Theos-Talk Archives (March 1995 Message tl00058)

Subject: URGENT PETITION -- Fight Govt. Censorship!

Hello everyone...

A matter has come to my attention that is of the utmost
importance to all of us online.

Simply put, a couple of senators have proposed a particularly
heinous piece of legislation titled the "Communications Decency
Act of 1995" (Senate Bill S.  314).  Basically, the bill would
subject all forms of electronic communication -- from public
Internet postings to your most private email -- to government
censorship.  The effects of the bill onto the online industry
would be devastating -- most colleges and private companies (AOL,
Compuserve, etc.) would probably have to shut down or greatly
restrict access, since they would be held criminally liable for
the postings and email of private users.

Obviously, this bill is designed to win votes for these senators
among those who are fearful of the internet and aren't big fans
of freedom of speech -- ie., those who are always trying to
censor "pornography" and dirty books and such.  Given the
political climate in this country, this bill might just pass
unless the computer community demonstrates its strength as a
committed political force to be reckoned with.  This, my friends,
is why I have filled your mailbox with this very long message.

A petition, to be sent to Congress, the President, and the media,
has begun spreading through the Internet.  It's easy to
participate and be heard -- to sign it, you simply follow the
instructions below -- which boil down to sending a quick email
message to a certain address.  That's all it takes to let your
voice be heard.  (You know, if the Internet makes democracy this
accessible to the average citizen, is it any wonder Congress
wants to censor it?)

Finally, PLEASE forward this message to all your friends online.
The more people sign the petition, the more the government will
get the message to back off the online community.  We've been
doing fine without censorship until now -- let's show them we
don't plan on allowing them to start now.  If you value your
freedoms -- from your right to publicly post a message on a
worldwide forum to your right to receive private email without
the government censoring it -- you need to take action NOW.
It'll take fifteen minutes at the most, a small sacrifice
considering the issues at hand.  Remember, the age of fighting
for liberty with muskets and shells is most likely over; the time
has come where the keyboard and the phone line will prove
mightier than the sword -- or the Senate, in this case.

Yours in liberty,

            -don

 Here's what you have to do to sign the petition:

 send an e-mail message to: S314-petition@netcom.com the message
 (NOT the subject heading) should read as follows: SIGNED <your
 online address> <your full name> <U.S.  Citizen (y/n)> eg.
 SIGNED lsewell@leland.Stanford.EDU Laura Sewell YES

 If you are interested in signing the petition, I would highly
 suggest investigating the details of the situation.  You can
 find out more on the Web at http://www.phantom.com/~slowdog or
 in the newsgroup comp.org.eff.talk

 Save the 'net! If you won't do it for the sake of justice and
 the American way, DO IT FOR ME!! PLEASE!!!!!!

                                               --Laura
    _\\|//_        Why are you unhappy?
      o o              Because 99.9% of everything you think,
--uuu--U--uuu-----     & everything you do is for your self,
      \_/          And there isn't one.