The safe thing to do is just shut up

This is certainly a new one on me. Via Information Clearinghouse comes this bit from the Concord (NH) Monitor for Thursday:

Helen Johnston is an 80-year-old retired pediatrician who hardly considers herself much of a risk for being sued.

That's not how her insurance company sees it, however. ...

The Providence Mutual Fire Insurance Co. sent her a letter last month notifying her it is not renewing her $1 million umbrella policy next month because of "the political positions the insured holds."

Some years ago Johnston got the extra coverage for the sake of the general protection such a policy is designed to provide against events not covered by usual insurance such as on a car or a home. But, it develops, she is active in Democratic party politics locally and once the corporation found out about that, she was axed.

According to the insurance company, it's "common practice" not to cover politically active people "because of libel and slander (risks)." Yeah, that deluge of libel and slander suits against members of Democratic and Republican county committees that we've all seen headlined in the New York Times sure has undermined the financial stability of the insurance industry, hasn't it?

Toads.

Actually, no, a sterling example of the American free market at work.

Pretty much the same thing, I suppose.