Alex Jones is a virus. A pox. A stain. A tangle of emotions, paranoid fears and self-interest rarely so publicly on display. He’s probably mentally unhinged too. I can say all of that because it’s clear that I’m expressing my personal opinion; no one would mistake my hyperbole for statements of fact. He’s a public figure, and I’m writing about a matter of common interest — his recent record-setting verdict in the defamation lawsuit brought against him by some of the souls whose lives were forever changed by the Sandy Hook shootings.

I write because I’m ambivalent about the whole idea of using defamation and unfair and deceptive trade practices allegations as a vehicle to shut up and shut down someone whose speech I find abhorrent. Don’t get me wrong. I’m cheering for the Sandy Hook plaintiffs, and I can’t wait for the punitive damages award. I just have this queasy feeling that this might be a perversion of the system.