beware your little home shop

[thomfk]

Steven (or anyone else in Cheryl Fiandaca's viewing area),

Does anyone up there take this twit seriously? At the bottom of the "Weapons for Sale" page under "More Special Reports" are links to these hard-hitting pieces of investigative journalism:

When eBay Bargains Are A Little Too Hot

Don't Forget Your Meds!

and

Hair Straightening Nightmares

Could it be that her station is afraid to let her cover a real story?

[SteveS]

Steve, I don't know it another email is going to help, but I had to write her anyway:

Cheryl,
I've read some of the irate responses you've received regarding "Weapons for Sale". Although those responses were inflammatory and impassioned, the root of them are very well meaning. They are defending a professional friend, a fellow guild member if you will.

But please look deeper into your motivations and professional journalism standards. I think you'll have to admit your story is purely emotion; meant simply to appeal to the emotion of your viewers rather than their intellect. Such a story is for ratings and not reporting.

Is an $800 knife really a threat to the stability of a neighborhood? Specifically, is there any evidence, study, or documented crimes committed with custom, handmade, art knifes?

In essence, what we have here is a story about some guy breaking a zoning law. But by simply adding some 'scarey' pictures, can we seriously call it a national news special report?

Sadly I'm too pessimistic to believe that the media's slide from reporting to tabloidism will reverse. But, from one thoughtful human being to another: can we try?

Steve

PS thomfk Good Point! That are really important news stories you found there.

[krept]

i sent her a mail, and received a reply. I'm interested if it's canned or not...

(edited: good point about publishing other people's responses. I omitted it)

I bet she feels really proud of getting him a citation.


This is my second e-mail to her:

Hi Ms. Fiandaca,

do you feel that the community is safer now that Mr. Licata has been cited? Please do not take this question as rhetorical or sarcastic.

When I read this story and take into consideration that it was previously titled "Death for Sale," clearly the intention is to cast the work of Mr. Licata in a negative light. How do you feel about custom knives in general? I'm sure you are aware that the majority of stabbings occur with kitchen knives or cheap, imported knives available at discount stores and malls nationwide. For this reason, I am quite shocked you would treat Mr. Licata as a pariah.

Regarding his citation for operating a business without a #######, will you next search for babysitters, handymen, and others advertizing there services in the newspaper who most likely do the same?

If you could tell me what your motivation was for researching such a story, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for your time!

Cheers,
Erik

[metalking00]

crap man, I feel bad for you. I may only be 13, but I know when people are out of line, and MAN, they're WAY, WAYYYYY out of line.
I dont have any advice besides "mind what you say".

I was reading a knife magazine today and I read an article about "your knife rights", and that a knife isnt a weapon UNTIL IT IS USED TO CAUSE HARM, even if that was your intention while commiting a crime, if you have a knife on you, and dont use it to hurt anyone, then its not a weapon. a gun on the other hand, is NOT a tool, its main purpose is to be a weapon.

and also, not to put all of you guys down, but its not slander...slander is "Oral communication of false statements injurious to a person's reputation." (Thats from the law books, my dads a lawyer). You're all thinking of libel, "A false publication, as in writing, print, signs, or pictures, that damages a person's reputation."

And I believe that is a crime...Ill get back on that.

if they interview a friend, tell him to qutoe shakespeare by saying "O, do not slander him, for he is kind"

Ill talk to my dad about this, he'll have something to say about it.

Keep faith.

EDIT: after reading about libel in Blacks Law Dictionary, it does indeed seem illegal. But your reputation must be hurt, or you must feel that your reputation has been hurt. However, you also must have proof that your reputation has been damaged, as in drop of sales, continued slander and libel, etc.

But again, check with a lawyer on that, Im only 13.

[Crex]

Just something else for you guys to consider.
My cousin was a newspaper reporter back during the Vietman Era.
He was assigned to go around to the local college campuses and interview students about their feelings on the war.
He was also instructed to record the names of any male students that were strongly against the war. When he asked why? he was told he didn't need to know that.
...His question was to whom this information was going to be of value.... To his credit he refused the assignment and sought employment elsewhere.

Now, you fellows of stout heart and justifiable indignation, I agree with you. However, could this be another ploy by the media and their "ghost" backers to ferret out information about other "radicals" who like to make deadly weapons and killing tools? Why would someone want this information and what could they do with it? Aaaaah, yet another conspiracy!

Please do not take offense, it's is very obviously a very mean-spirited and underhanded attack on one of our fellow makers and in turn on the rest of us. But who convinced her it was a "story to be told" in the first place? There's got to be more to the incident. The report I read indicates to me that she is not intellignet enough to make that discernment on her own. Read it again and think about it.

[Bob Warner]

Good point Crex, however I think a simple internet search would get them more info than tracking who replies to this issue. They could find me easily on the web as well as a lot more people than those responding.

If they find any of the forums, they could really get a bunch of us.

Besides, stanfing up for a fellow knifemaker is worth the risk of being noticed. They have to know we will stick together and not hide because we are afraid of them finding out who we are.

[graymaker]

hey I'm not going to hide from anyone
CBS come get me...
let them come to my front door I hope they put my site on the TV for all to see too

I think it could have been as simple as an uninformed person in the area but I could be wrong

metalking00 for 13 you're points are great I think Steve has a
good stand in this..

[Frank J Warner]

I sent an email to Ms Fiandaca, too, and got a reply thanking me for my input.

Her reply says Steve has been cited for operating a home business in a residential area (nothing about manufacturing "weapons") and will appear in court to answer the charges next month.

Might help him if a few of us were to get together and file an amicus brief. IANAL, but I'd be willing to sign on if somebody else knows how to do it.

-Frank J Warner

[Steven Licata]

A letter from my attorney to CBS


Edwin F. Kagin

Attorney and Counsellor at Law
10742 Sedco Drive, Union, Kentucky
e-mail: edwinkagin@fuse.net

P.O. Box 559 Phone: (859) 384-7000
Union, KY 41091 Fax: (859) 384-7324


May 15, 2004

Cheryl.Fiandaca
WCBS-TV
524 West 57 Street
New York, NY 10019

RE: CLAIM OF STEVEN LICATA

Dear Ms. Fiandaca:

Please be advised that I have been retained by Mr. Steven Licata of Garfield, New Jersey to prosecute a claim, in Kentucky, for injunctive relief and damages, against you, and against WCBS, for your irresponsible, and defamatory publication of May 11, 2004, which on this date continues to be available for public consumption in the Commonwealth of Kentucky in both printed form and as a video readily accessible by a home computer.

I note from your most impressive bio that you are #######d to practice law in several jurisdictions. Please take notice that while False Light tort litigation does not sound in your jurisdictions, it is alive and well in Kentucky.

My client, who is not a public figure, has been falsely portrayed by you and your station as a harmful and undesirable person who is also negligent toward his child. My client, the son of a retired Chief of Police, holds a BFA, Bachelor of Fine Arts, four year degree from The School of Visual Arts, E. 23rd St., New York, NY. He has never been arrested, and your malicious defamatory libel has caused him to be looked upon as somehow dangerous by those in his community, something that has never before occurred, to the point that he feels it necessary to move.

The art objects he produces, which you so callously and tortuously defame, are hardly the type of weapons bought by those who make headlines in such stories as your May 15, 2004 report, ?Two Women Stabbed in the Bronx.? Indeed, you would be hard pressed indeed to show evidence of any violence of any kind attributable to collectors and others who purchase art knives, and related artifacts, at prices of hundreds or thousands of dollars, or to any evidence of such items having been used in crimes. These works appear not in courts, but in collections and exhibits.

Your obvious intent was not to praise the artist or his art, as has so often been the case with knife makers whose work product is viewed by knowledgeable persons and institutions, including the Smithsonian, as something far different from hardware store pig-stickers, or grocery store carving knifes. Steve Licata?s presence in his community should be viewed as something positive and desirable, and he and his work praised. Instead, he has been subjected to the studied humiliation of your report, to vilification based on ignorance, and to the slander of your uninformed bias.

You, and your T.V. station have published in a most public, derogatory, and condemning manner facts about my client designed by you to gratuitously create a false and highly misleading impression of a craftsman artist, alleging that he offers ?death for sale.? This is the essence of the False Light privacy tort lawsuit recognized in Kentucky. Further, you have, by your admission, filmed in his home without his knowledge or consent. This unconscionable deliberate conduct constitutes invasion of privacy and trespass. Your pogrom against him has generated damages.

Please consider this a formal demand for an immediate retraction and correction of the challenged material. Further, please consider this a formal demand that you cease and desist forthwith from continuing publication of the defamations herein alleged. Failing this, a lawsuit may be filed ten days from receipt without further notice to you.

Sincerely,


Edwin F. Kagin

[Buddy Thomason]

Steve,
Terrific letter from your attorney! Thanks for keeping us posted and continued good luck in this mater of extreme importance to us all.
BT

[Steven Licata]

I really do need to thank Linda Hibben for her support and sending Mr. Kagin's contact info to me. I know that you all see the posts on line but alot has been going on with many phone calls as well. This attack on our way of life will not go unanswered.

Thanks
Steve

[M.Alan]

Steve.............I like your atty's letter. He sounds confident..I hope it's the prelude to fiandaca's demise
My hope is that you'll be the proud owner of about ten years worth of her paychecks but would love to see a cowering apology even more
best luck to you

[TexasJack]

That attorney's letter brought tears to my eyes! I deal with a lot of attorneys and this is one of the best letters I've ever seen one turn out. It may not make much of a dent against a juggernaut like CBS, but it sure was nice to take a bite at them!

One other quick item: I read Metalking00's post. I would urge that young man to rent the movie, "Shane". There's a great moment in the movie when Alan Ladd explains that a gun is nothing but a tool. How it's used is up to the user. Same is true for a knife, a hammer, or anything else.

[fitzo]

Bravo, Steven! Wishing you the best of luck!

[graymaker]

Originally posted by Steven Licata
A letter from my attorney to CBS


Edwin F. Kagin

Attorney and Counsellor at Law
10742 Sedco Drive, Union, Kentucky
e-mail: edwinkagin@fuse.net

P.O. Box 559 Phone: (859) 384-7000
Union, KY 41091 Fax: (859) 384-7324


May 15, 2004

Cheryl.Fiandaca
WCBS-TV
524 West 57 Street
New York, NY 10019

RE: CLAIM OF STEVEN LICATA

Dear Ms. Fiandaca:


I note from your most impressive bio that you are #######d to practice law in several jurisdictions. Please take notice that while False Light tort litigation does not sound in your jurisdictions, it is alive and well in Kentucky.

Sincerely,

Edwin F. Kagin

for an attorney she's not very brite is she:confused:
CBS must pay better

I can't imagine it ,,
and like I said for an attorney she's not very bright is she


Steve that letter makes me a very happier camper,,
Opportunity only knocks but once in a while in our lives we just need to know it when it is.. and if this isn't one of them