Unfortunately not?? I don't think so. Shorting shares although unpopular is part of a free market, shorters have the same goal as the rest, to make money. To say you can't short a stock because it will deflate the value of the stock is bull. If a stock is meant to fall it should and there should be no government intervention. However I think volitility limits should be managed or controlled so when panic selling happens markets or stocks are temporarily halted. Shorters are betting just as we are, they have a every right to bet against a stock as long as it is a legal short. This holds true of people buying on margin, there is no difference in what they are doing. What I don't agree with (even though it is legal) is borrowing stock from investors that are not aware of it. If your stock is being used against you without you knowing about it this should be illegal. Look which companies they are protecting, banks and financial institutions, the corrupt ones. Because it is well known that they have been lending money they don't have, and now they have toxic investments. Well boo hoo! This is why we are in this crisis in the first place.