When I read the first part of the story about Floyd's settlement to the journalist he insulted, that appeared on News24, I thought maybe, just maybe, he'd learned something.
Then I got to the second part, and I realised I was wrong.
Still, you can't believe everything that you read, so I did what I usually do when I read anything about the ANCYL. I consulted their website.
There it was again.
According to Floyd, his settlement isn't because he believes he is wrong (which for the record he is), but because the court case was 'a waste of time.'
Now, having been the target of a few court actions that were genuinely made up in my time, I would like to point out a few facts.
Firstly, if the charges against you are genuinely untrue, chances are the case won't even make it to court. This is particularly true in the case of criminal proceedings.
Secondly, if yours is a civil case, and there genuinely is no foundation for the claims of the plaintiff, chances are it won't make it to a second court date.
That's because court cases, unlike your world view, Floyd, are based on facts and evidence.
We have an antagonistic court system - yes. That means that anyone can bring any charge or case against anyone else - however, the burden of proof lies, in most cases, with the antagonist, or the plaintiff.
If there was no evidence against you, there would have been no time wasted. The judge would simply have reviewed the evidence, and dismissed the case. The only reason there was evidence to begin with, was because you sent the woman sms's - you genius!
Now, I don't think there's a public figure, and certainly not a politician out there, who hasn't made the mistake of insulting someone somewhere along the line.
It's not what they do that cements public opinion, so much as how they handle the fallout.
Had you shown genuine remorse, rather than making up that story about time wasting, we all might have respected you a little bit more.
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