Fun_People Archive
7 Dec
DESPERADO: Sex is only dirty when done right
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 95 18:07:18 -0800
From: Peter Langston <psl>
To: Fun_People
Subject: DESPERADO: Sex is only dirty when done right
[Am I belaboring this one subject? ... Darn! -psl]
From: tompar@world.std.com (Tom Parmenter)
Subject: Sex is only dirty when done right
Sender: desperado-approval@world.std.com
Reply-to: desperado@europe.std.com
242 lines
$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.
DESPERADO, without freedom of speech I might be in a swamp
$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.@$>.
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Mail majordomo@world.std.com with [un]subscribe desperado in message body
LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Check this out, Desperados, and tell your Congressman that you don't
think material on this new medium should be restricted only to words
and images suitable for viewing by children in the most conservative
households.
I mean, well, shit, we couldn't express ourselves at all.
=*=
Special for our AOL subscribers:
breast, breast, breast, breast, breast . . .
Ooh, I'm getting hot now!
=*=
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: editor@cdt.org
Subject: CDT Policy Post No. 32 -- Broad Net-Censorship Proposal Approved By
Hse. Conferees
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****** ******** **************
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** ** ** *** POLICY POST
** ** ** ***
** ** ** *** December 6, 1995
** ** ** *** Number 32
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A briefing on public policy issues affecting civil liberties online
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CDT POLICY POST Number 32 December 6, 1995
CONTENTS: (1) House Conferees Approve Sweeping Net-Censorship Proposal
* White Proposal Approved, Then Gutted by Religious
Conservatives
* 2 Liberal Democrats Abandon the First Amendment
* Senate Passage Expected Without Substantial Amendment
* Court Challenge Likely
(2) How To Subscribe To The CDT Policy Post Distribution List
(3) About CDT, Contacting Us
This document may be re-distributed freely provided it remains in its
entirety. Excerpts may be re-posted by permission (editor@cdt.org)
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(1) HOUSE CONFEREES APPROVE SWEEPING NET-CENSORSHIP PROPOSAL
House Conferees Approve Sweeping Net-Censorship Proposal
By a razor thin margin, members of the House Conference Committee on
Telecommunications Reform have approved a broad proposal to censor
constitutionally protected speech on the Internet. The provisions adopted
today would make the Internet and Interactive media the most heavily
regulated medium in the United States, and severely threaten the future of
free expression and democratic values in the information age.
The proposal, if agreed to by the full conference committee, would impose
$100,000 fines and prison terms for anyone who posts any "indecent"
material, including the "7 dirty words", the text of classic works of
fiction such as The Catcher In The Rye, or Ulysses, artwork containing
images of nudes, rap lyrics, in a public forum.
CDT strongly opposes the legislation agreed to by the House conferees
today. We believe this proposal threatens the very existence of the
Internet as a means for free expression, education, and political
discourse. The proposal is an unwarranted, unconstitutional intrusion by
the Federal government into the private lives of all Americans.
Indecent material is constitutionally protected speech which the Supreme
Court has ruled can only be restrictive through the "least restrictive
means". Material that has been considered "indecent" has included, among
other things:
* The so-called "7 dirty words"
* The Catcher In The Rye
* Sex and AIDS Education literature
* Photographic, sculpted, and painted images of nudes
* Rap Lyrics
Posting any of the above materials in a public forum would be illegal under
the provision approved today. Although it is unrealistic to expect that
Federal law enforcement has the resources to go after each and every
violation, the threat of $100,000 fines and 2 year prison sentences will
result in a severe chilling effect over all online communications.
CDT will devote all our efforts in the coming weeks to ensure that the full
conference committee does not endorse the approach approved today by the
House. We are also committed to fighting this battle all the way to the
Supreme Court, if necessary, to ensure that these provisions are
overturned.
The text of the proposal will be placed on CDT's net-censorship web page
(URL below) as soon as it's available. CDT will also post a detailed
analysis of the bill soon.
WHITE PROPOSAL ADOPTED, THEN AMENDED TO INCLUDE INDECENCY STANDARD
2 LIBERAL DEMOCRATS TIP THE SCALES IN FAVOR OF RELIGIOUS-RIGHT
At today's meeting of the House and Senate Conference Committee members,
Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL) offered his proposal to prohibit the transmission
and display of indecent material online, and grant the FCC new authority to
regulate the Internet. As expected, Rep. Rick White (R-WA) offered his
alternative, based on the narrow and constitutional "harmful to minors"
standard and provisions to encourage parental control, not government
censorship. The House conferees then adjourned to a private room, away from
the press and television cameras, to vote.
The Conferees voted 20 - 13 to accept the White proposal. However, Rep.
Goodlatte (R-VA) offered an amendment to substitute "indecency" for the
"harmful to minors" standard in the White proposal. The Goodlatte amendment
was approved on a vote of 17 - 16 and the "harmful to minors" standard was
replaced by the blatantly unconstitutional "indecency standard".
Representative White did NOT vote for the Goodlatte amendment.
Amazingly, two traditionally liberal democrats, Reps. Pat Schroeder (D-CO)
and John Conyers (D-MI) voted for the "indecency" standard! Had either of
these members voted the other way, libraries, schools, and even parents who
allow children to access the text of The Catcher In The Rye online would
not now face $100,000 fines and prison sentences. Schroeder and Conyers
should be ashamed of themselves for not standing up for freedom of speech
and democratic values at such a critical moment, and for assisting the
campaign of religious conservatives to impose their moral values on the
Internet without regard for long-standing constitutional principals.
Representative White should be commended for his efforts to craft a
constitutional proposal which preserved freedom of speech and relied on
user empowerment over government control of online content. He deserves
great credit for his commitment to protecting the Internet and preserving
freedom of speech, and his willingness to stand up to religious
conservatives. Unfortunately, the critical element of his proposal which
made it constitutional was removed over White's objections.
NEXT STEPS
The provision approved today by the committee is similar to the Exon/Coats
CDA in that it relies on the "indecency" standard and contains defenses for
online service providers. The Senate is likely to adopt the proposal with
only minor changes. Senator Exon expressed optimism at today's conference
committee meeting that the issue would be resolved soon, perhaps as early
as Friday.
The Senate conferees are reviewing the language agreed to today by the
House conferees. The House and Senate must each agree on the provisions
before the final bill can be voted on. CDT will keep you informed of
developments on this issue as they occur.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit CDT's net-censorship issues web page:
http://www.cdt.org/cda.html
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(2) HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CDT POLICY POST LIST
CDT Policy Posts, which is what you have just finished reading, are the
regular news publication of the Center For Democracy and Technology. CDT
Policy Posts are designed to keep you informed on developments in public
policy issues affecting civil liberties online.
SUBSCRIPTION INFORMAITON
1. SUBSCRIBING TO THE LIST
To subscibe to the policy post distribution list, send mail to
"Majordomo@cdt.org" with:
subscribe policy-posts
in the body of the message (leave the subject line blank)
2. UNSUBSCRIBING FROM THE LIST
If you ever want to remove yourself from this mailing list,
you can send mail to "Majordomo@cdt.org" with the following command
in the body of your email message:
unsubscribe policy-posts youremail@local.host (your name)
(leave the subject line blank)
You can also visit our subscription web page URL:http://www.cdt.org/join.html
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(3) ABOUT THE CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND TECHNOLOGY/CONTACTING US
The Center for Democracy and Technology is a non-profit public interest
organization based in Washington, DC. The Center's mission is to develop
and advocate public policies that advance constitutional civil liberties
and democratic values in new computer and communications technologies.
Contacting us:
General information: info@cdt.org
World Wide Web: URL:http://www.cdt.org
FTP URL:ftp://ftp.cdt.org/pub/cdt/
Snail Mail: The Center for Democracy and Technology
1001 G Street NW * Suite 500 East * Washington, DC 20001
(v) +1.202.637.9800 * (f) +1.202.637.0968
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End Policy Post No. 32 12/6/95
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Speak up for free speech.
Coming soon, a special Stars and Stripes and Speech edition.
Yr. bdy,
Tom Parmenter
xxx
Digital technology is the universal solvent of intellectual property rights
Forward with daring and whimsy
Copyright 1995, Tom Parmenter
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© 1995 Peter Langston
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