at times.
posted by zekinskia at 7:31 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by zekinskia at 7:31 AM on September 18, 2007
That picture in the USA Today article is just too much. Camera man must've spent some time getting that angle right.
posted by fungible at 7:37 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by fungible at 7:37 AM on September 18, 2007
...God "has made and continues to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons."
One man's egregiously frivolous is another man's very good point.
posted by DU at 7:42 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
One man's egregiously frivolous is another man's very good point.
posted by DU at 7:42 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
Bravo! It's about time someone held these Mesopotamian desert genies accountable for their actions.
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 7:59 AM on September 18, 2007 [3 favorites]
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 7:59 AM on September 18, 2007 [3 favorites]
Fox News managed to get the "right" story out of all this.
(You can probably fairly call the guy "liberal," but the Nebraska Legislature is non-partisan.)
posted by peacecorn at 7:59 AM on September 18, 2007
(You can probably fairly call the guy "liberal," but the Nebraska Legislature is non-partisan.)
posted by peacecorn at 7:59 AM on September 18, 2007
BTW, What is it with people whose names resemble their jobs? Courtrooms = "Earnie chambers", where lawyers earn their money.
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 8:02 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by L.P. Hatecraft at 8:02 AM on September 18, 2007
BTW, photographs of politicians (and others) with halos is very, very common. There was a page a while back with tons of pictures just from news sources in that year alone (2005, IIRC).
posted by DU at 8:06 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by DU at 8:06 AM on September 18, 2007
Seriously, that's one of the best AP photos I've seen in a long time. Kudos, Nati Harnik.
Chambers, however, deserves to have his taxpayer-money wasting ass thrown out of the courtroom.
posted by god hates math at 8:06 AM on September 18, 2007
Chambers, however, deserves to have his taxpayer-money wasting ass thrown out of the courtroom.
posted by god hates math at 8:06 AM on September 18, 2007
seconding pope guilty, also, i have a question. which god did he sue? the catholic god with his rosary beads and heavenly liquor cabinet? the teetotaling baptist god who thunders at us from his perch? the eminently reasonable episcopalian god who seeks absolution for his unearned privilege and affluence? the pentecostal god who so frequently sounds like tomcats courting a queen in heat? the jewish god who frowns on lobsters and bacon and so many other good things, or the muslim god with all those virgins to bestow on the guys in the suicide jackets? forgive me, but branding is essential to religion, because if you're caught out with the wrong god, you end up in a hot place for eternity; it's a whole lot worse than carrying a zune to an apple party.
posted by bruce at 8:15 AM on September 18, 2007 [2 favorites]
posted by bruce at 8:15 AM on September 18, 2007 [2 favorites]
Man, when I was a kid I was told on a more or less weekly basis that Ernie Chambers was either the devil or one of his top lieutenants. Of course he's suing god.
posted by COBRA! at 8:16 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by COBRA! at 8:16 AM on September 18, 2007
“God "has made and continues to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons."”
Yeah. But he wins ball games.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:35 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
Yeah. But he wins ball games.
posted by Smedleyman at 8:35 AM on September 18, 2007 [1 favorite]
BTW, photographs of politicians (and others) with halos is very, very common. There was a page a while back with tons of pictures just from news sources in that year alone (2005, IIRC).
If you could post a link to that page I would appreciate it. I noticed that myself and started collecting them. I have one of Chertoff that just looks sinister to me. It could be a poster for the movie V for Vendetta.
posted by Mr_Zero at 8:44 AM on September 18, 2007
If you could post a link to that page I would appreciate it. I noticed that myself and started collecting them. I have one of Chertoff that just looks sinister to me. It could be a poster for the movie V for Vendetta.
posted by Mr_Zero at 8:44 AM on September 18, 2007
which god did he sue?
Depends on whether he intends to settle out of court. If so, go with the liquor cabinet deity.
posted by yerfatma at 9:27 AM on September 18, 2007
Depends on whether he intends to settle out of court. If so, go with the liquor cabinet deity.
posted by yerfatma at 9:27 AM on September 18, 2007
I don't have a lot of sympathy for this particular piece of political theatre, but the Mother Jones piece makes him look like a seriously excellent dude. Great post, by the way.
posted by sy at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by sy at 10:24 AM on September 18, 2007
Does this have anything to do with the prophesied clash between Gog and Magog?
posted by blucevalo at 10:39 AM on September 18, 2007
posted by blucevalo at 10:39 AM on September 18, 2007
Fox News managed to get the "right" story out of all this.
(You can probably fairly call the guy "liberal," but the Nebraska Legislature is non-partisan.)
Nebraska legislators can still be Democrats, Republicans, or Gremloids. Their partisan affiliation won't appear on the ballot next to their name, but it's hardly a secret. Some legislators do remain unaffiliated. I've no idea whether Chambers is a Democrat or unaffiliated.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:51 AM on September 18, 2007
(You can probably fairly call the guy "liberal," but the Nebraska Legislature is non-partisan.)
Nebraska legislators can still be Democrats, Republicans, or Gremloids. Their partisan affiliation won't appear on the ballot next to their name, but it's hardly a secret. Some legislators do remain unaffiliated. I've no idea whether Chambers is a Democrat or unaffiliated.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 10:51 AM on September 18, 2007
Senator Chambers knows political theater and the Unicameral has been much more benign because of it.
Pope Guilty writes "And he's filing the lawsuit in protest of the suit filed by the woman whose rapist was tried in a courtroom where the words 'rape', 'victim', 'assailant', and 'sexual assault' were banned by the judge."
Regardless of Sen. Chamber's shit quotient, the suit filed by the woman is frivolous. It is a question of state law and has run through the entire state court system. Federal courts defer to state courts on questions of state law. It may not be the fair or equitable decision in your opinion, but it is the final decision of the NE Supreme Court. It's not like barring the use of some words in criminal proceedings is unique to this instance either. These bits that dampen the outrage potential of this story are often omitted.
Of course, all the local media are revving up their "Chambers ist der Teufel" machines over this and trotting out the whole "Neitzsche is dead. --God" joke collection instead of limiting their reporting to the actual story taking place. Sometimes I really regret moving back here.
posted by Fezboy! at 11:10 AM on September 18, 2007
Pope Guilty writes "And he's filing the lawsuit in protest of the suit filed by the woman whose rapist was tried in a courtroom where the words 'rape', 'victim', 'assailant', and 'sexual assault' were banned by the judge."
Regardless of Sen. Chamber's shit quotient, the suit filed by the woman is frivolous. It is a question of state law and has run through the entire state court system. Federal courts defer to state courts on questions of state law. It may not be the fair or equitable decision in your opinion, but it is the final decision of the NE Supreme Court. It's not like barring the use of some words in criminal proceedings is unique to this instance either. These bits that dampen the outrage potential of this story are often omitted.
Of course, all the local media are revving up their "Chambers ist der Teufel" machines over this and trotting out the whole "Neitzsche is dead. --God" joke collection instead of limiting their reporting to the actual story taking place. Sometimes I really regret moving back here.
posted by Fezboy! at 11:10 AM on September 18, 2007
I've no idea whether Chambers is a Democrat or unaffiliated.
A quick perusal of Wikipedia suggests that he is an independent.
posted by polyhedron at 11:43 AM on September 18, 2007
A quick perusal of Wikipedia suggests that he is an independent.
posted by polyhedron at 11:43 AM on September 18, 2007
Of course, all the local media are revving up their "Chambers ist der Teufel" machines over this and trotting out the whole "Neitzsche is dead. --God" joke collection instead of limiting their reporting to the actual story taking place. Sometimes I really regret moving back here.
Unfortunately, I can't think of any place in the country where the local media would not have reacted this way to a similar set of events, whether it was the media in Honolulu or Hoboken. It's the whole Kent Brockman "SUING GOD? HOW BONKERS CAN PEOPLE GET?" outrage song and dance.
posted by blucevalo at 11:57 AM on September 18, 2007
Unfortunately, I can't think of any place in the country where the local media would not have reacted this way to a similar set of events, whether it was the media in Honolulu or Hoboken. It's the whole Kent Brockman "SUING GOD? HOW BONKERS CAN PEOPLE GET?" outrage song and dance.
posted by blucevalo at 11:57 AM on September 18, 2007
And he's filing the lawsuit in protest of the suit filed by the woman whose rapist was tried in a courtroom where the words "rape", "victim", "assailant", and "sexual assault" were banned by the judge.
There were a number great comments in the meta thread about that case explaining why, exactly, those words were banned. It actually makes a lot of sense.
The idea is, the victim should state, explicitly what happened too her, and the jury should decide if what she describes constitutes rape.
posted by delmoi at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2007
There were a number great comments in the meta thread about that case explaining why, exactly, those words were banned. It actually makes a lot of sense.
The idea is, the victim should state, explicitly what happened too her, and the jury should decide if what she describes constitutes rape.
posted by delmoi at 1:10 PM on September 18, 2007
The great thing about suing god is that he always fails to appear, and you get default judgement in your favor. Some omnipresent god that is.
posted by mullingitover at 1:53 PM on September 18, 2007
posted by mullingitover at 1:53 PM on September 18, 2007
As a person of non-color (would that make me an albino?) who lives in out-state Nebraska, I have to say that I can't help but like Ernie Chambers. He thinks outside the box, and that includes the "black" box that people try to put him in.
He understands "the system" and knows how to use it (giving him power that is out of proportion to those more clueless). The legislature instituted term limits here, primarily as a a way (many say) of getting Ernie out of there. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! I would not be surprised to see that he is doing this in order to gain some attention for whatever it is that he is going to do after his state legislature time is over.
If he lived in Detroit, or Atlanta, he would be a major figure on the political stage. He makes a lot of sense, but his (polictical) fault is often making it in overly-inflammatorial ways. His voting base loves it, which is what has made him an absolute Nebraska institution, even if many here would rather see him in one.
posted by spock at 2:32 PM on September 18, 2007
He understands "the system" and knows how to use it (giving him power that is out of proportion to those more clueless). The legislature instituted term limits here, primarily as a a way (many say) of getting Ernie out of there. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face! I would not be surprised to see that he is doing this in order to gain some attention for whatever it is that he is going to do after his state legislature time is over.
If he lived in Detroit, or Atlanta, he would be a major figure on the political stage. He makes a lot of sense, but his (polictical) fault is often making it in overly-inflammatorial ways. His voting base loves it, which is what has made him an absolute Nebraska institution, even if many here would rather see him in one.
posted by spock at 2:32 PM on September 18, 2007
spock: you should probably just avoid using the word color at all when referring to your ethnicity. The reverse of non-color being colored, both are a little squicky. If it's relevant to the discussion, just say you're ethnicity instead of telling us what you aren't. Carry on!
posted by lazaruslong at 10:23 PM on September 18, 2007
posted by lazaruslong at 10:23 PM on September 18, 2007
Lazaruslong: actually, the opposite of "person of non-color" would be person of color, which is fairly common language in academia.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 11:21 PM on September 18, 2007
posted by spaceman_spiff at 11:21 PM on September 18, 2007
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