Queen of the Pen! Where are You?

Well...when I say "pen," I mean a writing instrument. Looking around the internet, I found that the word is used to mean the farm pen--as in Dolly the Sheep, Queen of the pen--and the prison nickname (pen)--as in a South American Drug Leader who is now Queen of the pen. I found one person at a pen pals' site who called her self Queen of the Pen and Paper. Unfortunately, no one was called just Queen of the (writing instrument) Pen.

I really wanted to know if there was a Queen of the Pen, since I think I experienced genuine email libel this week and I wanted to ask her what to do about it. Without a genuine Queen of the Pen out there, I read various internet sites about libel and learned that Mosaic and Solomonian laws in the book of Exodus in the bible protected individuals from defamation of character. For something to actually be libelous, it must contain three elements:

1) it must be specific,
2) it must be presented so that those who would care will read it, and
3) it must harm another's character (and that harm can be implied not necessarily specific).

The person performing the questionable act of libel, sent an email to various professionals with whom I work saying I said something which I never said or wrote. In fact what she said I said made it look like I was refusing to perform my job. When I sent out a correction saying that I had never said what she said I said, this person performing the questionable act of libel fired off an email telling me to stop "picking." I told her that I was not picking on her, I was just setting the written record straight as I do not need people thinking I said something I did not say.

Did you get all this? I think one must write in a confusing manner in order to complain about another and still avoid libel.

I suppose if I was truly picking, I could have sent her copies of the anti-defamation of character laws in Exodus, a definition of libel, and a request for an apology. Finally, I could have warned her of an upcoming call from my personal lawyer regarding cyber-libel, but I didn't do any of that.

So was I picking on her? I suppose I was a little, but I did not want other professionals thinking I was shirking the duties of my job and it was easier to just clarify the comment rather than contact a lawyer in order to get an apology.

Too bad that there was no Queen of the Pen I could contact, like Dear Abby, in order to make sure I did everything correctly. I avoided the office Christmas party since this woman's comment made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. Thinking about it, since I didn't have a Queen of the Pen to call on, I could have used the Queen of Swords to help bring home my point this week

....too bad she is a fictional character, but that is another story.







Copyright Romil Ilagan 2003, Used with permission
Based on an idea by David Abramowitz, 2000
No infringement of rights is implied or intended