A special document on a matter which goes directly to the issue of personal integrity

                                            in the debate about the Patterson Gimlin Film (PGF)

 

I have been banned from the discussion forum known as the JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation).

 

I reported a person who flat out said i was dishonest, and I expected the moderators of the forum would (at a minimum) uphold the stated policy "address the argument (or idea), not the person".

 

I notified the person in that forum that I had reported him. I then posted a CNN-sourced news article about on-line libel as a reference to the consequences a person should realistically expect for commiting libel with on-line internet statements proven to be libelous.

 

These two posts of mine were removed. The person accusing me of being dishonest was apparently not punished, and his post was not edited or removed. So I gave notice in a posting that I must consider a legal redress.

 

I was banned from membership. The following PDF document details this matter. The whole story of the PGF is filled character assassination, sadly, and at some point, we must say "enough is enough".

 

With this document, I say that now.                  Bill Munns, JREF and the facts of the dispute

 

Bill Munns             June 17, 2011

 

Update as of June 18, 2011

 

Within hours of my posting this material to the site, the entire discussion thread (on me, the Munns Report, and my PGF studies) was removed from the viewing by the JREF administrators or website staff. I do not presume it was from their reading the PDF on this website, but more likely was a result of the email to their forum administrators sent the evening before. Either way, it was a bold and unexpected action.

 

All we can say with certainty is that over 4095 posted messages, the entirety of the discussion for over 2 2/1 years, now apparently ceases to exist. Given that there are far simpler remedies available to them (such as simply editing individual postings or closing the thread but allowing it to stand in view), the virtual elimination of this massive archive of discussion does strongly suggest the legal concerns about defamation against me, and the desire to hide such evidence, may have been the motive. it appears to have been a drastic and impulsive action, and such actions are usually motivated by fear.

 

I will continue to evaluate the options for a legal followup to this incident.

 

Updated October 1, 2011

 

Insults, lies and defamation do continue in PGF or Bigfoot-related discussion threads, and screen captures of this evidence are being collected.