Al I did not say shorting was illegal. What I am getting at is if a company/individual short sells for the purpose of manipulating the price down this is illegal.  Stock manipulation is illegal.  This essentially is what your example that I qouted was, manipulation. It was your example. 

My meaning of true colors? Not long ago I pointed out or tried to that shorting allowed this type of manipulation. As shorting is legal in this country, it allows the big guys to manipulate at times without the security commission every being able to prosecute.(MENS REA - guilty mind, is a principle  of criminal law).  You strongly support shorting with the position, a correct one if done above board, that more or less, shorting is valid when one believes the performance of a company is poor and the natural direction of the stock is down hill.  Therefore the shorter is only reading the market. But even in the above board situation, shorting,  IMHO can over exagerate the sell off.